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30 Jan 2020
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I haven't been there myself recently but researched it all last week for my book.
• Guinea - in Dakar or Bamako
• Cote d’Ivoire - initiate online, collect Dakar, Bamako, Conakry
• Ghana - can be tricky, better from home (CdP needed too)
or try Conakry, Monrovia, Abidjan (Ele Nest can help)
• Togo - 1 week VoA
• Benin - e visa
• Nigeria - get at home or try the 'Chinese letter' dodge (or try Freetown, Sierra Leone)
• Cameroon - Lagos, Abuja for overland or Calabar then ferry
• Gabon - various places from Yaounde back - waits can be long? So avoid it
• Rep Congo - various places from Yaounde back
• DRC - still turns back some on Af' consulate visas - so get at home or boat the bike to
Soyo and fly
• Angola - online double entry. Don't waste time with nearby consulates
Last edited by Chris Scott; 12 Apr 2020 at 11:11.
Reason: added freetown
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31 Jan 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Scott
I haven't been there myself recently but researched it all last week for my book.
• Guinea - in Dakar or Bamako
• Cote d’Ivoire - initiate online, collect Dakar, Bamako, Conakry
• Ghana - can be tricky, better from home (CdP needed too)
or try Conakry, Monrovia, Abidjan (Ele Nest can help)
• Togo - 1 week VoA
• Benin - e visa
• Nigeria - get at home or try the 'Chinese letter' dodge
• Cameroon - Lagos, Abuja for overland or Calabar then ferry
• Gabon - various places from Yaounde back - waits can be long? So avoid it
• Rep Congo - various places from Yaounde back
• DRC - still turns-back some Af' consulate visas - so take boat Cabinda to
Soyo
• Angola - online double entry. Don't waste time with nearby consulates
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Thanks Chris 
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3 Feb 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Scott
I haven't been there myself recently but researched it all last week for my book.
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Hope to read more soon
Thanks for sharing!
Surfy
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3 Feb 2020
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West Africa route visa's
We are three British passport holders travelling To South Africa, currently in Nigeria, just to confirm we left the UK with our DRC, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana visa's in our passport, the rest we have collected on the way with no problem, except paying slightly more for one.
That said some of the visa's in the UK have been EXPENSIVE.
Just to correct one comment posted previously and not wishing to offend anyone, we entered Ghana with no carnet and no bond paid at the border. All very professional at both sides of the border, we entered Ghana from the Ivory Coast. The price we paid for 20 days temporary import was 10,000 CFA, it would have been less but we had no cedi to pay with.
The vehicles we are driving are 17 and 22 year old Landcruisers.
I hope this helps.
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3 Feb 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by digger1
...we entered Ghana with no carnet and no bond paid at the border. All very professional at both sides of the border, we entered Ghana from the Ivory Coast.
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Would you mind saying at which border post you entered Ghana? This has often made a huge difference, since Ghanian border officials (and consulates) often seem to establish their own rules about all sorts of things.
Thanks.
Mark
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5 Feb 2020
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Trying to get my 9ja visa from Britain and it is already proving quite difficult. I sent an email through a website which responded after 2days sending me 3 links. I used the 1st link to fill in the form. It had me attach photo, picture of passport, height, convictions etc. Second link was based on fees, which said i will have to pay £126...which is $164 US, in the end was charged 164 pounds, dont know how that happened. Through a website called innovative1. No confirmation of visa application or anything. 3rd link was the payment link. The email was sent from Nigerian Support Services or NIS.
I pray this was legit because I've seen that OIC is a completely other service used and i was not given an appointment or anything. Looking to go down to Fleet St tomorrow as it said it had sent the application over there directly.. Longest visa application ever. Nigeria FIX UP MAAAN
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20 Apr 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 7800
Hi Cheecha
Which countries have you used E-Visas for
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Sorry after 3 months travel in Western Africa I just got released from quarantine in Melbourne, Oz after scrambling out from Dakar on a repatriation flight to Europe ....do you still require me to answer this question ? In fact I assume you have already done your research .....
