The Federal Republic of Germany recognised Guinea-Bissau as a state on 12 August 1974 and the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1975. Before the end of the East-West conflict, the German Democratic Republic in particular was very active in socialist Guinea-Bissau. Many people from Guinea-Bissau, including President Malam Bacai Sanhá, who died in 2012, studied in the former GDR.

Relations with Guinea-Bissau are looked after by the German Embassy in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

There has been no bilateral development cooperation since 1998. Together with the EU, the United Nations – in particular via the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Germany supports the country’s political stabilisation and economic development. Within the context of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Fund Project, currently the most important project financed by Germany, a total of 11 million euro has been made available to promote rural development as well as the education and healthcare systems. The German Government also provides funding for projects by civil society organisations (the World Peace Service, Caritas) and micro-projects by local organisations.