Visa touristique d'entente
 

Hi all,
just a quick note to say that I've finally found one place where they sell a VTE: Ouagadougou. Unfortunately, you'll have to first get a visa for BF to get there.. I had tried in various embassies and couldn't get one.

It costs 25'000 CFA and is valid for 1 entry in each country (Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina, Niger, Benin, Togo) for 60 days, although only in a contiguous trip. Which means you can do, say, BF, Niger, Benin, Togo but not CIV, Ghana, Togo, Benin. Theoretically.

If you get it just to get through Togo and Benin it may not be worth it as the total price would be the same and they issue temporary visas at the border. For me, the only reason to purchase it is to be able to go to Cote d'Ivoire, as their own visa is supposedly only available in your home country and costs 100€ +. Now I'll need to get there to check it actually works..

Go to DGM (N12 21.630 W1 32.453) before 11AM with 2 photos and 25K CFA and you can pick up the visa next day at 4PM.

Cheers,
Laurent

I checked for it in Bamako in March and it was impossible to get - last chance was the Benin consulate but they stopped doing it a couple years ago.
So like you say Ouaga would be the place, or possibly in Benin. But then you already paid for the Burkina visa (which is what - 40000 CFA now?) and it makes less sense getting the VTE. Which is a pity.
Also remains to see if they will accept it when crossing into Niger.

I'm in Cote d'Ivoire, no prob at the border, quickly stamped in.

I had to show them how to fill in the carnet, they couldn't have cared less. And they haven't see a tourist for quite a while.

VTE and Ghana Visa in Ouagadougou.
 

We also got our VTE as above in the last few days and our Ghana visa after an interview to explain why we had not got the ghana visa in the UK.

Chris

Niger border is where they may not accept the VDE, from past reports.

Update from Burkina, Dec 2012
 

Hi all,
I can confirm they are still issuing in Ouaga as posted by lbendel.
25000 CFA, 2 photos required, takes 2 days to issue.
All very friendly and helpful.

Happy travels

Thanks for the update always good to know it is still available as a back up plan! Thanks again.

David

You can also get the visa in Niamey. I got it in Spring 2012. Same price as in Ouaga and takes half a day. To get to Niamey you already need a visa though.

Some bloggers wrote they got it at the French embassy in Mauritania
 

Some bloggers wrote they got it at the French embassy in Mauritania.

I wrote and visted the France embasy in Mauritania.

No one is available to speak to except security guards who just said yes to every question, so that was unreliable.

The process... go to the bank and pay US$ 10 to get a code. Phone a special phione number (borrow a phone or buy a SIM card). Arrange an appointment in 1 or 2 or 3 days.

I did not bother with this PITA (frustrating) process, possibly just to find out in 30 seconds that the embassy does or does not offer this VTE visa.

We were also told that VTE doesn't exist anymore. We asked at the end of 2013 and beginning of 2014 at:
1. Embassy of Ivory Coast in Senegal
2. Embassy of Burkina Faso in Ghana
3. Embassy of Togo in Ghana

It seems that everybody knew about this visa but the helpful staff were always telling us that the embassies one by one were stopping to issue this visa, so nowadays it doesn't exist anymore.

It's a pity because it seems it was a really helpful visa scheme.

Some further info - tried to get it in Ouaga but they 'didn't even want to talk with me' since I only had a transit visa for Burkina.
To apply for VTE you need a full visa (90 days is it?) for Burkina.
VTE, 25000 CFA, two fotos, valid 60 days, single entry to the five countries.
They said you can also get it in the other four countries, but perhaps not at the embassies.

You need to go to Services des Passeports.
In Ouaga this is easy to find. As you come in from Bobo D. on the highway, there is an overpass 1 km before Centre Ville. After the overpass, look for the big sign BAC (Bureau Anti Corruption) to the right and next the Garage de la Police National - there you also have a smaller sign, "Services des Passports".
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G...0/IMG_1071.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q...0/IMG_1073.JPG
They said it takes 4-5 days. I asked if there was a way to speed things up, but she wouldn't say, as I wasn't allowed to apply for the VTE (this made me think there is indeed a way to speed things up). :)
Hope this was helpful.

I ended up applying for visa for Niger at the consulate. Took two days, 20000 CFA.
The big gain with VTE is if you are going to CIV. And of course, you don't have to apply four more times, if you are going to all five countries.

Oh, that's great to know! Thanks for dropping a line!

It's true! We finally got the VTE in Ouaga and it was even recognised by the immigration officials in Togo and Benin! Worked a miracle!

