Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Obtaining a Guinea-Conakry Visa in Dakar: Painless, Not cheap, Hard to find.

Hello,

Note: We are travelling on US Passports, this is from December 12, 2016. Other passports may do better, worse, or the same as this. :)

For those interested in skipping Guinea-Bissau, and crossing Guinea southbound from Senegal, it is quick and painless, although not especially cheap as compared with Bissau. If you're in a hurry, you probably went via Mali, but if you're skeptical of Mali like us Americans, but don't want to go all the way to Bissau, this is an "in-between" option I don't see mentioned often.

The coordinates are here, and are accurate (from iOverlander):

14.708634, -17.471914

https://www.google.com/maps/place/14...R9AtgQ8gEIGjAA

But both Google Maps and maps.me chewed up the directions quite badly, and will stick you in the neighborhood behind, with no parking OR path to walk to the embassy. The embassy is in a dead-end alleyway directly off of the Voie de Degagement N (convenient!), but completely nondescript, unsigned, and not a flag or landmark in sight. (annoying!)

Here are some pics from the dashcam -- look for the red, yellow, and green "guard shack" hiding under a palm tree, the embassy is behind it, to the right, in what appears to be a large converted apartment.

Here is a view looking South (Voie de Degagement N is parallel on my left), immediately prior to my turning right into the alley. Route de la Pyrotechnie is directly behind me, and I am on a dirt "frontage road" that parallels the Voie. The frontage road is quite long, so don't stress if you pass it the first time like we did -- you can enter at next opportunity and just double back.

Note the small concrete dividing wall on the right. The alley you want is on the far side of this wall, between itself and the blue shack.

http://www.saveimg.com/images/2016/12/15/im9dP.png

Mid-turn to the right into the alleyway. I have no idea what this blue shack sells, but it's easy to spot from the Voie once you know what to look for:

http://www.saveimg.com/images/2016/12/15/qPgj1GJip.png

In the alleyway, facing west. It is a dead end. On the right is the guard shack and palm tree. Parking was always available, even for a car. Motos would have no trouble, and could park near the entrance without issue.

http://www.saveimg.com/images/2016/12/15/Ss0Lo.png

The embassy is open from 9AM-5PM Monday through Friday, and does not appear to limit the "visa application window" like so many others. We were the only Visa customers at 10AM.

Entering the embassy, with the guard shack on your right, continue straight ahead. There is a large waiting room to your right with the heading "CONSULAT" and a few dozen people, but skip this. Continue straight down the hall. Facing you at the end is a door labelled "Bureau de Visas".

Most people knocked to enter, and the young official always gruffly says "Oui??" so I'm not sure if it's expected. We did not knock and did not get attitude. Apparently they appreciate professional dress here, so I was in pants and a polo shirt.

There is a one-page form to fill out, and if your french sucks like mine, the official will guide you through it -- it helps if you present a fiche, then he will direct you to the relevant places to put your data. We left our "Guinea Contacts" blank, and no letter of invitation was asked for. The data was typical fiche stuff, Nom, prenom, Nom de pere, Nom de mere, occupation, purpose of travel, passport number, issue date, place of issue, etc. If your carte gris is not in french, he will ask you to point out the Numer de Plaque (plate number), Marque, and Chassis no., and he wil notate them on his photocopy.

You will need Passport, Carte Gris, Carte Brune (or whatever your insurance is), Driving license/IDP, and 2 passport photos. He will make copies of everything (no charge!), he will prepare your passavant (there was no interest in my Carnet), and he asked me to return in 2 days to collect it. Total cost was a whopping 65,000 CFA for each of us for the visa, plus he prepared our Passavant for us for another 5000. Not cheap, but nice to have it "in hand" with no fuss if you're so inclined.

Finding the place was the hardest part of the whole affair. :)

Hope it helps someone out there.

Blue skies,

- Mike