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30 Jan 2021
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Adding into this discussion - but at a (slight) divergence:
Has anyone ever used the services of folks like passportvisasexpress.com or traveldocs.com ?
We (my wife & I) are US Citizens, and we found that some of the countries we want to travel through are extremely restrictive on WHERE we can obtain our visas.
For instance, Cameroon requires Visas in advance (No visa upon arrival), but for us - as US Citizens - the visas can only be obtained at their embassy in Washington, DC.
Everything we've been able to find says - Essentially - "Nope. Go back to your home country for the Visa"
We're NOT interested in flying to Washington, DC from Benin or Nigeria in order to sit with our thumbs up our bums waiting on visas - only to fly BACK to Africa to continue our travels.
So....to repeat the question: Has anyone ever used the services of folks like passportvisasexpress.com or traveldocs.com ?
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30 Jan 2021
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Of course. I've used Traveldocs from time to time, and have been prepared to use them as backup at other times. Service has generally been exactly as they promise--varying greatly from one country to the next--although at significant cost. Most recently I used them to get me a new passport and then obtain a certain African visa from a country known for slow service, all on a very tight timeline due to approaching winter. I had my new passport with its new visa in hand within a week. I haven't ever had to send a passport home so that applications could be submitted in D.C., but I've met others from the US or Europe who've done similar.
There are an infinite number of intersecting variables, therefore no hard and fast rules. Furthermore, rules and on-the-ground practices change a lot, often without warning. Costs are significant: expedited services, courier fees, and the passport agencies themselves.
I'm always running into people who carry more than one passport so that they can continue with their travels while waiting for visas in the other. I'm honestly not sure how this really works in the situation you're describing, but it's worth checking into.
Hope that's helpful.
Mark
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31 Jan 2021
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Another thing worth adding is that a visa can be valid for up to three months.
That is: once you have the visa you have say, 90 days to enter the country and start your typical 30-day transit.
Aggro like this is why this Western Route about all, is chiefly predicated on visa acquisition and duration, not the season or which place you like the sound of.
Most here manage to fit travels around these visa restrictions. Sending passports home to get visas is a last resort.
In the UK a second UK passport is not so hard to acquire, last time I tried.
The circumstances above are a good reason.
Don't know about other countries.
Dual nationality (another passport) is also allowed of course, but travelling with both passports is viewed poorly, if caught.
Last edited by Chris Scott; 1 Feb 2021 at 13:09.
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31 Jan 2021
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I have two passports but may need a third, when we are allowed to travel again. It's complicated.
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18 Jan 2022
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In principle, the USA and Germany will issue even third passports if needed. In the UK, two is not a problem. A third one is also possible, but generally just a "restricted validity passport" (not too dissimilar to an emergency passport). The proof required to support the issuance of the passport is complicated and the situation has to be closer to the "exceptional" end of the spectrum rather merely for user "convenience".
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27 Jan 2022
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" For instance, Cameroon requires Visas in advance (No visa upon arrival), but for us - as US Citizens - the visas can only be obtained at their embassy in Washington, DC."
Travelling north to south most people were getting their Cameroon visas in Nigeria back in the mid 2010's ( Lagos or Calabar consulates ).
I also got one at the consulate in Brazza once.
But yeah, rules are bound to change.
L.
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26 Aug 2022
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Hoping for assistance..
From New Zealand. Planning one way trip London to Capetown by motorcycle about this time next year. Ie no Carnet.
I see it is suggested to get some visas before leaving. There are no embassies in Nz for difficult visas.
If I had to send my passport offshore a few times may run out of time to use given I have to procure bike etc as well.
I was thinking my only option is via west coast . Is that correct ?
This seems to be my biggest obstacle to overcome at this stage.
Thanks in advance
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29 Aug 2022
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Currently it's only west side route due to Ethiopia. That may change by next year.
Visas have always been the main issue along the west side, forcing your pace and route. And if you cannot get visas in your home country - as some countries demand – I would first try UK embassies (assuming you start here) giving that reason. And if they still say no, then all you can do is from the adjacent country.
I would DHL your passport abroad as a last resort. Try getting a second NZ passport. I know UK did/does this with a good excuse - maybe NZ too.
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
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