How to Get Visas for West Africa: Requirements, Costs & Country-by-Country Guide

While overlanding across Africa in our jeep, we quickly realized that visa planning would become a journey of its own. Hours slipped by as we researched Africa overland travel visas—figuring out which countries required them, where to apply, how much they cost, and exactly which documents were needed at each border crossing. It wasn’t just paperwork; it was a constant part of life on the road.

If there’s one region that truly tests your preparation, it’s West Africa. Without a doubt, it’s the most complex and expensive stretch of the continent when it comes to visas. The logistics can feel overwhelming, and a small mistake can easily delay your plans. That’s why we’ve brought everything we learned together in one place—country-by-country visa requirements, costs, and application tips based on our real overland experience. With the right preparation and a clear understanding of border crossing requirements, you can avoid unnecessary stress and focus on what really matters: enjoying the adventure.

Morocco

Great news for overlanders: if you’re an American or European traveler, you don’t need a visa to enter Morocco. The entry process is refreshingly simple, making it one of the easiest border crossings in Africa. You’ll receive your passport stamp right on the ferry at no cost, and if you’re traveling with your own overland vehicle like we were, you’ll also be given a small white temporary import card. This document allows you to keep your vehicle in the country for up to three months—perfect for slow, immersive travel. Vehicle insurance is arranged at the border; for our American-registered jeep, we paid $279.63 USD for 90 days

It’s clear that Morocco has perfected the art of welcoming travelers. The entire system is designed to make tourism smooth and stress-free, which is exactly what you want at the start of an Africa overland adventure. If you’re planning your own journey and want a step-by-step look at how we crossed from Spain into Morocco with our vehicle, check out this detailed guide.

Mauritania

For most overlanders, including American citizens and many Europeans, a visa is required to enter Mauritania. The good news? This is one of the easiest West Africa visa requirements you’ll deal with, thanks to a straightforward e-visa system. The cost depends on the length of the visa, with two available options: 30 days — €55 Euros and 90 days — €95 Euros. The application process only takes a few minutes and it’s done through their official website , and in our case, approval came through the very next day—fast and stress-free, exactly what you need before tackling one of Africa’s more intense border crossings.

Only a couple of documents are required for the visa application: one passport-style photo with a white background and good quality, plus a scan or clear photo of your passport showing the first two pages—the personal information page and the opposite page.

However, they are extremely strict about file sizes, dimensions, and formats, so make sure all your scanned documents follow these guidelines before starting the application process. Otherwise, you may run into issues uploading the files or risk having your application rejected.

If you want a deeper dive into the process, including a full step-by-step application guide with screenshots, we’ve covered everything in our detailed border crossing article. It’s worth reading before you arrive—this crossing is known to be one of the most chaotic in West Africa, and being prepared makes all the difference.

Photo requirements (important for approval)

• File size: under 400 KB
• Dimensions:
  • Maximum: 1280 x 960 px
  • Minimum: 480 x 640 px
• Format: JPG / JPEG only

After submitting your application

Once submitted, you’ll receive an application ID number—save this carefully, as you’ll need it to track your visa status. If your application is denied, don’t worry. In most cases, it’s simply a matter of correcting a small error and reapplying.

Before heading to the border, print at least two color copies of your approved e-visa. This small step can save you a lot of hassle during the crossing.

For those traveling with their own vehicle, third-party vehicle insurance is arranged at the border. For our Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, we paid around $33 USD (converted into MRU) for 30 days of basic liability coverage—an essential part of any Africa overland journey

Senegal

Senegal is another highlight for overlanders looking for a smooth entry process. American citizens and most Europeans don’t need a visa, making this one of the easiest Africa overland travel visa-free countries to access. You’ll receive a free passport stamp right at the border, keeping things simple and efficient. However, if you’re traveling with your own vehicle, there is a fee ranging from 5,000 CFA (around €5 Euros) up to €250 Euros, depending on whether you have a carnet de passages (CDP) or not and the age of your vehicle.

