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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 17 Jun 2006
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visa questions

Hi everyone

Hoping to set off from UK in September to cover the west coast of africa and cannot find one particular website that lists visa requirements and where to get them.

Can anyone advise for the morrocco, mali, mauritannia, niger chad visas?

Thanks
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  #2  
Old 17 Jun 2006
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Sahara Country info right here - click the map:
http://www.sahara-overland.com/country/index.htm

Chris S
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  #3  
Old 3 Jul 2006
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Hi There.

Assuming you are from the EU , there is no need to worry at all about Visas.

Morocco , you don't need one
Mauritania : On the border 30 euros
Seengal : you don't need one
Gambia : you don't need one
Mali : 30 Euros , on the Border
Burkina : 20 Euros , on the Border
Niger : 20 Euros On the border
Chad : 15 Euros , on the Spot in Nyamey (Niger )
Guinea Bissau: on the spot in Banjul , Gambia 10 Euros + piccie
Guinea conakri : On Bissau , think is about 50 Euros , Piccie + 1 day delay
Sierra : I "heard" is a whoooping 50 Euros in Conakri.

So basically there is absolutely no need to worrry about Visas -at all-. You get them on your way.

Have fun
Javier
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  #4  
Old 5 Jul 2006
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The post above says you can get a Mali visa on the border which surprised me - I personally thought you had to get your Mali visa in the embassy in Nouakchott (30 Euros or there abouts in a couple of hours).

Maybe I am wrong but worth just double checking as getting turned back from border posts is my least favourite pastime! If in doubt just get the visa in the embassy which is one of the most efficient I have come accross in Africa.
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Old 5 Jul 2006
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"Morocco , you don't need one
Mauritania : On the border 30 euros
Seengal : you don't need one
Gambia : you don't need one
Mali : 30 Euros , on the Border
Burkina : 20 Euros , on the Border
Niger : 20 Euros On the border
Chad : 15 Euros , on the Spot in Nyamey (Niger )
Guinea Bissau: on the spot in Banjul , Gambia 10 Euros + piccie
Guinea conakri : On Bissau , think is about 50 Euros , Piccie + 1 day delay
Sierra : I "heard" is a whoooping 50 Euros in Conakri."

And in the reverse direction , do you think it's easy to obtain Mali's visa when you're coming from Niger ?

RR .
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  #6  
Old 5 Jul 2006
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From our Africa Tour 2004-2005 on 2 motorbikes

Visa Infos etc. Afrika / Africa


Visatabelle
Die Visagebuehren können in den Botschaften normalerweise in lokaler Waehrung bezahlt werden. An den Grenzen in Ostafrika werden dagegen nur US$ angenommen.
Diese Informationen beziehen sich auf uns, die mit einem deutschem Reisepass unterwegs sind. Aber aehnliche oder gar gleiche Bedingungen gelten fuer Reisende aus den EU Laendern.
Wir sind von August 2004 in Marokko bis November 2005 in Djibouti in Afrika gewesen
Mostly you can pay the visas in local currency.
At the borders in Eastafrica they only accept US $ cash.
These information are from us, who travel with a german passport.
But the conditions for citizens from the EU are more or less the same.
We’ve been from August 2004 in Morocco until November in Djibouti in Africa.

Here some translations, it is too much work to do it for every country, sorry
Kosten/costs:
gekauft in/bought in:
Wartezeit/waiting time: Wochen/weeks, Tage/days, Stunden/hours, Minuten/minutes
Bilder/pictures:
Gueltigkeit/validity: Tage/days
Carnet de Passages: Nein/No, Ja/Yes


Marokko - Morocco - Maroc
kein Visum
kein Carnet
kein Konvoi

Mauretanien - Mauretania
Kosten:21 Euro
gekauft in: Berlin
Wartezeit: 2 Wochen
Bilder: 2Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 90 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Nein

