mauritania border visa? and well coordinates for the Nouadhibou-Atar railway piste?
 

I read a post that the Mauritania border visa is only good for 3 days. Is this true? How much does it cost, and what currencies do they accept? US dollars, moroccan dirhams, or only euros? Any info on adding time to this visa - a 3 day visa isn't good for anything and mine would certainly expire at least a week before I get to Nouackhott!

Also, are there any wells on the Nouadhibou to Atar railway piste? Does anyone have the GPS coordinates of these wells, are they in mined areas or safe areas?

... is only good for 3 days

Wherever you read it I think they meant 30 days but ran out of

Info is all here: http://www.sahara-overland.com/country
Click on 'Morocco' or 'Mauritania'

Water from the rough villages along the railway line.

Ch

Rumours have it
 

No idea whether it's true, but it was posted a while back that only transit visas are now available at the border. Apparently a recent shift from the new regime.

Anyone been through (very) recently?

Oh really, pardon me then. That would really put the spanner in the works if it's true. Is it Libyan-style retaliation for some tourists pissing them off or maybe a visa-at-the-border-only rule? Elsewhere (Casa, London) business as usual... Who knows.

Ch

Can't find the original post annoyingly, but seem to remember the poster saying that it could be extended as normal in Nouakchott. So perhaps just a border-only situation -- otherwise it really would be a pain in the rear end.

Perhaps the Moroccans asked for the change to encourage visitors to Casa...

Anyone with experiences of the border in the last month or so, don't hold back. The prospect of phoning the Mauri embassy always sends a cold shiver...

Yes I definitly remeber seeing this post. I believe it said that you can only get a temporary visa at the border (yes for 3 days) and have to change this into a 30 day visa in Nouck...
If you come from Maroc it is easy and cheap to pick a visa up in Rabat...
Cheers Lotty

As far as I was aware the '3' day visa was when the new president came to power as a short term measure. I 'believe' it's back to normal now. However you can sort it out in NBD at the police station. Or get it (with all the endless paperwork) in Casablanca

Kira

Hello all,

here news about visa from the 18.04.2007:

- At the border no visa possible

- Best way is to order it in the mauretanien embassy in Your home-country

or, if You come from Morocco,

at the mauretanien consulat in Casablance,
Route de'El Jarida
GPS-coordinates: N33°33.7' - W07°38.7' (just editet - this are the correct coordinates
if You order the visa in the time between 8.00 h - 11.00 h, You will get the visa latest at 14.00 h. Price 30 Euro

Just a tip: Who travels with a woman, it would be good to let her stay in the row on the street in front of the consulat, that makes it faster. They don't want to have woman standing on the street.

The original thread You will find here: Yahoo! Groupes

Ulrich

I guess unless there's some news in the meantime, Casa it is then...

I wouldn't count 100% on same day visas. Last year we turned up as the doors opened, filled in the forms and then were told to come back the next day.

Shame about the border then - nice while it lasted. Last time I did it in London it was no drama, just expensive at 42 quid.

Details and forms here:
http://www.sahara-overland.com/country/rim.htm

Ch

HI ..

AFAIK The situation about RIM visa is as follows : (news from 2 days ago)

Visa is definitely Available at ANY border for as little as 10 Euro. This gives you 3 days "transit" visa .

should you want to extend your visa , then you can do it for another 10 Euro in Nouadibou / Nouatchott . This buys you 1 month's worth of visa.


and as ussual , Visa is also available in Casablanca 200 DH or upon arrival in any RIM's Airport

have a nice day
JAvier

Thanks Javier

On my tour Oslo-Dakar-Oslo I crossed the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania this year on april 7. and on april 13. on my re-tour. The visa is only good for 3 days so if you need to have a visa for more than 3 days you must get it in Nouadhibou or Nouakchott. Euros is all you need but I had some Morocco Dirhams I changed into Mauritanian money at the border (Mauritanian side). There was some "moneychangers" stopping me in the "no mans land" beetween Western Sahara and Mauritania, asking me if I wanted to change money. I just said no and did it at the bordercrossing insted. But remeber to bring lots of Euro. As a foreigner you will NOT be able to get money inside Mauritania. You have to bring all the Euros you need for the whole Mauritania tour. Crossing the border was easy and trouble free. The cost of the visa I do not remember, but I belive it was 10 Euro, then you need the insurance for your vehicle, do not remember the price there either, but it's not expensive. I took the tarmac road all the way to Dakar. Only the brodercrossing between Western Sahara and Mauritania was not tarmac, one kilometer or so.

Terje

hi .,..

Experience says that Embassies are the LAST place to get information about a country. They either don't know the border status , and sometimes they can mislead you . According to the embassies , you can not get the RIM visa on the border (wrong ) , you CAN ! enter Senegal with a 6 years old car (mostly wrong ) , drive in Gambia a RHD (wrong ) ,
according with Embassies you can not fly into Mali nor Niger without a visa (Also Wrong ) , sell a car in Mali (wrong),
etc....

In other words.. don't lose a minute talking to the embassies . They know jack $hit about the situation in their own countries.

Indeed the best and only place to get information first hand is actually this forum ! .