That said, the vehicle import process is where things get a bit more involved. The temporary import permit issued at the border is only valid for 48 hours, which means you’ll need to head to Dakar within two days to extend it. It’s a tight window, and without preparation, it can quickly become stressful. To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a detailed step-by-step border crossing guide, covering everything from CDP vs passavant options to permit extensions, durations, and vehicle insurance.

Third-Party Vehicle Insurance in Senegal

Third-party vehicle insurance is mandatory, and you have two main options:

• Get it directly at the border after completing customs (the easiest but more expensive route). We paid €30 Euros for 30 days for our Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
• Wait and purchase it in Dakar (the more cost-effective option). We paid $69 USD for six months of coverage (Carte Brune).

The full process, including where to go and what to expect, is explained in detailed in our complete border crossing guide linked above—well worth reviewing before you arrive.

Gambia

Gambia is often the first stop in West Africa where visa costs start to climb—especially for American travelers. If you’re a U.S. citizen, expect to pay $100 per person for your visa. The upside is that it’s a straightforward visa on arrival process at the border, making entry relatively easy despite the higher cost. All you’ll need is your passport, valid yellow fever card and the carnet de passages. For most European citizens, entry is visa-free, which makes things significantly simpler.

If you’re overlanding with your own vehicle, don’t forget about third-party vehicle insurance, which is mandatory. The best option is to arrange it in Senegal before crossing, as it’s typically easier and more reliable than sorting it out at the border.

This was the country that finally made us reconsider getting a Carnet de Passage—and not long after, we went ahead and secured one. Without it, importing our vehicle temporarily would have meant paying a large security deposit at the border, something that can quickly turn into an expensive and frustrating process. Depending on the value of your vehicle, this may still work out cheaper than getting a carnet, since the deposit is calculated based on the vehicle’s import duties and other customs conditions tied to temporary importation. A Carnet de Passage essentially acts as an international customs document that allows temporary vehicle importation without leaving a cash deposit at the border.

In our case, the required deposit would have been substantial—more than we were comfortable risking. Technically, the deposit is refundable once the vehicle exits the country, but we came across some reports describing unexplained deductions, complicated paperwork, and long refund delays. That uncertainty alone was enough for us to avoid the risk. Instead, we chose to invest in the Carnet de Passage, which ultimately felt like the safer and more reliable option for long-term overland travel through Africa

To help you navigate this crossing with confidence, we’ve put together a complete step-by-step guide covering everything you need to know—from visa procedures, to border crossing and third vehicle car insurance.

Guinea-Bissau

Entering Guinea-Bissau requires a bit more planning, as most nationalities—including American and European travelers—must obtain a visa in advance. This is one of those West Africa visa requirements where you’ll need to visit an embassy or consulate before arriving at the border. The good news? Both options available to overlanders are quick and relatively straightforward—you just need to choose between speed and cost.

The first option is applying at the embassy in Dakar. Here, you can get your visa issued on the same day, which is ideal if you’re on a tight schedule. However, this convenience comes with an added express fee of 10,000 CFA. The visa itself costs 45,000 CFA for 30 days, bringing the total higher than other options.

The lady issuing the visas was incredibly friendly and clearly understands the realities of overland travel and timing. She kindly agreed to set our visa validity start date to the day we actually planned to enter the country. This was a huge gesture on her part, and something we really appreciated.

It meant we could take our time travelling through Senegal and The Gambia without having to rush straight into Guinea-Bissau just to activate the visa. Normally, the validity starts from the issue date, so this flexibility made a big difference for our route and travel pace.

A better (and cheaper) alternative is heading to the consulate in Ziguinchor. This was our choice, and it couldn’t have been easier—the process took just 10 minutes. The price is the same for all nationalities, and we paid 25,000 CFA for a 30-day visa. All that’s required is your passport, making this one of the simplest visa applications on the route.

For your vehicle, third-party insurance is essential. We recommend arranging the Carte Brune (Brown Card insurance) in Dakar before continuing your journey, as it covers multiple countries in the region and simplifies border crossings.