Senegal
kein Visum
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Gambia
kein Visum
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Guinea-Bissau - Guinee-Bissau
Kosten: 7 Euro
gekauft in: Banjul
Wartezeit: 15 Minuten
Bilder: 2 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Guinea - Guinee
Kosten: 30 Euro
gekauft in: Banjul
Wartezeit: 2 Stunden
Bilder: 0 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Mali
Kosten: 25 Euro
gekauft in: Rabat
Wartezeit: 2 Stunden
Bilder: 2 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Burkina Faso
Kosten: 20 Euro
gekauft in: Bamako
Wartezeit: 3 Stunden
Bilder: 3 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 90 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Ghana
Kosten: 18 Euro
gekauft in: Bamako
Wartezeit: Mindestens 48 Stunden
Bilder: 4 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Nigeria
Kosten: 60 Euro
gekauft in: Banjul
Wartezeit: 3 Tage
Bilder: 2 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Gabun - Gabon
Kosten: 75 Euro
gekauft in: Lome
Wartezeit: 30 Minuten
Bilder: 2 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja
Besonderheiten: Bei der Einreise und Ausreise Kopie vom Pass und vom Visa erforderlich
Specials: if you enter and leave the country, you need a copy of your passport

Demokratische Republik Kongo - DRC
Kosten: 60 Euro
gekauft in: Lome
Wartezeit: 24 Stunden
Bilder: 2 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: ja


Togo
Kosten: 15 Euro
gekauft in: Grenze
Wartezeit: 1 Stunde
Bilder: Keine Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 7 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja
Verlaengerung: 80 Cent für 30 Tage, 4 Bilder, Wartezeit 24 Stunden
Extension: *0 Cent for 30 days, 4 pictures , waitingtime 24 hours

Benin
Kosten: 15 Euro
gekauft in: Grenze
Wartezeit: 1/2 Stunde
Bilder: Keine Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 48 Stunden
Carnet de Passages: Ja


Kamerun - Cameroun
Kosten: 75 Euro
gekauft in: Calabar
Wartezeit: 1 Stunde
Bilder: 3 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja
Besonderheiten: - Wenn Visum für Nachfolgeland im Pass, dann einfacher
- Kopie von Fahrzeugpapieren und vom Pass erforderlich
Specials: - It is easier, if you have the visa for the next country
- you need a copy of your passport and vehiclepapers


Kongo - Congo
Kosten: 75 Euro
gekauft in: Libreville
Wartezeit: 24 Stunden
Bilder: 3 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja

Angola
Kosten: 90 Euro
gekauft in: Libreville
Wartezeit: 1 Tag
Bilder: 2 Bilder
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: nein
Besonderheiten: Doppelte Einreise, nach Cabinda (Enklave) und spaeter Angola
Specials: Double Entry, for Cabinda (Angola) and Angola

Namibia
Kein Visum
Aufenthalt 90 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja, gilt fuer die gesamte suedafrikanische Zollunion
Carnet is valid for the whole southafrican customsunion
Besonderheiten: 70 N$ fuer eine Art Roadtax an der Grenze zu zahlen
70 N$ for roadtax, pay at the border


Suedafrika - South Africa
Kein Visum
Aufenthalt 90 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja, gilt fuer die gesamte suedafrikanische Zollunion
Carnet is valid for the whole southafrican customsunion, no need to stamp again


Mosambik - Mocambique
Kosten: 10 Euro
gekauft in: Nelspruit
Achtung neue Adresse vom Konsulat:
22 Bell Street, in der Naehe vom ABSA Building
(an der Grenze kostet das Visa 25 Euro)
Wartezeit: 2 Stunden
Bilder: 1 Bild
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Grenzgebuehr / Tax pro Person: 1,40 Euro
Carnet de Passages: Nein
Es wird eine temporaere Einfuher fuer 30 Tage an der Grenze ausgestellt
Kosten: 1,20 Euro pro Motorrad
Versicherung fuer Mosambik pro Motorrad erhaeltich an der Grenze.
Kosten: 10 Euro fuer 30 Tage
No Carnet, you get a specialpaper at the border, that costs 1,20 Euro.
Insurance for Mosambique necessary, you get it at the border for 10 Euro

Lesotho
Keine Visum
Kein Carnet

Swaziland
Kein Visum
Kein Carnet

Malawi
Keine Visum
Carnet: Ja
Und Versicherung fuer die Motorraeder, aber wir haben unsere eigene, die gilt hier auch!!
Insurance necessary, we made our own.

