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Flag of DR Congo

DR Congo

Also: Democratic Republic of the Congo · Middle Africa

Capital
Kinshasa
Population
106 million (2023)
Currency
Congolese Franc CDF
Plugs
CE 220 V
Drives on the
right
Local time
DR Congo highlighted on a globe

Plugs and voltage

Type C socket, as found in DR Congo Type C Type E socket, as found in DR Congo Type E

The DR Congo uses Types C and E sockets. Mains supply is 220 V at 50 Hz.

At 220 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.

Money

CDF Congolese Franc CDF

Average in 2025: 1 USD = 2,693 CDF (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.

Price level 47 (US = 100, 2021)

Everyday household prices in the DR Congo are about 47% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: cheaper than the median country (50). All countries

Language

  • Frenchofficial51%

Also official in some regions: Swahili, Luba-Lulua, Lingala, Kongo.

Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).

Time

The DR Congo spans 2 time offsets right now:

  • UTC+1 Africa / Kinshasa
  • UTC+2 Africa / Lubumbashi

The capital is on UTC+1 (Africa/Kinshasa).

Driving

Traffic in the DR Congo drives on the right, so the steering wheel is on the left.

Public holidays in the next 12 months

13 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.

December 2026

  • Christmas Day

January 2027

  • New Year's Day
  • Martyrs' Day
  • National Hero Laurent Désiré Kabila Day
  • National Hero Patrice Emery Lumumba Day (observed)
  • National Hero Patrice Emery Lumumba Day

April 2027

  • Day of the Struggle of Simon Kimbangu and African Consciousness

May 2027

  • Labor Day
  • Revolution and Armed Forces Day

June 2027

  • Independence Day

July 2027

  • Parents' Day (observed)

August 2027

  • Parents' Day
  • Congolese Genocide Memorial Day

Travel advisories

United States · State Department

Level 4 Do not travel

Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.

United Kingdom · FCDO

  • FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country
  • FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country

Updated 2026-10-08. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.

Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.

Other practical facts

Calling code
+243
Internet domain
.cd
Measurement
Metric
Paper size
A4
Week starts on
Monday
Read more
Wikipedia
Coat of arms or emblem of DR Congo
Coat of arms / emblem

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Flag: Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg, Public domain. Arms: Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (black spear).svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, SVG-image-maker. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.