thanks for info on senagal problem,not what
iwanted to here.i'm driving to gambia mid
november, and failure is not a option
has no one found a loophole yet.it's a sorry
day when no one can be bribe.please keep me
posted.time is getting fewer.

Dessert crossing season is nearing. Between now and mid november I expect there will at least be a 100 attempts to cross that border.

I'm especially worried about 'the complete CFA-zone' thing.

Worried about implications to my trip planned for December, I wrote to the Senegalese embassy in London asking if it was true I couldn't cross the border in an old Landcruiser. Here's a copy of their reply:

Further to your e-mai, I confirm that since you dont intend to live
the car in Senegal (but you intend to carry on with it outsite the
country), you are not concerned by the new regulations which apply to
import of vehicles in Senegal. You do need to have the following
documents up to date:
- insurance
- original of car lock book
- driving licence
Senegal Embassy

So maybe its only a problem if you intend (or look like intending) to sell your car ...

Just a thought:
if you can get e.g. a visa for Mali before you leave, to prove that you want to travel further. It's just the cost of a visa and visiting the Mali Ambassy in your country.
We go with 2 cars begin of November, fortunaltely very cheap cars that we could leave in Mauretania instead e.g.
But we would like to drive into Senegal and maybe further. But we will plan that maybe we'll have to do that by taxi brousse, etc.

Well that's a relief. It appears from other posts that a carnet is not enough proof of further travel.
The Mali Visa sounds like it might be a good idea, and sets off a newbie question: trying to avoid going to capitals in Europe; is there a Mali embassy in the Casa/Rabat region?
Cheers
Luke

but, if this "the complete Cfa-zone" is true,
than even Mali would be no option.

The CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine or the African Financial Community) encompasses Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Chad, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, the Congo, and the Comoro Islands.

You can take a customs officer in your car
as a guarantee from the border in Rosso to the border in Gambia. Its all official and costs about €230.

And dont forget the key to the "car boot" as recommended by the Senegalise embassy, along with clean underpants, wooly vest etc etc etc.....

hi ,
just received a e-mail from German Embassy , Dakar. It´s a copy from a fax to ADAC, german
Touringclub, dated September,10th.

In short it says:

Carnet is not acceptable because there is
no more Touringlub in Senegal.
Transit / Convoi has been temporary only,
in this moment no way to cross, but the
senegalese realized their might be a little
problem, so they work on it... inchallah !

whole text ( in german, sorry ) :

"Fax der Deutschen Botschaft Dakar,Senegal,an den ADAC,vom 10.09.2003

Betr.: Vorübergehende zollfreie Einfuhr von PKW’s in den Senegal
hier: Carnet de passage


mit Dekret Nr. 2001-72 vom 26.01.2001 wurde die Einfuhr von PkW's, älter als 5 Jahre, in den Senegal verboten. Dieses Gesetz wurde jedoch nie angewandt. Im Juli 2003 wurde es wieder aktuell und der Zolldirektor gab an alle Importeure bekannt, dass das Gesetz ab sofort ( 23.07.03) angewandt wird, Ausnahme bilden Fahrzeuge die bereits unterwegs waren.

Nach diesem Dekret dürfen Pkws die älter als 5 Jahre sind nicht mehr verzollt/eingeführt werden ("mise en consommation"), d.h. auf sen. Kennzeichen angemeldet werden.Dies gilt ebenfalls für Nutzfahrzeuge von weniger als 3,5 Tonnen älter als 5 Jahre,für Siebensitzer die älter als 8 Jahre sind, für Transportfahrzeuge mit mehr als 3,5 Tonnen die älter als 10 Jahre sind und
generell für gebrauchte Mopeds unter 50 cbm.

Bei der Durchquerung des Senegal wurde üblicherweise ein sog. Carnet de Passage verlangt und damit die Wiederausfuhr des Wagens durch den Touring Club Senegal garantiert .
Den Club gibt es nicht mehr und in der Praxis wurden nunmehr von Zöllnern begleitete Konvois durch das Land organisiert (gegen Bezahlung) .
NACH AUSKUNFT DES HIESIGEN ZOLLS IST DERZEIT VORÜBERGEHEND TATSÄCHLICH DIE DURCHQUERUNG DES LANDES MIT MEHR ALS 5 JAHREN ALTEN FAHRZEUGEN VERBOTEN. Diese Maßnahme erfolgte, da in der Praxis
die wenigsten „Transitwagen“ auch tatsächlich das Land wieder verlassen. Dies wird wahrscheinlich nur eine vorübergehende Einschränkung sein, bis die Behörden eine bessere Kontrolllmöglichkeit über die Wiederausfuhr der Pkws gefunden haben."

@Kevin : any idea if transit Rosso/ Gambia
is still possible ´till today ?
if so, can you share the cost
between some cars ?

Autmatically translated by: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr

"fax of the German message Dakar, Senegal, to the General German Automobile Association, of 10.09.2003

Concerned one: Temporary one duty-free import of PKW's into Senegal
Here: Carnet de passage

With decree NR. 2001-72 of 26.01.2001 were forbidden the import of PkW's, older than 5 years, into Senegal. This law was however never used. In July 2003 it became again current and the director of tariff communicated to all importers that the law is used immediately (23.07.03), exception for vehicles already on the way.

After this decree, cars older than 5 years may not be declare/introduced are any longer ("mise EN consommation"), i.e. on to sen. Characteristic announced will applies likewise to commercial motor vehicles of less as 3.5 tons older as 5 years, to seven-seater those older than 8 years is, to transport vehicles with more as 3.5 tons those older than 10 years is general and to used mopeds under 50 cbm.

During the crossing Senegal became usually sucked. Carnet de Passage required and thus the re-exportation of the car by the Touring club Senegal guarantees. There is not the club any longer and in practice now from zoellnern accompanied convoys by the country was organized (against payment). AFTER INFORMATION OF THE LOCAL TARIFF ACTUAL THE CROSSING OF THE COUNTRY IS AT PRESENT TEMPORARY WITH MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD PERSON VEHICLES PROHIBITIONS. This measure took place, since in practice the few?Transitwagen? also actually leave the country again. This will be probably only a temporary restriction, until the authorities found a better Kontrolllmoeglichkeit over the re-exportation of the cars."

__________________
Desert Crocodiles of Mauritania: http://cibio.up.pt/crocodilos/en

Last I recall there is a MAli embassy in Rabat, round the corner from the old Mori one - but may have moved to Rabat too.

Ch

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

For info, went past a car-loader headed for Antwerp with 'Dakar' stencilled on the windows of the 8 bangers on it (8-10 year old peugeots/citroens etc).

www.socar.com is still shipping them out there, so perhaps they know something we don't??!!

Sam.

Hi,

We areplaning a trip round north africa at the end off the year we would like to see senegal but we have an old seris three LWB that is actually on a Q plate. are we going to be able to cross in to senegal and spend time there?

What a pain in the derriere. Does this affect bikes?

__________________
Simon

London-Cape Town 2004-06
Buenos Aires-Vancouver 2008-10:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fitzpatrick

If you have a Carnet, there's no problem, and yes, it affects bikes.

Is is possible to bring an old bike into Senegal to go to Gambia? I will not have a carnet as I am planning on (legally) leaving the bike in Gambia.