Tansania - Tanzania
Visum: An der Grenze 50 US $ cash!! 90 Tage - AT THE BORDER
Carnet: Ja
Und Versicherung fuer die Motorraeder, aber wir haben unsere eigene, die gilt hier auch!!
Wechselt man innerhalb von Kenia, Tansania und Uganda die Grenzen, so muss KEIN neues Visum bezahlt werden!!!!
Es wird auch schon mal eine Roadtax verlangt, wir hatten Glueck und mussten nix zahlen.
Insurance necessary, we made our own.
If you travel inside Kenia, Tanzania and Uganda, you need only one visa for each country, you don’t have to get a new one!!!
Sometimes they ask for roadtax, we didn’t pay that.

Kenia - Kenya
Visum: An der Grenze 50 US $ cash!! 90 Tage – AT THE BORDER
Carnet: Ja
Und Versicherung fuer die Motorraeder, aber wir haben unsere eigene, die gilt hier auch!!
Wechselt man innerhalb von Kenia, Tansania und Uganda die Grenzen, so muss KEIN neues Visum bezahlt werden!!!!
Es wird auch schon mal eine Roadtax verlangt, wir hatten Glueck und mussten nix zahlen.
Insurance necessary, we made our own.
If you travel inside Kenia, Tanzania and Uganda, you need only one visa for each country, you don’t have to get a new one!!!
Sometimes they ask for roadtax, we didn’t pay that.

Uganda
Visum: An der Grenze 20 US $ cash!! (Studententarif) 60 Tage - AT THE BORDER
Carnet: Ja
Und Versicherung fuer die Motorraeder, aber wir haben unsere eigene, die gilt hier auch!!
Wechselt man innerhalb von Kenia, Tansania und Uganda die Grenzen, so muss KEIN neues Visum bezahlt werden!!!!
Es wird auch schon mal eine Roadtax verlangt, wir hatten Glueck und mussten nix zahlen.
Insurance necessary, we made our own.
If you travel inside Kenia, Tanzania and Uganda, you need only one visa for each country, you don’t have to get a new one!!!
Sometimes they ask for roadtax, we didn’t pay that.

Wechselt man innerhalb von Kenia, Tansania und Uganda die Grenzen, so muss KEIN neues Visum bezahlt werden!!!!

Aethiopien - Ethiopia
Kosten: 20 Dollar oder 1660 Ksh
gekauft in: Nairobi
Wartezeit: 1 Stunde
Bilder: 1 Bild
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Carnet de Passages: Ja , wurde aber nur von der Botschaft in Nairobi verlangt, als wir das Visum beantragt haben.
An der Grenze wurde uns kostenlos ein aethiopisches Zolldokument ausgestellt.
Die Botschaft verlangt 2 Fotokopien vom Carnet und vom internationalen Fuehrerschein.
Die Originale wollen sie auch sehen!
Carnet: The embassy in Nairobi wants to see that.
At the border we got a specialpaper, but they wanted to see the carnet
The embassy wants to have 2 copies of the carnet and from the international driverliscence.

Dschibuti - Djibouti
Kosten: 25 Euro
gekauft in: Addis Abeba
Wartezeit: 3 Stunden
Bilder: 1 Bild
Gueltigkeit: 30 Tage
Empfehlungsschreiben der deutschen Botschaft wird verlangt. Das kostet 20 Euro pro Schreiben, das fuer uns beide ausgefuellt wurde.
Carnet de Passages: Ja


Versicherungen - Insurance
Für Mauretanien / mauretanien holten wir uns in Nouakchott für 10 Tage eine Versicherung, die kostete etwa 14 Euro.
In Nouakchott / Mauretanien schlossen wir ebenfalls eine Versicherung für den Senegal ab, auch ca. 14 Euro, um dies nicht an der Grenze zu einem weit höheren Preis machen zu müssen.
In St. Louis/Senegal besorgten wir uns die Carte Brune für 4 Monate um 40 Euro. Diese Versicherung von AXA soll bis einschliessich Kongo gelten.
Und Versicherung fuer die Motorraeder, aber wir haben unsere eigene, die gilt in vielen Laendern!

