Credit cards may not be used at banks to obtain cash advances. Traveler's checks are accepted only if accompanied with a letter from a bank confirming the issuance of the Traveler's checks to the individual cashing the Traveler's checks. However, the use of Traveler's checks is generally not advised in DRC because banks charge substantial fees for cashing them. Traveler's checks are rarely accepted outside Kinshasa. Photographing public buildings, military installations, airports and the banks of the Congo River is forbidden.
Offenders can expect to be arrested, held for at least several hours and fined.
Film and cameras may also be confiscated. Due to the threat of harassment and the lack of signs designating sites prohibited for photography, photography is best practiced in private homes and among friends. While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens are subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating DRC, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned.