All telephone numbers have six digits, and there are no city or area codes. Cameroon has fax and telex services, and it was the first country in Central Africa to launch a cellular phone service in 1993. Many streets in Cameroon do not have names or numbered addresses. Consequently, most businesses, hotels, restaurants, government offices and individuals do not have street addresses. Villas and houses are available for rent in most towns in Cameroon.
Apartments are available for rent in Douala and Yaounde.
Rates have dropped considerably since 1992 but are trending upward, particularly in the two main cities. Many newly arrived U.S. businesspersons establish temporary housing and office space at one of the well-known hotels. In this case, no custom duty would be accessed on the item. The only exception is with the temporary import of a motor vehicle, which follows a pre-establish set of procedures. In reality, it is difficult to show that a personal vehicle is a personal effect.