Austria’s Foreign Ministry has re-elevated the Central African Republic (CAR) to its highest risk category, urging nationals to “leave the country immediately” amid escalating fighting between government forces and CPC rebels along the Cameroon supply corridor. The advisory, published late on 19 November and re-circulated today, explicitly bans all business travel and tells NGOs to relocate essential staff to Yaoundé or Bangui’s UN compound.
While few Austrian companies maintain a presence in CAR, Vienna-based mining-services contractor MasterDrill confirmed to Global Mobility News that it has activated its evacuation protocol: a UN-approved charter will fly 12 expatriates and their dependants to Cameroon within 24 hours, and all December crew rotations are suspended. Insurance underwriters have moved the country into the “war and terrorism” exclusion zone, voiding standard corporate travel policies unless special riders are purchased.
![Vienna Issues Level-4 Travel Warning for Central African Republic, Triggers Corporate Evacuation Plan]()
Global mobility managers are advised to check whether staff hold Austrian passports registered with the embassy; those who arrived on short-term Schengen visas will need replacement documents for onward travel. The Foreign Ministry said it would prioritise emergency laissez-passer issuance via its crisis cell in Vienna.
Neighbouring operations are also affected: road freight between Douala and Bangui faces delays of up to a week due to military checkpoints, and several carriers—Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines among them—have suspended overflight clearances, forcing detours. Companies should review crisis-response contractors and ensure that duty-of-care trackers reflect the new no-travel zone.
While few Austrian companies maintain a presence in CAR, Vienna-based mining-services contractor MasterDrill confirmed to Global Mobility News that it has activated its evacuation protocol: a UN-approved charter will fly 12 expatriates and their dependants to Cameroon within 24 hours, and all December crew rotations are suspended. Insurance underwriters have moved the country into the “war and terrorism” exclusion zone, voiding standard corporate travel policies unless special riders are purchased.
Global mobility managers are advised to check whether staff hold Austrian passports registered with the embassy; those who arrived on short-term Schengen visas will need replacement documents for onward travel. The Foreign Ministry said it would prioritise emergency laissez-passer issuance via its crisis cell in Vienna.
Neighbouring operations are also affected: road freight between Douala and Bangui faces delays of up to a week due to military checkpoints, and several carriers—Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines among them—have suspended overflight clearances, forcing detours. Companies should review crisis-response contractors and ensure that duty-of-care trackers reflect the new no-travel zone.