More details at:
ΒΔ Αφρική - mad nomad

Glad it worked out for you.

//Still available, but mind you: it takes 3 days (no way to speed up the proces).

GPS:N 12 21.629 W 001 32.450

American seeking VTE for road-trip: Ghana to Cameroon
 

I am glad to learn that the VTE is available in Ougadougou! Do you know if this is true for American Passports?

My hope is to visit my friend in Ghana (for several days), and travel through Togo, Benin and Nigeria (2-3 days each) to arrive in Cameroon for a project (three weeks).

If I get a Ghana and Nigeria visa in Washington, can I go from Ghana to Ougadougou to get a VTE that will cover my stay in Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin?

Can I get a visa for Cameroon at the Nigerian border (or in Accra)?

I am hoping to leave next Tuesday night...

The paradox is that you need a full visa (not transit visa) for Burkina to be eligible to apply for a visa d'entente.
I met Americans who had earned the VTE.

As it was mentioned before, you must already have a tourist visa (not a transit one) for Burkina Faso in order to apply for the VTE.

You cannot get the Cameroonian visa at the border but the young lady at the consulate in Calabar is amazingly friendly. You can read the details at:

Central AfricaΚεντρική Αφρική - mad nomad

Update: still available. Speeding up is possible at 5.000 . Even the date of activation can be discussed. Process this time was real relaxed, no queuing:)

Any News on the VTE, is it still available in Ouga? And is it still possible to speed up the process?

If I have it issued in Ouga, can I go to Ghana before using the VTE in Togo and Benin or will my stay in Ghana finish the VTE (even if I just want to start using it in Togo)?

Thanks!

Any success stories about obtaining such visa when you heading north?
Somewhere in Congo, Gabon, Cameroun

VTE visa in Lomé
 

I applied yesterday for the VTE visa in Lomé at the "service de passeport".

My application was denied 2 weeks ago since i only had a 7? days visa.
I applied that day for an extension for the Togo visa for 500 CFA (the "fee" they ask for the paper you need to fill out).
I already paid 10.000 CFA at the border when crossing from Benin so no need to pay again. This visa was finished in 2 days.

When picking up my passport i tried to apply for the VTE but was refused. They told me that i could come back in 2 weeks and try again. After some talking i could come back after 4 days to try again.

I left lomé and went for a week to the North of the country. yesterday, a week later, i applied again and they accepted the application (25.000CFA + 500 CFA for the paper).

I will let you know soon if i got the visa eventually..

Update: I did got the visa and entered Benin and BF with it in the last days without a problem.

Hi! May I ask what consulate did you mean? In BF in Ouga?

Yes the Niger consulate in Ouaga is near the airport, a couple blocks from the roundabout
we had to ask around a bit
they do fly the flag on the roof

Thank`s!

Hi,

are there any actual infos of getting VTE in Quga?

Best Regards

Juergen

Justto keep it up to date. Got subject in Ouaga at 7th of January, one day, 24000CFA.

Visa Entente from Benin Consulate in Barcelona
 

Just to let people know I got a Visa Entente through the Benin Consulate in Barcelona (I am based in London and just emailed) in November 2015. I had to transfer 120 Euro to their account, send on the forms and the visa arrived in the post a week later. Email contact is Marisa:info@consuladobenin.com

Oh, that is most interesting. Would save a lot of time and money. And not having to first get the Burkina visa.
How does it work now - when is the starting date for the visa?

Now that Barcelona was mentioned I would like to add one of my findings.

The embassy of BF in Vienna has no idea what a "touristique d'entente application" is, hence doesn't issue one.

Just a quick update - having read this thread and the mention of the Barcelona option, I emailed for an appointment and dropped in to get the visa on my way down. It took less than 20 minutes, including form filling, cost €100, and the lady was nice and friendly. Documents needed - passport and some sort of ticket - I had the email confirmation printout from the Almeria>Melilla ferry. I imagine anything would do...

Point to note - she said that if passing through Ghana from Cote d'Ivoire, I may have trouble using the visa to get into Togo since, even though she marked mine as 'Plusieurs' on number of entries, they may insist on rules that say it should be single entry to the group of countries.

Passing mention here:
https://www.veganwithoutfrontiers.co.../03/barcelona/

Also, definitely check the consulate website and make a note of the address - its on the 1st Floor of an old office building with no signs outside!
Consulado de Benin en Barcelona
Consulado de Benin en Barcelona

Another user, I use it regularly and post it from France (3h away by road) and it's returned within the week!

Previously crossed from Togo to Ghana to CI with it without a problem on the Ivorian border!