If you want a full breakdown of the border process—including visa steps, border logistics, and vehicle paperwork—we’ve put together a detailed step-by-step crossing guide to help you navigate it all with confidence.

Guinea (Conakry)

Guinea—often referred to as Guinea (Conakry)—is where Africa overland travel visas can start to get a bit more challenging. Many overlanders choose the e-visa route, but it’s known to be unpredictable. Approval times can stretch on, sometimes far longer than expected, which can disrupt your travel plans. One key tip if you go this route: always include an address in your current country so you have the option to visit an embassy if delays or issues come up.

We decided to skip the uncertainty and apply directly at the embassy in Dakar—and it turned out to be fast and hassle-free. The process was straightforward, the staff were welcoming, and we walked out with our visas in hand the same day. If you’re considering this option, I’ve put together a full guide on obtaining your Guinea visa at the embassy in Dakar.

The visa process is fairly straightforward and only requires a couple of documents, including one passport-style photo with a white background and your passport. The visa itself costs $81.89 USD per person and must be paid by credit card, plus an additional mandatory express processing fee of 20,000 CFA francs per person, which must be paid in cash.

One important detail: the visa issued at the embassy is the exact same document you would receive through the e-visa system—a printed PDF rather than a visa sticker. If you plan to continue your journey down West Africa and apply for a visa to Ivory Coast, you’ll need to obtain a visa sticker once you arrive in Conakry.

As for the e-visa process itself, we didn’t go that route—so we can’t provide firsthand guidance there.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone stands out as one of the easiest countries in the region when it comes to West Africa e-visa applications. For both American and European travelers, the process is refreshingly simple—no document uploads required, which is almost unheard of when overlanding across Africa.

To apply, simply head to the official visa application website

Just follow the straightforward online steps and complete your payment:

• Multiple Entry — $160 USD
• Single Entry — $80 USD

In our case, the approved visa arrived by email on the second day, be sure to print a copy and have it ready to present at the border. If you want a detailed walkthrough of the crossing, including visa tips, screen shots of the visa application process and what to expect on arrival, check out our full step-by-step guide from Guinea to Sierra Leone.

If you prefer the traditional route, it’s also possible to apply in person at the embassy in Conakry, where the staff are known to be friendly and helpful.

For your vehicle, we recommend sorting out third-party insurance in Dakar ahead of time, as it simplifies border crossings throughout the region.

Liberia

Liberia is widely considered one of the most expensive West Africa visa requirements for overlanders. For American citizens, the visa costs $160 USD per person, making it the highest we encountered in the region. European citizens are also required to obtain a visa, although the fee is generally lower depending on nationality.

We chose to apply at the embassy in Freetown, which is the preferred option for most overlanders looking to avoid the more complicated process in Conakry. The application itself is fairly straightforward but requires patience. You’ll complete the visa form on-site and provide:

• Two passport photos with a white background
• A copy of your passport (bio page and opposite page)
• A printed hotel reservation

At the time of our application, we didn’t have a confirmed hotel booking, but we stated we did—and were allowed to provide it upon visa collection.

After a short interview with consulate staff, you submit your payment (cash in USD only) and begin the waiting period. And this is where things slow down: standard processing takes 7 business days. If you want to “expedite” the process, there is an option to pay an additional $50 USD per person for a faster turnaround of 3 business days.

One important detail to keep in mind: your passport remains at the embassy for the entire duration of the process, so plan your movements accordingly.

For your overland vehicle insurance, arranging coverage at the beginning of your journey is highly recommended. Geographically speaking, the Carte Brune provides the best third-party liability coverage for overlanders travelling through ECOWAS countries, allowing your vehicle insurance to remain valid across multiple West African borders.

If you’re following a similar route to ours, we also have full step-by-step guides covering what to expect when crossing from Sierra Leone into Liberia and from Liberia into Côte d’Ivoire.

