July 2015: I have spent the last few weeks getting visas for West Africa in Dakar, Senegal. Though I lived and worked here I never had an official work visa (nobody does), so my experience should match any traveller coming down. All visas listed were given official receipts. I did not mention (nor was I ever asked) that I was travelling on a personal motorcycle.

585 cfa = 1 usd

Republic of Congo
50,000cfa - 1 month visa
2 day processing

Needed normally:
Photocopy of passport
Letter of invitation stamped BY THE IMMIGRATION in Congo. This company offers this letter for $120usd. There may be cheaper options.
Congo Travel and Tours - Expeditions in the Congo
1 passport photo

For me:
I had no letter of invitation stamped the immigration. Instead, an "ordre de mission" with my employer's official stamp + a "stamped" reservation from Hotel Hippocampe + another "hotel reservation" + "stamped" bank statement. I don't know how much of that they actually needed. They refused me the first time so I just went back a few days later and tried to drown them with paperwork and it worked.

I was happy about this one. Research was indicating that the Republic of Congo visa is becoming more difficult, with one of the few places nowadays being Cameroon (with an 8 day processing time). So if you can estimate your arrival Dakar is a good option.

Cameroon
51,000cfa - 3 month visa. He said it was the same price 1 week or 3 months, BUT IT STARTS THE DAY IT IS ISSUED. Maybe you could argue this, but I didn't notice until a day later. Be sure to clarify if that is an issue for you.
2-3 day processing
Friendly embassy

Need:
Hotel reservation or invitation letter
photocopy of passport
1 passport photo
I did not mention that I was travelling from Nigeria. I applied for a "tourist" visa not a transit visa.


Mali
25,000cfa - 1 month visa
Very easy. Friendly embassy.

Photocopy of passport
1 passport photo

1 day processing


Benin
35,000cfa - 1 month visa
Easy, very friendly.

1 passport photo
1 photocopy of passport (I think)?

Normally 1 day processing, but he said just have a seat and they did it right there in about 10 minutes.


Togo
45,000 - 1-30 days visa, all same price.
Easy, very friendly.
Picked up in 3 hours.

1 photocopy of passport
2 passport photos
1 photocopy of yellow fever vaccination record

Difficult to find. On the second story of an unmarked building. Big flag hanging from balcony on a little side street.


Burkina Faso - I declined
Only M-W-Th 9h-12h, 2 working days processing time. Pick up between 12h and 3h

2 photos
Hotel reservation
Yellow fever certificate

From the application sheet:
1-3 days transit: 12000cfa
1-90 days short stay: 48000cfa (single entry) or 62000cfa (multiple entry)
At the bottom it says "Visa for for US citizens: 70000cfa"

These prices probably need to be clarified with the embassy itself. Doesn't really make sense that for a US citizen a 3 day transit visa would be the same price as a year long visa.

I paid only 25,000cfa in Bamako in 2014 for a 1 month visa with a US passport, so I decided to skip this and try to get it in Bamako on the way. Prices maybe were affected by the coup last year?


Democratic Republic of Congo - FAILED
105000cfa for 2 month single entry visa. 77000cfa for 1 month single entry. Tues, Wed, Friday

Official invite letter w/ DGM (Congo Immigration) stamp ( gocongo.com tour company can provide a notarized invitation letter for $40 but can't get the DGM stamp. Congo Travel and Tours - Expeditions in the Congo sells an official invitation letter for $250. I can only assume this include that stamp) x 2
Bank statement x2
Passport photocopy x2

10 working days processing time(!)

Friendly guy at the front office, but ultimately fruitless. Though I had no official residency it seemed like it was possible, but eventually my lack of the mythical DGM stamp ended it.



Nigeria - FAILED
If you're not a resident, they won't even entertain the idea. If you're a psuedo-resident like me, you'll waste two weeks of your time before finally being rejected.




I have mailed my second passport away for my Nigeria visa in the USA. Democratic Republic of Congo visa I will try in Togo and Benin. If that fails, I will mail my passport to the USA yet again.

Thanks a lot Jordan, really helpful!!!!
I am following the visa issue a lot. Some questions on your info:

You mentioned that Rep. Congo visa is getting more difficult these days. I was planning to get this visa in Lomé where it seemed to be not too difficult (info as of end 2014). Do you have any recent info that this is not possible any more?

For the Nigeria visa you found any current info about getting it issued in Bissau? Seemed to be easy end of 2013 but no more info about this since then....

Safe travels!

No, I think we have access to all the same information. I recall reading that the Rep of Congo visa had recently become more difficult both coming from the South and at least in Nigeria, but it could just be my faulty memory.

