recomm. letter of bank and medical note
 

Hello!

Does anybody have an example of a letter of recommendation of your home bank which can be used in Africa to get money or visums more easily, just to get things smoothing up a little bit more.
I was also thinking of having a letter combined with my mediacl kit that it's for personal use only. Anybody an example of that?

Thanks, Jur

Hi Jur, and welcome to the HUBB!

We travelled through Africa in 1997, and were never asked for a bank letter or other security to obtain a visa. I would be somewhat nervous about having a letter on my person that indicated I had substantial monies in my bank account. In some countries, that might make you an attractive target for kidnapping!

Instead, you should definitely carry a debit and/or credit card, preferably a couple of cards - one Visa, one Mastercard. Also, carry some travellers cheques with you. That provides sufficient evidence of funds so that obtaining country visas shouldn't be a problem.

As for the letter to go with your medical kit, that is a good idea, especially since you should be carrying your own syringes (needles) in case you need a jab in Africa. Your doctor must write that letter on his letterhead for you, and if you explain why you need it, he will know what to write. It might be useful to have it written in English, if your native language is not widely spoken outside your own country.

Good luck with your trip to Africa, and please keep us posted.


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Susan Johnson

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