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sub-Saharan Africa Topics specific to sub-Saharan Africa. (Includes all countries South of 17 degrees latitude)
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 16 Nov 2009
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Originally Posted by Ride Far View Post
Mmmmm, that may be overstating. Is anyone aware of travelers who could not get into DRC because of lack of visas (or other evidence) of onward travel ... stonewalled so badly they flew over DRC instead? I'm not ...
All the reasearch I did suggested otherwise. I'm sure that you could wing it on the DRC border, perhaps with a fake letter of invitation, but if you can go through Abuja and get your visa there, it's both easy and you have all your ducks in a row for when you do eventually get to the DRC border.

Some examples:
The big problem is DRC and Angola. The DRC embassy in Brazzaville will give you a visa very easily, but it is of no use, because the DRC authorities on the ferry from Brazzaville to Kinshasa won't let you in unless you have a visa for either Zambia or Angola. It is no use saying you don't need a visa for Zambia - they need to see a visa in your passport.
from here: Wendy and Rob go travelling: Info on visas for Angola, DRC, Congo, Gabon

I work for Oasis Overland and we do a south bound trip twice a year through Angola,over the last 4 years i think i must have been to every Angolan embassy in africa trying to get visas !!!
We are now getting double entry transit visas in Abuja Nigeria,(Our friends on a trip at the moment just got them there 1 week ago) all other embasys are hopeless,you can get them in Matadi DRC,BUT the DRC imagration wont let you enter at Kinshasa without a letter from an Angolan embassy stating you are going there to get a visa,this letter is next to imposable to get...
from here: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...lan-visa-43436

All that said, the same thread on the HUBB has this - which seams like a decent way to get around the problem:
The visa costs $100 in Abuja and $30 in Matadi. If you want to get it in Matadi then you can get a letter from the Zambian embassy in Brazza saying you can get a Zambian visa on the border. Use that to get into the DRC, then head for Matadi to get your Angolan visa.
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Old 17 Nov 2009
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Originally Posted by steve.lorimer View Post
All the reasearch I did suggested otherwise. I'm sure that you could wing it on the DRC border, perhaps with a fake letter of invitation, but if you can go through Abuja and get your visa there, it's both easy and you have all your ducks in a row for when you do eventually get to the DRC border.
Agreed, it's a good idea to get the Angola visa in Abuja if you can, but people shouldn't be thinking it's an absolute necessity to enter DRC. And agreed too, the Angola visa is one of the bigger headaches of the west side...
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Old 17 Nov 2009
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Looks like the Pool region, between Point Noire and Brazzaville is not getting any safer:

Reuters AlertNet - Congo Republic's Pool region plagued by attacks (15 Oct 2009)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LF672090.htm

Going Franceville, Gabon -> Akou/Ndongo, Congo Brazza -> Brazzaville -> Kinshasa -> Matadi seems the most sensible option.

See Steve's post: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...953#post229446
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Old 19 Nov 2009
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Originally Posted by eljulian View Post
This post was a bit premature... carry on reading further down!

specfically here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...953#post231671

www.overafrica.org
www.overlandcamperforsale.com
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Old 17 Nov 2009
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Most interesting Steve. Will keep the tip about the Zambian letter in mind.

Does anyone think, a plane ticket from South Africa onwards, dated around 6 six weeks in the future, would suffice to get a visa in Matadi?
There's always talk about letters of invitation but a ready plane ticket should be ample proof I don't intend to become an illegal immigrant and live off the Anglan welfare system ;-)

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Old 17 Nov 2009
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I seem to remember someone mentioning that it worked for them... although I can't be sure. To be honest I wouldn't rely only on the flight. To you and me, yes - proof of onward travel... to some lame-ass border official, who knows? Probably a good idea to visit the Zambian embassy too.
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