The following is a summary of the information provided during telephone interviews on 19 and 20 July 2004 by two consuls of Guinea in Paris and Ottawa, respectively.

Guinean passports are issued by the Ministry of Public Security to Guinean citizens upon request. All passport applications must include an identification document, such as a certificate of residence issued by a city hall, an identity card, or a birth certificate issued by the vital statistics department. Obtaining a passport usually takes two weeks to one month, but this period of time can be longer if there is a shortage of blank passports and a new shipment is pending.

Women do not require the signature of either their father or husband to obtain a passport. Children's names are generally indicated on the passport of the parent with whom the child is travelling. However, if a minor child must travel without his or her parents, he or she must have his or her own passport. Parents or guardians are responsible for obtaining passports for minor children. According to the Guinean consul in Paris, children over 15 years can apply for a passport on their own.

The two Guinean consuls said that Guinean citizens' passports are stamped by the Guinean immigration department when they exit and enter the country (via airports, roads, ports).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Embassy of the Republic of Guinea, Ottawa. 20 July 2004. Telephone interview with the consul.

Embassy of the Republic of Guinea, Paris. 19 July 2004. Telephone interview with the consul.

Internet sites, including: African Civil Services Observatory, Government of Guinea, United States Department of State.