Mauritania visa and border
 

Thread restored and radically shortened to clarify current status
Also visit: https://sahara-overland.com/mauritania/

Western Sahara/Morocco to Mauritania Border Crossing Procedure
 

I had read and heard so many things about the Western Sahara/Morocco to Mauritania border crossing being a nightmare; I have just crossed the border into Mauritania on 3rd December, and despite this being my first overland border crossing and my first time in Africa, I managed to pass through without using any fixers, and although it was pretty convoluted and a little confusing, I have to admit overall I didn’t find the process too bad and even enjoyed it a little! It took me 4 hours in total, but I think it may have even been quicker than using a fixer (who seemed to irritate the border officials)

So I’m writing this post with as much detail as I can manage, to help those travelling on a shoestring budget save the cost of using a fixer, and also give a little bit of confidence to other over-landing newbies like me that they can also DIY it too.

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Section 1: ???????? Morocco Exit Procedure
* As a motorcyclist, you can ride directly to the front of the queue and bypass all vehicles.
* Present your passport and Mauritania visa to the police at the initial gate check at the big gates at the front of the queue.

* Immigration/Passport Control:
* Go through the gate, follow the left lane where the cars go, and park.
* First building is passport control. Walk up to the window (it is on the opposite side of the booth, the side the trucks drive on). It’s a bit chaotic here with a big crowd of people, but there seemed to be an order: add your passport with Mauritania visa tucked inside to the bottom of the pile of passports in front of the officer (they will call your name when it’s your turn).
* Be ready to state your Destination, Profession, and Mode of Transport.
* Hand over your motorcycle registration (carte grise).

* Customs/Douane:
* Go to the next office along. The window is on the left side.
* Give your carte grise and license plate number.
* They will take the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) you received upon arrival in Morocco.
* They will stamp and return the TIP and also give you a small piece of paper.
* Your vehicle will undergo a search by sniffer dogs while all this is happening.
* Go back down the street, but this time go to the office opposite the passport control booth. This office is the ‘Bureau de system controle de voyageurs’. Be prepared for possible delays if they are on a break (I don’t think they had even opened for the day by 9.30/10am as passports where queuing up but the window was closed ????)
* Add your passport to the ‘queue’, along with the piece of paper you received from Customs.
* They will stamp both the small paper and your passport, and check your carte grise, and give you those bits of paper back.

*Final Customs Barrier Check:
* Then you’ve almost done all your Moroccan paperwork. Drive to the exit, but stop at the office on the left at the final barrier.
* They check all customs stamps.
* They will return your TIP, but keep the piece of paper you just had stamped.

* Final Police Check:
* Stop at a final police booth right after the barrier.
* They will check your carte grise and passport one last time.

* You are now officially entering No Man's Land. It’s nowhere near as bad as people make out and probably only 1km of it is unpaved.


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Section 2: ???????? Mauritania Entry Procedure

* The first stop is the Poste de Police, a building on the right.
* Only hand your documents to someone in the official Gendarmerie uniform (green toy soldier style) (avoid non-uniformed fixers - the first guy who asked me for my passport at the border was actually a fixer)
* Gendarmerie will take your passport and Mauritania visa.
* You are taken to a small office where they check your passport, visa, and carte grise.
* They will ask about your route in Mauritania and how many nights you plan to stay in Nouadhibou etc., hotel reservation.

* Customs/Douane (TIP Issuance):
* Drive through the next part of the compound (past the white walls) and find somewhere to park.
* The main customs office is a green-roofed building on the right side, in its own little walled off area, up a steep ramp.
* Go inside, it’s the first building on the right in that little courtyard, and go into the open office, the first on the left.
* Give your carte grise and passport.
* The system may runs on solar power; when I was there there was a cloud overhead and the system shut off. So we had to wait 15 minutes for it to power back up again. Must happen a lot because the customs officer wasn’t mad he just seemed fed up ????
* You must take photos of the front, back, and side of your motorbike and send them to the WhatsApp number displayed on the wall. I had a fixer take photos of my bike and the plate etc. and send them to some WhatsApp number, which I didn’t like, as I had no idea what he intended to do with the photos. I told him no photos but he was a bit agitated when I got him to stop, so I just ignored him. I think he was just trying to do stuff for me so that he could try and charge me for his help, but I just told him I don’t want any help and I have no money for him and then ignored him.

* Customs Checkpoint:
* Take your new passeavant to a tiny hut by where you parked, on the same side, adjacent to the barrier diving the compound in half with a gendarmerie officer directing traffic. it’s a bit hidden away but located adjacent to a little caravan which I don’t think has moved in years.
* Show the paper you just received to the guy at the desk on the left as you walk in (the right desk is for those exiting Mauritania, which I didn’t realise until there had been some fuss and confusion about my documents ????)

