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Posting passport in Africa - is it safe? Posting passport in Africa - is it safe?
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sub-Saharan Africa Topics specific to sub-Saharan Africa. (Includes all countries South of 17 degrees latitude)
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  #1  
Old 10 May 2016
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Posting passport in Africa - is it safe?
If my Australian passport gets rejected in Senegal for a Ghanan visa, I will have to send my British passport back to the UK from Senegal for one month to get a visa for Ghana. I will have to have it forwarded to an address further down the road, for example somewhere like the Sleeping Camel in Bamako, Mali. My plan was to use my Australian passport in Dakar and come up with a good excuse, I have been in Europe for over a year, I already have a flight out from Ghana and a flight back 3 weeks late (as I have to fly back to Europe for a couple of weeks), and my girlfriend also has a flight back to Ghana with me to go to South Africa (she has a return flight from SA)

Does anyone have experience posting their passport to-and from Africa. Is it secure postage? Is it expensive? Is there anywhere you've had great luck, and anywhere you wouldn't trust at all.

Thanks

P.S I can not apply for a Ghanan visa right now as I don't have time
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  #2  
Old 10 May 2016
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Forget 'the post' it rarely works & I'd never trust a passport to reach it's final destination.

Most of the time I use DHL to West Africa, not cheap but safe!

You can get a Ghanaian visa in a day in London - not sure where you are now ...
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  #3  
Old 10 May 2016
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I am in Spain now. I can leave my British passport here in Spain for my girlfriend to post to London if I can't get it in Senegal with my Australian passport. I've heard Rabat takes 10 days, 10 days I don't have. I then heard Dakar takes 3 days if you're a resident, or you have a good excuse. I also heard you can get one in Burkina Faso if you have a good excuse, but waiting until Burkina Faso is pushing it for me as if they didn't issue it I'd be f#!$ed. Right now I'm hoping Dakar will play the game and issue the visa, maybe a bit of extra cash (what it would cost me to DHL from London to somewhere in Africa) can smooth along the process if need be. I have a return flight out and then back into Ghana, if I can't get that visa I'm stuffed
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Old 10 May 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wanted View Post
Right now I'm hoping Dakar will play the game and issue the visa, maybe a bit of extra cash (what it would cost me to DHL from London to somewhere in Africa) can smooth along the process if need be. I have a return flight out and then back into Ghana, if I can't get that visa I'm stuffed
Please don't ever offer extra cash, it makes it difficult for the rest of us even when we have all our papers in order. Africa is a growing continent, it's not the dark continent that relies on backhanders anymore

If you have a problem after Dakar, PM me, I have contacts ...
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  #5  
Old 11 May 2016
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In addition to Creer's post above, I add that trying to bribe a Ghanaian official can become a very expensive proposition. Ghanaians are usually proud and not as corrupt as many we can find in the rest of Africa. Your offer can be simply ignored but there is also the distinct possibility that by trying you end up enraging the official who, then, makes it impossible for you to get a visa anywhere else by denouncing your attempt to Accra.

Ghana is somewhat different than the rest of the countries in West Africa and Ghanaians are trying to move their country forward and quite happy of their progress which already makes them different from their neighbors.

Also, as mentioned by other posters, I reinforce the advice for don't even thinking on relying on regular post in Africa for anything more important than the family postcard. Reliability is not their strong suit. DHL is indeed the way to go.
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  #6  
Old 11 May 2016
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Plooking

Not sure when you were last there, Ghana over the last year has become incredibly corrupt and the progress is going backwards fast ... The country has become farcical which is really sad. However having said that, Ghanaian officials in Embassies overseas won't take kindly to attempted bribery!
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