Living in Yei, South Sudan

Yei is a mid-sized inland city in Central Equatoria, South Sudan (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 25°C over the year with about 1,109 mm of rain. For citizens from outside the East African Community, long-term residency in South Sudan is hard to obtain.

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Climate: 25°C; 1,109 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 34/100; country-level
Residency: Hard to obtain; outside free-movement blocs

Limited data for South Sudan. Figures for safety, healthcare and political stability in South Sudan are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, cost of living, English, social openness or internet speed figures for South Sudan, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

Travel advisory. As of 13 October 2026, the US State Department advises against all travel to South Sudan ("Level 4: Do Not Travel"). Our quiz and best-cities lists leave Yei out, and the safety figures below are country averages that do not reflect the advisory. Read the current advisory on travel.state.gov and your own government's travel advice.

What stands out about Yei

Long-term residency is hard to obtain from outside the East African Community

Safety and stability

South Sudan scores 34 out of 100 on safety, safer than 1% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 2.2 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in South Sudan: Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025) and life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

South Sudan scores 40 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 1% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in South Sudan: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain, for people from outside the East African Community. The only realistic long-term route is an employer-sponsored work permit tied to a genuine job offer, renewable annually but not leading to permanent residency; there is no investor, golden-visa, or passive-income/means-based option.

Citizens of the East African Community have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.

For short visits, 3 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 195 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Climate

Yei averages 25°C across the year with about 1,109 mm of rain, which makes it warm and wet. It is warmer than 71% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Questions couples ask about Yei

Is Yei a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and political stability. Our figures for South Sudan are partial: no tax, cost of living, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, wet climate (25°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks 915 cities for both of you at once.

Can foreigners live in South Sudan long term?

Citizens of the East African Community have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: hard to obtain. The only realistic long-term route is an employer-sponsored work permit tied to a genuine job offer, renewable annually but not leading to permanent residency; there is no investor, golden-visa, or passive-income/means-based option.

What is the weather like in Yei?

Yei averages 25°C across the year with about 1,109 mm of rain, which makes it warm and wet. It is warmer than 71% of the cities we track.