visas for mauritania
 

Hi,
I read somewhere that it is possible to get a Mauritania visa on the border with Morocco now (heading South). Does anyone have any experience of this and how much it costs etc.
Pete

I think its better (and cheaper) to get them in rabat - less surprises at the sharp end

Chris

We are trying to get visas in Rabat at the moment. It seems the system is complicated here because we are a large group (40 people mainly brazillians). They have to fax Mauritania and then wait for a reply - 4 weeks so far. We can't wait much longer so are considering going down to the border and seeing what happens there. Any further tips would be most appreciated. (sorry am on another computer and can't remember my password - hence new username - please post reply or email to plewisontruck@aol.comm)

Recently, travellers applying for Mauritanian visas in Morocco were obliged, I recall, to show an airline ticket proving they could leave the country.
Having obtained the visa they then went back to the airline office and cancelled the flight!
Saucy perhaps, but widespread practice.

There is absolutely NO chance of getting anything at or near the Mauritanian border.

In 1996 I employed Hogg Robinson, London SW1, to obtain my Mauritanian visa at Brussels.
The visa cost £140 and Hogg Robinson charged me £30 for doing it all. No queues, no hassle, no grief, and worth every penny, I would use them again.

With the number of visas you propose (was it really 40?) I would have an agent do a deal for you, both with the Mauritanians and with their own agent's fees.
Good luck Kitmax

FWIW: I've just been to the Mauritanian consulate in Paris, and they still insist on a flight return ticket, so that's a no-go...

We (four of us) went to Mauritanian embassy in Rabat end of last year. They did not ask for flight tickets. Cheap and very efficient. Although "helpers" outside the embassy insist that you can get visas at the border, I don't trust them. This "helper" offered to phone his sheriff friend at the border to let us through. Hmm...

I got a Mauritanian visa in March at the embassy in Rabat. It cost 100DH, was issued the same day (get there before 10am) and no carnet or air ticket was demanded. Other people in the convoy (Swiss and French) got their visas at the border no problem, but getting it in Rabat is probably the better option as you never know when things change and all the waiting at the border is bad enough without having to get another stamp.

See the Atlantic Route description on the STI website.

Cheers

I was told that you can now get a visa at the boader but that it costs you 3 times as much than in Rabbat. No tickets or papers were required althouth this was with a private vehicle. Cash always talks!

Hope all works out.

Andy

Just to update folks - thanks for your comments.
We are still waiting for visas from the Rabat embassy. However, the Swiss mauritanian embassy have been very helpful and are (I am told by 'our man' in the UK) sending the visas as I speak ! They seem more interested in the money than anything else and are even sending the visas after having just a list of names and passport details etc. They aren't even waiting for the photos to arrive before sending the visas out.
So the moral of the story seems to be that although Rabat is cheap, they can't (or don't want to) deal with large groups. I know it's more expensive to get them in Switzerland (approx £20), but if we'd done that straight away, we'd have saved loads in comparison to 5 weeks accomodation costs !

Again thanks for all the replies and suggestions.
Pete

You can get a multiple entry visa for Mauritania from the Mauritanian embassy in London. Cost is GBP42.00. The embassy is located in the ambassador's residence in North London at 1 Chessington Avenue, London N3 3DS. Telephone 020-8343-2829. Nearest tube Finchley Central.

I met the ambassador a couple of days ago and he is happy to help.

The procedure is that you fill in the application form (which you can do by fax)and wait for approx 72 hours for it to be checked. Then they make an appointmentment for you to go to the embassy to get the visa entered in your passport.

I've only just got all this info and have not had time to update CS.

On 23/12/00 I bought a visa on the Mauritanian borderpost just north of Nouadibou, coming from Morocco with the Dakhla convoy. No problem - paid in french francs - think it was 350 but I could be wrong about the price. But definitely do-able. I was kinda worried that I'd have to ride all the way back to Rabat. Nope. Dan Walsh