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast is one of those visas that quietly shapes your entire West Africa overland route, mainly because it brings you into the often chaotic city of Conakry. While there is an e-visa system available, it is only valid for visa on arrival at the airport, which isn’t useful for overlanders crossing by land. There may be an alternative way to obtain it in Freetown, but we didn’t explore that option—every traveler we met followed the same route as us through Conakry.

The actual visa process at the embassy is surprisingly simple and efficient. The staff are friendly, the procedure is quick, and the application itself is straightforward. However, there is one crucial step that can significantly affect your timing: before you can apply, you must first obtain a Guinea visa sticker in your passport.

The process of obtaining this sticker is usually super fast and easy—it literally only takes about 5 minutes. In our case, however, we were the unlucky ones who ended up waiting around 4–5 hours at the airport for the visa official to show up. Timing is everything, if not planned properly, you can easily end up stuck in Conakry longer than expected.

To get the sticker, head to the airport’s visa on arrival section. There, you surrender your visa approval document, complete a quick photo and fingerprint process, and the officials will affix the visa sticker directly into your passport.

Once that is done, you can proceed to the embassy. It is highly recommended to fill out the official visa application form (formulaire) in advance using the government link. In our case, we filled it out directly at the embassy—one form per person—and it was completed quickly without issue.

You’ll need a few essential documents to get started: a passport photo, your yellow fever card (which the consulate will copy), your passport, and proof of your Guinea visa sticker already placed inside your passport.

Once you submit these documents, the consulate staff will guide you to their official website to complete the €58 online payment per person. After paying, you simply forward the receipt back to them, and that’s it—your application is in process.

The official processing time is around 72 hours, but in our experience, we received the approval notification by email the same afternoon.

One important detail to keep in mind: your passport remains at the embassy for the entire duration of the process, so plan your movements accordingly.

If you’re looking for more detailed information, be sure to check out our guides on the in-person visa process, our step-by-step border crossing from Liberia into Côte d’Ivoire, and the complete border crossing from Ivory Coast to Ghana. Each guide includes our firsthand experience, tips, and everything you need to know before you go.

It’s best to arrange your third-party vehicle insurance in Dakar before continuing your journey—it’s the most reliable and convenient option on this route.

Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Congo (Brazzaville)

We based ourselves in Abidjan while processing all our remaining West Africa visas. From here, we handled a mix of visa types—some were straightforward e-visas, others required in-person embassy visits, and a few were hybrid applications. It quickly became clear that getting everything done in one go requires serious planning and coordination.

One of the biggest challenges is timing. For in-person applications, your passport often stays with the embassy while the visa is being processed, which means you can’t apply for another in-person visa during that time. On top of that, visa rules vary from country to country—some start counting validity from the date you enter the country, others from the date they’re issued, and some are only valid for a very short window.

The cost factor also plays a big role in planning your route. The longer the visa validity, the more expensive it tends to be. This means you really have to think ahead about your entry and exit dates for each country, especially when overlanding through West Africa where border timing can change your entire itinerary.

We chose Abidjan as our base for a reason. It’s a comfortable, well-connected city with a high concentration of embassies, making it one of the most practical places in the region to sort out multiple visas at once. And if anything goes wrong or needs clarification, you can physically go back to the embassy and resolve it—something that makes a huge difference when you’re on the road full-time in a Jeep Wrangler across Africa.

If there’s one key takeaway from the visa process, it’s this: the smoother your application, the smoother your journey. The best way to ensure fast approval (and avoid unnecessary stress) is to submit every required document—and some extra ones, whenever possible. Embassies tend to respond better when everything is clear, complete, and well organized.

For all the visas we applied for, the required documents were largely the same across countries. I’ll list everything here as a master checklist. This is the exact set of documents that got us approved without issues.

Before starting any application, make sure everything is scanned, resized not more than 1 MB, clearly labeled, and ready to upload. Quality matters more than you think—blurry or oversized files can delay or even reject an application. Also, keep in mind that most online applications run on a timer, so you may need to re-log in if you take too long.

