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 ! .

What do you mean foreigners can't get money inside mauritania? What is wrong with ATMs or Western Union? Please explain....

There are no ATM's or Western Union in Mauritania. Foreigners are not alowed to take out money in the bank either. The bank is only for Mauritanians.

Well I don't remember having any problems in Atar a few years ago. Have things changed?

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

Javier's got it in one!

I have had so many 'run-ins' with embassies especially in W.Africa; most of them want you to pay the visa where they are to pocket money. You might pay X for the cost of a visa in country Y and X+20% in country Z ... it's a bit of a lottery and as Javier rightly points out, the best place to get info on things like this is from a forum for prices & 'where best' to get the visas!

Kira

I have only been in Mauritania this april when I crossed it both ways, to and from Senegal. I try to get money in Nouakchott and it was there I was told that foreigners are not alowed to take out money in the banks and that there is no ATM's in Mauritania. I did not see any reason for them to lie about this, since this information forzed me to leave Mauritania right away. I actually had to get one of the "guides" in Rosso to pay for me when leaving Mauritania. Then He had to pay for the ferry and at the end he had to pay all at the Senegales side. After that he took a taxi, with me following him on my motorcycle, to Richard Toll where it was an ATM. Then I paid him all the expencives he had and an extra 25 Euros/33Dollars for his service.

Terje

Money in Mauri?
 

Hmm, not so far heard that there is no opportunity to get money in Mauri. Can anyone confirm or disconfirm this please?
Many thanks Lotty

There was an ATM in NKT (Jan 2006) whether it's still there & functional, I'm not sure ...

NKT & NBD are your best bets for money, but I've always had enough cash on me for the duration

Kira

HI ..

It is definitely possible to get money in RIM . The only law is that you can NOT take Mauritaian Ougiyas (UAM) out of the country . -with some execptions- , and nor you can bring them in .

Someone pointed out that buying Ougiyas is a good deal , as -given the impossiblilty of taking them out of the Country - they are actually worth more as a collector's note in EU than their real value in RIM . The new series , are worth in Madrid around 30 Euros in currency colectibles shops , while their real value is less than 12.

back to getting money in RIM.


For a start , western Union works as ussual . It charges a hefty comission , but iIt works like a charm . And there are lots , -really - lots of Western Union shops in Mauritania .

and of course -if you are a foreightner - you can use a Western Union . There couldnt be a law against that ... And EVEN IF IT WERE THAT LAW (which is not ) YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY ASK SOME MAURITANIAN TO GET THE CASH FOR YOU.


Also , there was a Cashpoint in Nouachott . It was working perfectly. Near the market.

All major hotels will give you a Cash advance on your Visa card for the 10% !!! of the ammount . Its a lot , but sometimes that can be usefull . In Nouadibou head for "Cansado" . There is a hotel and a club .. and there you can get fresh notes with your Visa Card.

Also , the brothels in the harbourside -Nouadibou - will give you cash on your Card . They seem legit.

That fantastic pizza shop in Nouachott , also gives you cashback if you pay with Credit Cards.

and so on . No need to worry at all about cash in RIM.

Chad is way way way worse - believe me- in this aspect. No way to get cash from the outside world

Javier

I guess they just didn't want my money in Mauritania ...or maybe I should consider changeing my perfume? :)