Versicherung fuer Mosambik pro Motorrad erhaeltich an der Grenze.
Kosten: 10 Euro fuer 30 Tage

For Mauretania we bought the insurance in Nouakchott / Mauratania for 10 days, 14 Euro.
In Nouakchott / Mauretania we bought an insurance for Senegal, 14 Euro, to avoid to pay much more at the border!!!
In St. Louis / Senegal we bought the Carte Brune for 4 months, 40 Euro.
It was valid until Congo.
Later (for eastafrica) we made our own insurance


Grenzen - borders
Nur die Grenze Mauretanien / Senegal war wirklich korrupt:
Ausreise Mauretanien:
Die Polizei wollte US $ 5, der Zoll US $ 5, Tax US $ 1

Einreise Senegal:
Brückenzoll € 5, Polizei US $ 5, Zoll nix

- bbb
- Im Endeffekt alles Schmiergeld, wir bezahlten insgesamt jeder ca. € 20, was wohl immer noch zu viel war, doch es gibt Leute, die mussten € 80 pro Person berappen!!!
- Also nicht so schnell das Geld springen lassen und Gelassenheit zeigen!!
- Die Beamten fragen sehr oft nach einem "Cadeaux" (Geschenk), meistens reicht es schon, eine Zigarette mit den Beamten zu rauchen.
- Bei allen Grenzen gilt, nicht unter Zeitstress einreisen, d.h. kurz vor Feierabend, oder gar an Sonn- und Feiertagen!! Das kostet fast immer Extra!!

Only the border between Mauretania and Senegal was really corrupt.
Leaving Mauretania:
Police: 5 US $, Custom: 5 US $, Tax: 1 US $

Entering Senegal:
Bridgetoll: 5 Euro, Police: 5 US $, Customs: nothing

In the end it was all not official.

For all the borders:
- Don’t pay to early, bargain hard, but smart
- Keep cool and take your time
- Sometimes they want a “cadeux” (present)
- Smoke a cigarette together
- Don’t travel under stress of time, come early
- Sometimes you have to pay some money for the weekends or holidays
__________________
Best wishes
:-)
Ralf & Eva

http://www.Motorradnomaden.de
around the world on 2 motorbikes

The homepage has a translation service!!
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  #7  
Old 6 Jul 2006
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Mali

I am interested in confirmation that Mali visas can be had at the border.
This would be new.

Sam.
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  #8  
Old 7 Jul 2006
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Mali's visa

Same question as Sam !

RR.
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  #9  
Old 7 Jul 2006
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mali visa

Hi there
In november last year, We mett two french people who manage to get the visas at the border of mali (from Mauritania, Ayoun el atrous) The immigration was not very happy but the get the visas. It was a bit more expansive than normaly and they paid few "taxes" I think it's better to get the visas before the border
Cheers
__________________
Olivier
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  #10  
Old 11 Jul 2006
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west africa

hi, thanks for posting the visa question on west africa travel, and thanks to all who replied, i was just going to post the same question but do not need to now, i am doing more less same route in sept - october this year on gsa, drop me a line & we can swop info. cheers martin
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  #11  
Old 20 Jul 2006
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>>I am interested in confirmation that Mali visas can be had at the border.
>>This would be new.

>>m.

I can confirm that . Either way , from Senegal ,or from Mauritania you can get them on the border . Not trickery nor bribbery. There are fixed prices and these are actually listed out inside the police station. Deppending on the entry place they either stamp your passport with a propper visa thing , or give to you a "Receipt for extraordinaire visa" , sort of a paper which is the proof you paid for the visa. absolutely no problem at all.
Javier
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  #12  
Old 16 Mar 2008
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And how about getting a visa for Nigeria at the border of Niger? Maybe get it in Niamey? How much is it?
I will be travelling from Timbuctu to Gao to Nigeria.
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