Here’s what we prepared:

• Scanned copy of our passports (bio page + the adjacent page)
• Passport photo with a white background



• Scanned copy of our Côte d’Ivoire visa
• Scanned entry stamp for Ivory Coast
• A detailed travel itinerary showing the cities we are planning to visit (click here to see what we submitted)
• Proof of accommodation in our current location (for us, this was Abidjan—hotel or Airbnb confirmation works)
• Full address, phone number, and email of our current accommodation (you’ll be asked to enter this manually)
• Proof of accommodation in the destination country (we used Booking.com since their PDFs include all required details)
• GPS location of our booked hotel (yes, this is in one of the applications)
• Bank statements (you’ll be required to declare your account balance during the application)
• Scanned copy of our Carnet de Passages en Douane, including the main page and stamped counterfoil page from entry into Côte d’Ivoire with the remaining export voucher.
• Scanned vehicle insurance (we have coverage valid across all ECOWAS countries), if you’d like to do the same, we’ve written a detail guide on that.
• Yellow fever vaccination card
• Scanned copy of our vehicle registration document (Carte Grise)

One important tip: I converted all our documents into JPG format because many portals refused to upload PDFs properly.

Once approved, don’t forget to print everything in colour—e-visas, payment receipts, and pre-approval letters. And seriously, print extras. Through overlanding Africa, having physical copies on hand saves you more times than you’d expect.

Here’s exactly how we applied for our visas, in the order we did them, starting on day one with Ghana, Togo, and Cameroon.

Ghana

Ghana was a hybrid visa process for us. We first created an online account at their official visa application website, filled out the application, and uploaded all required documents. After that, we were given an appointment to present everything physically at the embassy.

Interestingly, things changed almost immediately after we applied. The system was updated to an e-visa–only process literally the next day. So by the time we arrived for our appointment, even the embassy staff were unsure whether our application would still be processed or if we needed to restart everything under the new system.

In the end, they honored all applications submitted that week and allowed us to continue under the embassy process. Going forward, however, Ghana is now fully e-visa only.

We believe the current e-visa process follows a similar structure to what we did, just without the embassy appointment step. If you want a full step-by-step breakdown with screenshots of our application process, we’ve put together a detailed guide.

For reference, the cost for us (American citizens) was 40,000 CFA per person (paid at the embassy) for a 90-day single visa—Our visa validity began two days after it was issued—plus an additional 40,000 CFA per person for the express processing fee. However, even though we paid double for the express 24-hour service, our visas still took four business days to be ready. We weren’t the only ones—another overland couple from the Netherlands, who were on the exact same embassy schedule as us, experienced the same delay. It seems the “express” timeline is more of a guideline than a guarantee, so it’s worth factoring in extra time when planning your route. 

As soon as we had our visas in hand, we followed up to request a refund for the express 24-hour service since it had actually taken 96 hours. Unsurprisingly, we didn’t receive a refund. The response we got was simply an apology for the “confusion,” with no further action taken.

European passport holders pay the same fee (worth double-checking depending on nationality and current embassy rates).

Timing-wise, we applied on a Thursday may 21st, got our embassy appointment for Tuesday May 26th, and had the visa sticker ready by Friday May 29th. The staff were friendly.

Embassy Tip: Cell phones are not allowed inside the embassy. Leave yours in your vehicle or with the guard at the entrance and you’ll be given a claim token to collect it when you leave. We were not asked for our passports at the entrance—only body scanned with a handheld metal detector and asked to provide our names and phone numbers for the visitor logbook.

Togo

Togo uses an eVisa-only system. Before you travel, you’ll need to complete the online application and print the approved travel document, called the Bordereau de Voyage. You’ll present this document at the border, where immigration officers will issue your visa on arrival stamp.

However, there’s an important detail to be aware of: even if you apply and pay for a longer-validity visa, the visa issued at the border is initially valid for only seven days. To activate the full validity of your visa, you’ll need to visit the immigration office in Lomé to obtain an extension. If you weren’t planning to travel to the capital, this extra step can complicate your itinerary.