I know you could get Nigeria randomly all over West Africa two years ago. Mali, Burkina Faso, Bissau. I think in December 2013 they installed the new online visa system so I don't know if information pre-2014 is relevant anymore.

I emailed Sleeping Camel hostel in Bamako (Mali) about the Nigeria visa, and Phil said "Some have been successful and some haven't. Can't really say what the common denominator is." So I guess there's some hope?

Thanks! This visa issue is still causing me some headache. Hoping that there will be a way once on the way I guess I still have to try to pick up the Nigerian visa in some embassy in Africa because in my home country they are really hard/next to impossible to get (interview etc) so I guess sending back the passport won't do.
At least I read about some overlanders who got the Nigerian visa in Cotonou in May 2015; hope this won't change within the next half year.

I just got a Mali visa (25K, 1 photo, no copies, same day) and Burkina Faso (48K, 2 photos, no copies, next day). Both very easy and helpful. UK passport.

Now if only a chain was as easy to get in Dakar!

Cheers,
Jamie

Oh, and here are the hard to find consulate locations that do not have addresses online. I don't know how to do GPS or anything like that so just cross reference my black and white dots with google maps.

Togo:
togo-consulate-map by Jordan Jones
See the "Rue IV" dot. Small unmarked consulate. Look for the flag hanging off the second story of a little side street.



Benin:
benin-embassy by Jordan Jones
See the "Rue 12" dot. Unmarked building, consulate is in a business office. Look for the flag on a pole out front.


Republic of Congo:
republic-Congo-ambassade-map by Jordan Jones, on Flickr
See the "Rte de la Pyrotechnie" dot. Full building on a dirt side road.

Jordan325ic did you get the Nigeria visa in the USA? Did you send it to Atlanta or New York?

Just to add some info here.

I'm Australian and my travel partner is British.

I got my Nigerian visa in Mali Bamako easy same day.
My mate got refused 4 times but did not try in Mali. He ended up getting his in Benin.

We just got our Congo visa in Yaounde Cameroon. 4 days and 60000cfa
Every other visa was easy but again different nationalities can have different conditions and requirements.

Thanks for the updates, I will also be driving to South Africa via the West coast starting January 2016. I am a UK citizen, out of interrest where did your travel buddy get his Cameroon visa?.

Thanks

probably in Calabar, as most do:

Cameroon visa in Calabar [wrong info]
On the main Ididem Usang Iso Road.
N04° 58.1’ E08° 20.3’
Three photos, two forms, copy of bike ownership and insurance (the ECOWAS policy will do). Same day service from 51,000CFA.

Cameroon visa in Lagos very easy to obtain and same day service (old info.)

A BIG thanks Chris,

any other other top tips to get the 'hard to get visa's'?

Correction on Calabar:
New location from Jamie (above) about a week old:

N04°59.8' E08°19.4'
"...CFA 50K, 2 photos, no other docs required... Issued on the spot... Easiest visa experience of the trip."

Well my info (for next AM Handbook) has only been gleaned from scouring this excellent forum and the links to blogs off it. It really is the best source out there.

Presumably due to Ebola and Boko fallout, Jamie (OTR 4 months) says he's only seen 2 other overlanders in West Af, and one lot scarpered and took sea freight out of Ghana.

These are all armchair suggestions, but as a Brit I would:

• Get a 30-day Angola at home and then and get down there in 60 days (or use spare ppt and do it OTR at some expense). No untoward hoops to jump through, afaics. It is clear Angolan consulates in Africa won't do the same. Gives you proper time to see Angola.
• Get Nigeria asap - Bamako seems best, Burkina there too.
• Benin wherever - not a tough one, is it?
• Dont know how long Gabon takes or where is best, but the crossing and 200km piste from Mbalam (Cam) to Sembe (Cong-Bz) is doable on a trail bike/fourbie with OK weather and from Ouesso south is plain sailing to Brazza and getting plainer.
• Better to cross into DRC using the backborder at Luozi if you have a non-home country issued visa (as most will). In Kinshasa it's said they can turn you back (code for an XXXL bribe?).
• Last year someone got a short Angola at Dolisie - took a lot of visits, but seems still doable at $200 a go.
• If that fails take the 'Greek' route to Lubumbashi. Turn south at Mutombo and follow the N39. Less hard and less cop riddled than the high route. Pinasse required 30km before Musumba. Don't know how that works for cars.
• Go to Tajikistan instead ;-)

This is all secondhand info, but as recent as I could be bothered to dig up; it's bound to change. Did a similar summary for Asia, fyi.

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Once again, thanks for the top advice,

I was in Tajikistan last year, doing the Bartang valley a fantastic area.