* Immigration/Visa & Fee:
* Drive forwards to the next section, there was a gendarmerie officer checking passports and documents before allowing you to the next section.
* Go to a yellow police building about 30 meters ahead on the left, by the exit gates to the border area.
* Go inside the door under the hand painted police logo.
* Enter the first door on the left (Bureau de familiarité) to give you passport and receive some paperwork.
* Exit that building, and walk back to the next yellow building along on the same side, go into the foyer, and wait to be called.
* They will take your passport, carte grise, and visa.
* Fee: Expect to pay €55 for the visa. They will take your fingerprints and a photo. I had issues with the QR code on my printed e-visa, and also with a screenshot of the evisa. Luckily I had the original PDF downloaded which worked fine.
* They will keep the paper you were just given.

* Return to the police office you were in just beforehand (the Bureau de familiarité).
* They will take photocopies of your documents.

*Ride out of the exit gates, after one passport check at the gate, You are now officially in Mauritania!

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* Insurance:
* Immediately on the left after the final wall, look for a yellow building with blue writing saying 'assurance'.
* Go inside and provide your carte grise and passport.
* Choose the duration (fixed prices on a spreadsheet): 3, 10, 20, or 30 days.
* Motorbike Cost Example: €15 or 140 MAD for 20 days.
* Payment must be exact (Euros, Moroccan Dirham, or Ouguiya).

* Money/SIM:
* SIM card vendors and money changers are available near the border.
* I paid more than double what I should have for a SIM card €20… they would negotiate how much data I got for that price, but they wouldn’t negotiate on the €20 - if I was to cross again I would just go directly to my hotel, then buy one in town. I read you can buy the same thing for 450 MRU, with a SIM being as little as 50MRU (I even saw how much he charged to the SIM, it was a 200MRU data package with 16gb)
* Exchange Rate (Approximate): 1 MAD \approx 4.3 Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRU) (as of Dec 2025).

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Section 3: ???? General Advice & Tips
* Timing is Key: Aim to arrive and cross at 9:00 AM or earlier. On a motorbike, you can skip the queue. Arriving before the border opens is ideal.
* Chaos Level: The crossing is more convoluted (many steps) than outright chaotic. The Moroccan side may feel more crowded, but the Mauritanian side is generally quieter with less queuing; but I think this is because I was early, and on a motorbike.

* Dealing with Officials:
* I said Assalamu Alaikum to every official with a smile upon entering an office, it even seemed to surprise a couple of them and they responded very positively so I really think that this was probably 75% of why they were so helpful and patient with me.
* Always ask the official where to go next, what the building looks like, and what documents you will need there.
* Organization: Have all your documents (passport, visa, carte grise, photocopies) neatly organized and immediately accessible. I think the officials were also pleased that I wasn’t slowing them down by handing them crumpled documents, fumbling/searching for the right paper, and giving them my passport open on the right page.
*
* Fixers: There are fixers, but in my experience they are generally not pushy and mainly focus on selling SIMs and exchanging money, especially once you’ve started the process yourself they seem to give up. One guy followed me around the whole time, but I told him I have no money for him and then he up and left. I genuinely think you can navigate the process faster and more efficiently by avoiding them and managing your own paperwork, if you don’t let the situation stress you out, and just enjoy the experience.
* Language: A little bit of French is helpful, but some officials, including Customs/Douane, speak surprisingly good English.
* Accommodation: Consider staying in Bir Gandouz or wild camping closer to the border the night before to ensure an early start. I think this would suck at the end of a long day from Dakhla, trying to get through before the border closes at 7pm when it is undoubtably more busy and chaotic. I stayed at the hotel at the back of the Atlas Sahara petrol station, its was 150MAD but honestly a shithole so I wouldn’t bother if you can stay somewhere else.

A quick note about the e-visa; mine was approved after a day or two but I didn’t get any email correspondence. I had to check on the portal manually. Also, it actually said ‘pending’ but I clicked on the button to view visa despite it having a padlock icon, and it generated my visa no problem. So I think there is just a bad digital system.

I met a Singaporean girl trying to enter, and she made two visa applications which were rejected. She also later met a Chinese girl whose visa was rejected. From what I can gather, Asian passports might be more challenging to get a Visa approved.

Judging from the dates on my visa, it is a 30 day visa, but it was not active until actually going to the border, and would be able to be used any time within the next 10 years. So I guess there would be no harm in making the application well ahead of time.

Nice write up,

just too add in a 4x4 etc there is also a x-ray step leaving Morocco

Having ridden N to S and S to N through Mauretania very recently, I can add the following info.

S to N into Morocco there is an x-ray scanner for ALL vehicles, including my motorcycle. I assume it's checking body temperatures of around 37.5 degrees of potential human cargo. A big modern looking scanner in a hanger that can check big artics too, probably paid for by the EU.

The last 45km to the Diama border to Senegal, in Mauretania are (easy) dirt, assuming it's dry. When the main track is too bumpy, there's an alternate next to/ below close to the water. And lots of warthogs.

Petrol available at stations in Nouadhibou, Chami (the first station on the start of town on the L heading south, only. Otherwise nothing or only diesel), Atar and only patchy availability in Nouakchott. Heading south I got fuel at the first place I tried at the big roundabout near the US embassy. North bound a month later, no petrol there. Nor at 4 other stations north bound. The 6th had petrol. Upon getting there with only one scooter in front, I immediately had a line of ten petrol powered cars behind me. Diesel seems to be everywhere.

