I´ve entered in Mauritania on PK55 on my motorcycle earlier on this month as part of Sahara Desert Challenge, which started in Portugal and finished in Dakar.

The 4x4 drivers returned by road to Europe and had to apply for a second 1-entry visa when entering Mauritania again on the way back North.


Side topic:
As a motorcycle rider one issue was to source petrol between the last southbound stations close to the Moroccan border and Nouakchott (solved with 5l bidon at the Total station halfway through) and then between Nouakchott and Atar (5l bidon again in Akjoujt).

Piste to Chinguetti, probably my favourite place on this trip:

Road from Terjit to Tidjikja Information
 

Hey all,

I am preparing my routes for my trip to Mauritania and I was wondering if anyone has some experience/information about the roads from Aleg to Tidjikja and from Tidjikja to Terjit. On Google Maps the route from Tidjikja to Terjit isnt even mapped but on Bing Maps you can clearly see a "new" sealed road. (with a few dunes intersecting the road here and there)

However I was wondering about the fuel stations past/south of Nouakchott.

I use OSM for navigation and the last fuel station I can find is in Idini (on the N3 just past Wadi an-Naqa).

Even tho I can spot some "fuel station like" structures via the satelite images on Bing Maps further south/east towards Aleg I am not sure If those supply only Diesel or even any fuel at all.

I am pretty sure there are no fuel stations between the Terjit and Tidjikja road but as its "only" 350km I could manage that part.

Maybe someone has done this route in recent years.

Any information would help me a lot, so thanks in advance!

I think this road is better known as Atar - Tidjikja (Terjit being an oasis dead end off this road near Atar).
You will have seen the roundabout at 19.53348, -12.10291, and Gaia GPS shows a road linking the two towns via this place, though on sat maps the middle section is missing, as it was in 2018 when I last looked at it after coming across it on a camel trek.

Where there are fuel stations evident on sat there will be fuel, with the usual back country caveats. Idini is on the main N3 road to Nema so fuel at the usual range is to be expected. I have a feeling the turn off to Tidjikja is sealed, but I could be wrong.

Ask Justus who has an auberge in Atar and produces a paper map for the area. Bab-Sahara-Atar-Mauritanie - services diverse

Another place to check (and contribute to) is iOverlander app.

As you say, parts of Atar - Tidjikja are already smothered in dunes; sounds like a great drive!

Hey Chris,

thank you for your useful insight. I contacted Bab Sahara.
Ioverlander app seems useful too, found some nice spots for wild camping!

It looks like taking the road from Tidjikja up to Atar seems possible due to 3 fuel station in Tidjikja.
I can increase my fuel range to 650km (plus an extra 50km for backup).

Through the satelite images I found petrol stations Boutilimit, Aleg, Sandgrave and Nbeika. I do hope they sell normal fuel and not just diesel.

Does anyone know about military checkpoints?
Dont want to be turned back after 500kms or so...

I just found some information about them between the Bon Lanuar - Nouakchott road.

Thanks again!:palm:

Checkpoints are common in all of North Africa.
They primarily exist to keep tabs on locals and are usually police or gendarmerie rather than military. Unless you are speeding or have robbed a bank they wave tourists through or stop you out of boredom for a chat.
No reason to be sent back off any main road or piste. They are not roadblocks.

Fuel stations in RIM are the same as anywhere, they will sell UNL, diesel and all the rest. But sometimes remote places run out.

No SIMs in RIM
 

No SIMs being sold to foreigners, I am told.
Something to do with a jihadist jailbreak?
Duds are for sale.

New laws requiring sim cards to be registered, and to do that you need a residency card. A work around is to get a local to register it for you

Mauritania - New eVisa introduced
 

Mauritania has introduced a new eVisa system.

Info
https://anrpts.gov.mr/en/service-de-...QVI1mb3NPvzm6Q

Application Page
https://anrpts.gov.mr/en/visa/reques...Bso_8M5LbI0LgA

30, 60 or 90 day duration options along with multiple entry visas.

The online system takes about 5 minutes. There is no request for payment via the website, I don't know if means visas are now free or payment is requested later.

The WhatsApp help number responds quickly to messages but then said visas are not their department and to speak with a local embassy. Early days I guess.

Should be interesting to hear what happens when someone shows up with one of these eVisas.

Hi guys,
i have tody applied for an E-Visa by using the official webpage. Will let you know about the progress.
If anyone has any expierence so far i would be glad to hear about.

Cheers
Ralf

Another one applying for Mauritanian e-visa
 

Hi,
I´ve applied for the e-visa on january 15th and I´m still watting for any answer (february 2nd). I think I maked a mistake because I applied for a 90 days multiple entries as I´ll be riding to Senegal and 7-10 days later back to Morocco, but I think I should applied for a 30days single entrie ( no other possibilities) twice , one going south and other one going back north 7-10 days later. What do you think?
The problem is that if you need two entries , you have to apply for a 90 days e-visa
Does anyone know if there is a problem if I make my application for a certain date but I arrived border later?
ASAP I get any answer from Mauritania embassy I´ll post here
thank you

Have you contacted the whatsapp number for visa support listed in the website?

No, I don't . Thank you , tomorrow I'll try WhatsApp. In case I get a solution , I'll post it here

Mauritania Whatsapp answer
 

Hi ,
This morning I text a Whatsapp to the number Whatsapp of Mauritania embassy about the sort of e-visa and how long does it take to be deliverd and the answer was....Tachaaannn....
"Chers citoyens, nous sommes heureux de vous servir pendant les horaires de travail officiels : du lundi au jeudi de 8h00 à 17h00, et le vendredi de 8h00 à 12h00. Merci pour votre compréhension"

What is :
"Dear citizens, we are happy to serve you during official working hours: Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 17:00, and Friday from 8:00 to 12:00. Thank you for your understanding."

Of course I text them in right time
:clap::clap::clap::clap:
Keep waiting the next
Thank you

e-Visa type
 

Hi,
Finally Mauritanian embassy has answer my e-mail. They were very polite and very fast by e-mail.
They´ve told me that in my case (traveling from Morocco to Senegal and back) , I need a 90 days e-visa with multiple entries , not two entries.
The e-mail for any quetion is : "contact@anrpts.gov.mr"
They also told me that they will take into account my travel dates for my e-visa processing
I´ll keep posting next news
Cheers