Dossier d'accès · Restricted Territories Programme

Access to Congo's protected interior is granted, not sold.

Virunga's gorilla families, the Kahuzi‑Biega highlands and the deep interior of Salonga admit a small number of visitors each season, set by park authorities to protect the species and habitats you're coming to see. This is where that process begins.

Begin Application → Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis · no fee to apply

8 visitors per gorilla family, per day — Virunga

1 expedition permit issued per applicant party

4 review stages, park authority to final clearance

26 provinces of protected and community land represented

Why an application

These are not tourist sites with tickets. They are living systems with limits.

Every itinerary DRC Tourism submits for restricted access is reviewed alongside the conservation authorities and community stakeholders who hold responsibility for that land — not issued on demand.

Habitat comes first

Daily visitor caps for gorilla trekking and volcano access exist to limit stress on wildlife and terrain — DRC Tourism applies within those caps, we don't set them.

Security clearance varies by region

Eastern DRC's protected areas sit within active conservation and security zones. Each route is checked against current park authority guidance before an itinerary is confirmed.

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Community and revenue-sharing terms

A share of permit revenue funds ranger operations and neighbouring communities. Applying — rather than simply booking — keeps that structure intact.

A single point of coordination

DRC Tourism prepares and submits your dossier once, across park authority, logistics and, where required, ministry sign-off — rather than you approaching each separately.

Restricted routes

Four territories currently open to application.

Availability shifts by season, ranger capacity and park guidance. Submit an application to receive current permit status for your preferred dates.

North Kivu

Virunga — gorilla families

Trekking access to habituated mountain gorilla groups, subject to daily park permit allocation and current security guidance for the sector.

Seasonal quota, set by park authority

South Kivu

Kahuzi‑Biega highlands

Eastern lowland (Grauer's) gorilla trekking through montane forest, coordinated directly with site rangers ahead of arrival.

Limited group size per trek

Équateur / Tshuapa

Salonga interior

One of the continent's largest and least-visited rainforest reserves, reachable only with advance authorisation and river or charter logistics.

By review no standing itinerary

North Kivu

Nyiragongo summit

Overnight ascent to the active caldera rim, permitted through the same park authority process as gorilla trekking.

Weather‑gated confirmed closer to date

How a dossier moves

Four stages, in this order, no exceptions.

01 — Submit

Application

You share travel dates, party size and the route you're applying for. No payment is taken at this stage.

02 — Review

Authority check

DRC Tourism checks live permit availability and current guidance with the relevant park authority for your dates.

03 — Clearance

Itinerary hold

If space exists, we hold your permit and send a confirmed itinerary and cost breakdown for sign‑off.

04 — Issued

Permit & briefing

On payment, your permit is issued and you receive a pre‑departure briefing covering logistics, health and conduct in the field.

Before you apply

What's expected of an applicant.

Generally required

Passport valid 6+ months beyond travel dates, DRC visa arranged or in process
Basic physical fitness appropriate to the route (trekking routes involve sustained walking on uneven forest terrain)
Willingness to follow ranger and guide instruction at all times in protected areas
Comfort with itineraries that can shift on short notice for weather or security reasons

Not required at application

Payment or deposit — this is requested only after clearance is confirmed
A fixed itinerary — routes and dates can be discussed during review
Prior trekking experience, though it's useful context to include
Group bookings — solo applicants are reviewed on the same basis as parties

EST.
OFFICIAL
PLATFORM

Dossier d'accès

Begin your application.

Fields marked with an asterisk are needed to check permit availability. Everything else helps us prepare a more accurate itinerary.

REF DRC‑2026‑

Dossier received.

Your application has been logged for review. A coordinator will check current permit availability for your route and dates, then follow up by email with next steps — including cost and, if relevant, security guidance for the region.