Visas for west coast of Africa - British Passport

[steve.lorimer]

Hi folks

Can anyone share information about visas for the west coast of Africa, for British passports?

My trip is from the UK, through France and Spain into Morocco and down the west coast to South Africa. (We leave 4th October - and will take about 7 to 8 months to get down... Anyone want to join!? - more details here: www.overafrica.org)

I've found there are a lot of inconsistencies between websites, guide books etc - so am looking to first hand recent experience from the HUBB - can't beat it!

Once I collate all the responses (of which I hope there will be lots! ) I'll post a summary back on the HUBB for other people to use.

I'm looking for:

1. Do British passport holders need a visa to enter?
2. Can I get the visa at the border?
3. If I can't get it at the border, where is the closest place to London, UK where I can get it?
4. If a pre-departure visa will expire before I even get to the country, where is the best place en-route to get it?
5. How long is the visa valid for prior to entry?
6. How long is the visa valid for once I'm in the country?
7. What does it cost (single entry / multi entry)?

I'm travelling through the following countries:

Morocco
Mauritania
Senegal
The Gambia
Guinea Bissau
Mali
Burkina Faso
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Cameroon
Equatorial Guniea
Gabon
Congo
DRC
Angola
Namibia
Botswana
South Africa

All help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Steve
www.overafrica.org

PS: For South African passport holders - please see my other post here.

[TT-Kira]

Originally Posted by steve.lorimer

Hi folks

Can anyone share information about visas for the west coast of Africa, for British passports?

My trip is from the UK, through France and Spain into Morocco and down the west coast to South Africa. (We leave 4th October - and will take about 7 to 8 months to get down... Anyone want to join!? - more details here: OverAfrica)

I've found there are a lot of inconsistencies between websites, guide books etc - so am looking to first hand recent experience from the HUBB - can't beat it!

Once I collate all the responses (of which I hope there will be lots! ) I'll post a summary back on the HUBB for other people to use.

I'm looking for:

1. Do British passport holders need a visa to enter?
2. Can I get the visa at the border?
3. If I can't get it at the border, where is the closest place to London, UK where I can get it?
4. If a pre-departure visa will expire before I even get to the country, where is the best place en-route to get it?
5. How long is the visa valid for prior to entry?
6. How long is the visa valid for once I'm in the country?
7. What does it cost (single entry / multi entry)?

I'm travelling through the following countries:

Morocco
Mauritania
Senegal
The Gambia
Guinea Bissau
Mali
Burkina Faso
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Cameroon
Equatorial Guniea
Gabon
Congo
DRC
Angola
Namibia
Botswana
South Africa

All help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Steve
OverAfrica

PS: For South African passport holders - please see my other post here.

Ok, I'll have a bash at the ones I know, I'm fairly sure having travelled with an Italian through parts & British & Kiwi through other parts (but being Irish) that this will be correct

Morocco - nothing, stamp on arrival
Mauritania - read threads - things are changing, currently you can get a 3 day stamp at the border and extend it in NKT. Or pick one up in Casa on your way through Morocco
Senegal - stamp on arrival , no need to pay any bribes!
Gambia - stamp on arrival
G.Bissau - pick up a visa at the consulate in Ziguinchor, takes 10mins, cost 10,000CFA, friendly staff and a lot cheaper than anywhere else, valid a month
Mali - not sure
Burkina, Togo & Benin - get a Visa Touristique d'Entente - not heard of getting one at any of the six country embassies in Bamako but you could try in Dakar where I've heard of Embassies issuing them. Personally I got one from the Benin Embassy in Cote d'Ivoire. Cost 25,000CFA valid 3 months.
Ghana - possibly in UK, again I got mine in Cote d'Ivoire for 15,000CFA fora month and another one in Togo for 10,000CFA also for a month
Nigeria - now there's a question - I'd suggest London providing they don't make you enter within XX days!

The rest of them with the exception of Eq.Guinea (which is a complete nightmare to get) you should be able to get as you go - a friend has just gone a similar route (also Irish) and picked up the others on the road (but didn't do SA, Botswana or Namibia).

Kira

[Guyver1]

Hi Steve,

My brother and I are planning an almost identical trip leaving October 1st

Please feel free to get in touch, would be good to swap information etc,

alan

[Sime66]

NB - Info from 2005!

Mali - easy to get visa in Nouakchott (1 month).
Ghana - can get visa in Bamako (or London) Single entry only. (12,000 CFA)
Nigeria - visa available in Accra (3 months, $54 US)

[TT-Kira]

Sime

The Nigerian visa in Accra was difficult last year; manana culture going on then pure agressiveness with my friend being 'held' in the Embassy after trying getting it (having waited over 2 weeks) ...

All the stuff I put below is from 2007/2008

Kira

[McThor]

Hey Steve.

I did Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo Brazzavile, airlifted to Namibia (due to local trouble), Botswana, Soutafrica.

For a lot of the trip I traveled with a southafrican who used a british passport. He did have a SA passport, but never used it when I was with him.

This info is from Nov 07 and we both arrived in SA about 2 months ago.

Morocco: Stamped passport at border

Mauritania: Obtained at the border. (Or you can pre-obtain in Rabat, 3 day wait)

Mali: Obtained at the border. (or pre-obtain it in Nouakchot, sameday service)

Burkina Faso: Obtained at the border (or pre-obtain in Bamako, 3 day wait)

Niger: Obtained at the border. (or pre-obtain in Ouagadougou, 3 day wait)

Nigeria: You cannot "border-crash" this country. Met a couple who had tried and were firmly refused. Obtain in Niamey. Embassy open for visas on tuesdays and thursdays. Normaly a 3 day wait. We got ours same day because of christmas holidays.

Cameroon: Obtained in Abuja. Sameday service because of new years holiday comming up. Otherwise a 3 day wait. The Congo Brazzavile embassy is just 100m's down the same road (there are signs).

Gabon: Obtained in Yaounde. Sameday service. DRC embassy is in the same area.

Congo Brazzavile: See Cammeroon.Sameday service if you pay the express fee.

Angola: Didn't get this one and had to airlift over it. There was an embassy at Pointe Noire, but they refused to give us entry with bikes through Cabinda. Were told to go to the embassy in Brazza, but we couldn't get there because of bandit unrest at the time. So...had to give that a miss.

Namibia: Obtained at border (free tourist visa)

Botswana: Obtained at border (free tourist visa)

SA: Obtained at border (free tourist visa)

As a general rule you could say:

Western Africa: By the visas at the border. Or get them in the neighbouring country if you feel better having your visas in order before going to the border.

Central Africa: All visas must be obtained in advance.

Southern Africa: They barely look at your passport before stamping it.

If you like, I can mail you some GPS coords for some embassies. Allthough I don't have them all.

Best regards

Torsten

[jb.enroute]

Hi McThor,
Just want to confirm that the Niger visa is available at the border, so far its been very confusing, some says you can some says you cant. Could you tell me which border you crossed through?