Guinea / Mali Visas at borders?? VTE etc.
 

Hi everyone,

Has anyone managed to get any of these recently:

1. Guinea visa at the Senegal>Guinea border

2. Mali visa at the Senegal>Mali border

3. Guinea visa at the Mali>Guinea border

and...

4. A "VTE" at either the Togo or C. D'Ivoire Embassy in Conakry.

And do you have any details on how long a VTE is valid for in total, how many times you can visit each country etc?

Cheers, safe travels,

Pete

1. The Guinean visa can only be obtained at an Embassy, it's still 30,000CFA for 30 days multiple entry in Bissau, more expensive & single entry from Dakar; if you're American it's even more, but don't ask me how much.
2. Mali, no idea, never been
3. As with 1, only at an Embassy
4. Friend got the VTE at I think 'Togo' in Conakry recently, I got mine at the Benin Embassy in Abidjan without any hassle in 4hrs for 25,000CFA last month. CI Embassy in Bamako DO NOT issue the VTE ...

Bonne chance!

Kira

Je vous remercie Kira.

Regarding the VTE: can you tell me how long it is valid for; how long I can remain in a given country; and if I can enter a country twice?

Do the border gaurds mostly recognise, or is it more hassle than it's worth...

Regards

The VTE is SINGLE entry, I wanted a multiple entry to keep crossing the Benin/Togo borders but had to make do, a multiple entry VTE doesn't exist anywhere apparently (friend tried to get the same in Dubai & ended up with single only). I think it's a 3 month visa - need to check that!

It was widely recognised, the Ghanaians didn't recognise it and wondered why we were heading to Burkina without a Burkina visa ... Ghana is a bit of a nightmare with anything official!!!

None of the borders gave us any hassle, including the 'rare' (hardly sees any foreigners apparently!) Boukoumbe (Benin) - Nadoba (Togo) which would be a great border to do on a bike coming from Natitingou, stunning countryside & 'good' piste. If you're heading from the Benin side you need to continue to Kande (or Kante it was sometimes signed as) to get your passport stamped BUT check in with the gendarme on the edge of Nadoba - he'll wave you on but does like to see passports.

Have a good one!

Kira

Visas
 

You can get a Mali Visa at any Mali border (optained it coming from Guinea and Burkina 15000 and at Bamako airport, 15000 CFA, you need to see the immigration office in Bamako within a few days), a Guinea visa only at the embassies. Guinea Visas are expensive. 60000 CFA for a month in at the Bamako embassy.
Manfred, in Bamako

Mate,
You can get a Mali visa in Rabat if you're coming through there and the embassy is just 100m down the road from the Mauri embassy. I would recommend doing that as some borders into Mali are not manned and you could get into trouble riding to Bamako or Kayes without a visa. In Bamako you can get a Guinee visa and also a lassier passer for 7500CFA ('scuse spelling) therefor you don't have to use your carnet if you have one.
Cam J.