How long does a TIP last in each country?

- usually 30 days - then usually can be extended, sometimes only in the capital city though which can be a real pain.
- sometimes the length of your visa (or less!!), check before you leave the border the two are the same length if you not just passing through.
- sometimes 90 days like the road permit in Namibia.
- sometimes what you ask and pay for like in Botswana.

It varies quite a bit, so research and ask - from a previous trips:
Morocco: 6 months out of every 12 ok
Mori: whatever they scribble in your passport,
Mali: 30 days then extended in Bamako (only here!?) for another 90 days (free)
Somaliland: whatever I asked for
Ghana: Same as visa entry stamp, 2 months
Ethiopia: same as visa
etc

According to MrWhite's experience in Africa are there similar experiences crossing borders of Iran, India and Pakistan?
Is a TIP in these countries an option as we're not planning to get a CPD for the simply reason that we want to keep on travelling, so the guarantee funded to het ADAC will not be refunded as of one the conditions is that the Motorcycle must be physically controlled atbthe end of a trip by an Customs Office within the EU
This is so in contradictoin of free travelling.

Really sorry if I offended you. It was not in my intention.
The thing is I clearly named this thread "Africa without a Carnet on a 2010 Tenere" but probably I should have mentioned very clear that this experience applies to bikes. I totally agree that other than bike it would be rather difficult and with a lot more hassle involved (but I'm confident to say not impossible). It's true that it's hard to generalise but some things are in black and white. Before starting this journey I did a lot of research and I was put off by the idea of CpD (basically impossible to get one in Romania, at least for me). Then I started finding some suggestions that people heard about others crossing without Cpd and I decided to take a gamble and follow my dream. 14 Months later I managed to do it and I put this info here only for other who will be in the same situation as me. I don't know if it's the RIGHT way but definitely is the way to follow your dream if you cannot get or afford a CpD.


Like roamingyak.org posted it depends but you can definitely extend one. For example in Nigeria I got 30 days (like the visa) but then I extended the visa in Calabar and at the customs office they told me to go at the border for the extension which I did and managed to get another 30 days.

From what I researched Iran is doable (but quite costy) and I never heard of people riding in Pakistan and India without one. For Iran coming from Turkey you have the deposit option (which Margus reported here a few years ago; he managed this in 2005 if I remember correctly) or the 'local" carnet which I guess is something like a scam, bribe, fishy stuff. For this option you'll deal with dubious people and it's possible in the end to get ripped off. The drawback of the deposit option is that you'll have to exit through the same border but as romnek72 posted earlier about egypt I think you can ask to get the refund at another border.

Cheers,
John

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Crazy Oyibo - From Romania Into the World.
Part I - Africa Full Circle http://blog.intotheworld.eu

Hi mrwhite!

I'm new here and I'm planning a trip like yours but starting/ending in spain on my 2010 GSA.

I was told the route from Kinsasha to Lumbashi is really hard near impossible to do by bike. Do you feel the same? I'm not Marc Coma but I believe I do have some skills to ride my bike properly off-road...

Plus, after reading your post I've decided to not buy a CPD, many thanks!!!

I plan to cross Angola, but want to make sure the route to Lumbashi is still a possible option if I need to. Many thanks in advance for your reply!

Cheers!

Cheers Isaac,
really hope you'll have a blast throughout Africa. It's an amazing place to ride and explore.
Regarding DRC I personally would not recommend the route form Kinshasa to Lubumbashi. For me in wet season was insane, Tony-on-the-Road and others crossed in dry and struggled (a lot of deep sand) and all reports are with bikes way lighter than your GS (4 Teneres and a 800GS). I really cannot picture a fully loaded 1200GSA doing this route. It's not about being Coma or not is just physics. There are areas with hundreds of miles of a sandy road with just "one lane" made of two 30-50cm deep trenches made by the lorries. It's nearly impossible to always maintain your track between the two trenches and when you will eventually end up in one you'll get stuck big time because the GS is really wide (boxer engine). Also there's the political unrest in the south. Just a week ago the Mai-Mai have tried to capture Lubumbashi and the shoot-out ended with casualties.
Just research the situation with the Angolan visa and get it where is possible (last time I heard it was possible in Accra/Ghana) and pray that the situation remain calm and you manage to cross through.

Cheers,
John

__________________
Crazy Oyibo - From Romania Into the World.
Part I - Africa Full Circle http://blog.intotheworld.eu

Thanks John, I will try hard to get Angola visa here in Spain!

Cheers!

Thanks for posting here everyone - this thread contains the most useful information on the subject that I've found to date.

I'm thinking of doing a Carnet but leaving Egypt off, since the cost for me is 1500 USD without Egypt and 5000 USD without.

MrWhite or anyone else who has done the Egyptian Carnet at the border - any trouble getting your deposit back when exiting?

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bugsonmyboard.org
two wheeled wave hunting dispatches

Just a quick update. My trip across Africa started last April 13th, so far I've done Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and I'm now in Togo waiting for Nigerian visa. No CPD and no issues so far. Payed 2500 CFA in Senegal border for Laissez Passage, and 5000 CFA in Burkina and another 5000 CFA in Togo. Will update as my trip continues. And will keep reading for Egypt information!!!

Another update!

I'm now in Cape Town, SA. So far no problems without carnet, on some countries they just don't ask, on others they ask and then make me a laissez-passage, or passavant, or any other kind of paper that lets me enter with my bike in the country. On some it is free, on others I have to pay from 2500CFA to 10000CFA, or 140 Namibian Dollars, very cheap compared to the price of the Carnet!

In 10 days I'll continue my trip up to Egypt... let's see how it goes!!!

Cheers!

thanks for the update Isaac! Be interested to hear how Egypt goes...
happy travels.

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bugsonmyboard.org
two wheeled wave hunting dispatches

Gratulation for reaching Capetown without hassle!

You was pretty quick for driving with a bike!

Surfy

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast

I have been travelling for the past 2 years WITH a carnet on a UK registered bike (throughout Europe, Iran, Central Asia, India, Nepal, SE Asia) but it expired at the end of April while in Malawi. I decided not to get a new one because it is so expensive and I have used it so infrequently in the past 2 years. I entered Tanzania 2 weeks ago on a TIP, free of charge, without a problem (border near Karonga). Yesterday I entered Kenya from the Namanga border and received a TIP valid for 1 week at no charge however I did have to gently coerce the customs official as the he said the TIP is only available to East African community registered vehicles. I said our friend travelled through Taveta border 2 weeks ago with a TIP (of course I was making this up but referring to John's successful crossing in Taveta some time ago). He was a nice guy so let us through with little hesitation but emphasised it was only for 1 week. I am heading north to Egypt so will continue to update.

Cheers
Glenn

Thanks!

I drive non-stop from sun to sun!

And after 1 week here in Cape Town I am really willing to continue my trip!! In 6 days I'll start again riding... Mozambique, be ready, here I go!

I'm also waiting for Glenn report about Egypt...

Cheers!

Sounds like you have an steel ass



Can you show us your route?


Specially the congo and dr.congo area - would be interesting for me!


Did you carry a tent?

For me as 4x4 driver i cant imagin how you travel in details...

Surfy

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast