Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Mali to Senegal border crossing

I assume this will come in handy for a few folks heading North since I hear Mauritania closed the border with Mali. They WILL issue the biometric visa at the Diboli - Kidira border.

The Senegal Visa website is a bit confusing, because though Kidira is listed as a visa issuance point on the map, when you actually go to do the application that border post is not listed as an option for pickup (the only one not listed). I was already in Kayes when I discovered this, so I went ahead and rode there to ask in person.

They told me to put the Dakar Airport as the pickup point and that worked fine. There are at least two cyber cafes in Kidira and several in Kayes where you can do the online application. The Michellin map is not clear, but the border is a bridge now, not a ferry, so crossing back and forth (it's a soft border) is no problem. The biometric visa is done at the immigration office in town, not the big police checkpoint at the border. They say it takes up to a day to receive the conformation email which you print but for me it was only 20 seconds.

You will have your temperature taken going either way. Aside from the biometric visa at the immigration office you only need to stop at the customs office at the bridge. 2500sfa ($5 usd) with receipt for the bike permit. They asked for insurance but mine was expired and they let me through anyway. I have read some talk about an 8 year old limit and a Carnet Du Passage needed but neither of those were mentioned (13 year old bike, no CDP).

So hopefully that saves somebody some worry. Heading North from Kidira I ran straight into a big baboon troop crossing the road, so look out for those!