I am also very curious to learn if anybody has recent information about getting into DRC with a visa which has not been issued at an embassy 'at home'. Any information is welcome!

That the DRC Visa better should be taken at home, that was i know till yesterday.

Today does i know, that it is possible on the way.

You find a list of travellers who are currently on the way - in my blog.

Some of them (Maria and Robert) was able to pickup the visa on the way, in the last weeks :rolleyes2:

I would say: if you able to pick them up at home - do it. I have done it last week, without trouble. But it seems to be (still or again) possible now - also on the way.

Surfy

Hi,

Question to all who are familiar with the DRC customs/borders: we will be travelling south to north and hope to get a transit visa in Africa. Just in case we succeed: which border posts (Angola and Congo Brazzaville) would you recommend to take to avoid problems as much as possible (given the fact that the visa in that case will have been issued in Africa)?

To the travellers who got problems at the DRC border with their African issued DRC-visa: did you have an invitation letter (and if so, was it notarized and stamped by DRC migration)?

Thanks a lot!

I had a link list there:

Trans-Africa: Gerade Unterwegs...

They seems to have collected the Visa on the way. Details i don't remember - translate them to English with Google Translate, i suggest!

Maria und Robert (German)
ruessbrugg retour ond es bizzli meh.....

They have too good pictures! :thumbup1:

Surfy

I have done a fast rescan of the informations provided. They seems to have the authorization for the angola visa - and hopes to get the Kongo Visa on the way.

So maybe we have to wait some days - and get then actual information where they get em - or not :confused1:

Therefore they dont seen a problem there, i thoght they has them already...

Surfy

thanks for this information - much appreciated. I would like to collect the DRC visa at home (USA), but can't find a way to get the letter of invitation..

We had get em, without this letter - but with the carnet de passage :thumbup1: Call them, and ask what they want.

All: once you have a visa for DRC, you should get in, wherever they issued it. The problem is only that some embassies will refuse to issue it based on the regulation, but once you have a visa, there is absolutely no reason to not let you in (well, apart from hoping for money of course). If they really act difficult, you can always say that you are a resident in the country where the visa was issued (not sure if they will buy it of course) or registered there at the consulate of your country - in general, if they start selling bullshit, you can see and try to outsell them...

I live in DRC, so you can consider this as reliable.

cheers/jef

And by the way, whatever they may ask, the ONLY thing you need is your passport, a visa and of course your yellow card. All the other things they ask (invitation letter, ...) is utter and complete bullshit.

The Congolese authorities will literally try everything - I have known cases where they tried asking for a visa for a dog, where they said that 3 free pages in the passport was not sufficient, where they claimed a yellow card had to be in French - if you can make it up, the Congolese have tried it before you. Just smile, insist, if needed get other people involved, show that you are sure and not afraid (utterly important that one, they can SMELL fear), and make sure the official loses his time with you so he can't get other bribes while he is dealing with you. One note however: be careful to get higher authorities involved, this can often only make things more of a problem (read: more expensive) to solve. Rather get other "clients" involved - they will tend to sympathise with you if they are local, or they might be able to help you if they are "muzungu".

Ah, how I love Congo - but how fecking happy I will be to leave the country in a few weeks...

cheers/jef