There's now a paved road coming off the main NS highway (50km S of Chami) heading SE via Benichab that meets the Nouakchott to Atar paved road 80??km before Akjoujt.

The border procedure entering Mauretania from Morocco is probably as described. The pictures of the the bike they need are side on portrait, back/ numberplate and vin stamp on headstock.

On entering from north in 40 degrees heat at noon and very busy/ chaotic in October, I took a fixer for 10 bucks. He ran around . I sat in the shade. On leaving and entry to Morocco in late November, I did it all myself. It was morning, on 25 degrees and much quieter.

Both times I rode my bike to the front of the queue. Nobody cared. My bike luggage wasn't searched, but sniffed by a (proper sniffer, not just some random stray :D ) dog.

Petrol is cheaper in Mauretania (1.25 euro/litre, cash only) than Senegal (1.50 euro/ litre cash only). Western Sahara/ Morocco subsidised petrol (including super unleaded payable via credit card) just N of the border is less than 1 euro/litre.

Camping Inimi in Atar is also a good stop. The main man is Sidiahmed Nemoud. Super kind, helpful, organised my 4 day 4x4 tour and was a great help when I was unwell in hospital in Atar. +222 47 55 45 37

Victor at Auberge Villa Maguela in Nouadhibou is an excellent contact. To stay and especially if you have a vehicle problem: +22241565490 He also helped me get a proper Mauretanian phone SIM card at the Mauretania telecom head office in Nouadhibou. They took my visa and passport details. I was still able to add credit to it 6 weeks later after having spent a month in Senegal. I was told if your SIM isn't officially registered this way, it only has limited functionality.

Hope this info is useful. Feel free to update your webpage with this information.

PS. The Mauretania eVisa validity info written above is NOT correct ("10 years" etc). It's valid from the day of issue for 30 days from your proposed entry date as per your application. Also make sure the mug shot picture and pic of your passport are the exact dimensions specified on their website and within the mb size limit. Mine were and I got both my visas within 24 hours. Many people didn't because they weren't able or willing to follow instructions... ;)

Another account from a few days ago with useful sketch maps of each border compound showing what is where.

Morocco Guerguerat
https://cantone-libero.ch/reisen/gue.../#pic-id-57222

RIM PK55
https://cantone-libero.ch/reisen/gue.../#pic-id-57223

These direct to image links get bounced off, but you’ll work it out.

Well spotted.
From Google looks like the 135-km asphalt Benichab road actually joins the N1 (fuel?) about 140km SW of Akjoujt.
Passes through dunes and saves 200km down and up via NKT if wanting to get up to Atar area but not doing the sandy Railway Piste.
There’s also a station marked in 'new' Benichab (Mauritania's ‘Evian’, iirc).

I rode it in October. Your distances are more accurate than my fuzzy, not really existent memory :innocent: There was a fuel station in Benichab and SE of and in Akjoujt. I never tried to sample their wares as I had 48 litres of fuel on board from Chami (30 in the tank of my old '88 Transalp with African Queens tank, and 18 litres in my Giant Loop fuel bladder), so enough to Atar.

Re. Evian: All the drinking water bottles I saw had "Benichab"on the label

Sorry, didn't realise you actually rode it, thought you'd just seen it.
Not sanded over in places, I take it, like Tidjikja road?

Correct. I didn't notice any sand on the road, or if there was a bit, there was a car's width between the L and R dunette. There are also quite a few JCBs around clearing the encroaching dunes. Also busses and trucks that need to be able to pass, so sandy obstacles are removed tout suit from the highway

I had thought the Passeavant/TIP was issued for 30 days, but stupidly I didn’t check. Turns out it was only 10 days. It’s currently still valid, but does anyone have any information on extending it?

From what I understand it’s a case of going to the customs office in Nouakchott and they can extend it for free. Is anyone able to confirm, deny or add to this?

At PK55 RIM border can anyone verify you're still able to buy*a forward-dated 'Carte Brun' insurance for*ECOWAS West African countries*(ie: not Mauritania) for around €75 (320 oogs)?

(Fyi, ECOWAS is a lot smaller than it used to be but, apart from Guinea, covers all countries along the current coastal overland route through to Nigeria.

Your may find your happiness here
and here
Prices always change- best contact the source.

p.s
It may well be worth remembering that, according to N.G , google maps is an incredibly clever piece of software offering an amalgam of satellite imagery with stitched in photos, pictures, drawings etc so perhaps not the best source of data when compared what is seen on the ground.

Our TIP for Mauri were 30 days iirc, not heard of anyone only getting 10 days before, sure that's not the infamous Senegal border scam?

Last year the Tidjika road had no sand, no fuel, well nothing except deset really, watch out for the fords unless you like Dukes of Hazzard style jumps on exit

I also had a 30 day tip heading S from Morocco. Heading north again from Senegal at Diama, I was only given a 10 day Mauretanian tip. I hadn't noticed at the border, and as I was only in transit up the main highway to Morocco, it didn't affect me adversely.

If I had a customs issue, I'd ask at Nouakchott customs HQ. It's probably marked on iOverlander.