Compared to others, this application felt a bit more tedious. On their official evisa portal, create an account, enter your personal details, upload all supporting documents and submit your payment. We also documented this step-by-step with screenshots in case you want to follow along in detail.

One important thing to understand: Togo visas validity start from the date you enter as your arrival date on the application, not your actual entry date. This is crucial when planning your route through West Africa. If you get your timing wrong, you may end up rushing through Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire—or worse, losing visa validity days while still on the road.

We received our approval email with the BORDEREAU DE VOYAGE within about three days.

We paid $45,000 CFA each ($79.7 USD) for a 30-day multiple entry visa. We opted for the longer stay since we weren’t entirely sure how long the visa process for the rest of the region would take. That flexibility turned out to be useful.

Togo offers several tourist visa options depending on the length of your stay:

Visa Validity	Entry Type	Cost (CFA)	Approx. USD	Approx. EUR
15 Days	Single Entry	35,000 CFA	$61.99	€53.36
30 Days	Multiple Entry	45,000 CFA	$79.70	€68.60
60 Days	Multiple Entry	65,000 CFA	$115.12	€99.09
90 Days	Multiple Entry	65,000 CFA	$115.12	€99.09

If you plan to apply for this visa later, make sure you submit your application at least 5 days before arriving in Togo.

Togo only allows you to upload a limited number of documents from the master list above: ACCOUNT STATEMENT FILE, INVITATION LETTER FILE, AUTHORIZATION FILE, PASSPORT FILE, TRAVEL ASSURANCE FILE, HOSTING CERTIFICATE FILE, PASSPORT PHOTO.

Cameroon

Cameroon was also a hybrid visa, and easily the most demanding of the three, to make the process easier, we’ve put together a complete step-by-step guide with screenshots so you can follow along exactly as we did. 

The process starts online: go to their official evisa portal, create an account, complete all personal details, upload documents, and submit payment. 

We paid $153 EUROS per application for a 10-day visa! You can also bundle applications together and pay in one transaction, which allows both applicants to be tracked under the same portal—a helpful feature when checking updates.

After payment, we immediately received a confirmation receipt by email (Proof of Payment). Make sure you print this and bring it with you to the embassy.

Cameroon was the most “hands-on” visa we dealt with because of the follow-up requests. Twice, they came back asking for additional documents.

First, they requested visas from other countries. Since they didn’t specify which ones, we compiled everything we had—passport stamps and visas from Morocco through Ivory Coast—and uploaded those via their portal.

The second request asked specifically for Nigerian and South African visas. Luckily, we were already approved for Nigeria, so that was easy. For South Africa, since our nationality is visa-free, we provided official documentation from the South African embassy in Washington DC confirming our visa exemption status.

None of these extra requirements were listed on the original application portal, but fortunately we were able to provide everything quickly through the system.

After about six days, we received our pre-approval by email. From there, we logged back into the portal and scheduled an embassy appointment to receive the visa sticker.

Appointments were only available in the morning (between 9:00 and 11:30), although in our case the embassy staff arrived roughly 40 minutes late.

Be aware that whatever date you enter on your application will become the official start date of your visa. On top of that, the duration you select is exactly what your visa validity will be. So make sure you do the maths correctly—otherwise you can easily end up having to re-plan your entire route through this region at the last minute.

Cameroon is not part of ECOWAS, but we still provided proof of current vehicle insurance (carte brune). If you’ll like to know how to get full ECOWAS vehicle insurance coverage, check out our guide here.

Where to Buy Vehicle Insurance for Cameroon, Gabon and Congo in Cotonou, Benin

Before crossing into Cameroon, we decided to arrange our vehicle insurance in Cotonou, Benin, and the process turned out to be quick and straightforward. We visited several insurance companies around the city, but every office we contacted only offered the Carte Brune (Brown Card), which we had already purchased in Dakar, Senegal, and was still valid for our trip.

There is one insurance office in town that issues the “Carte Rose” (Pink Card), the insurance required for travel through CIMA member countries, including Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo.

Coordinates:
6° 22′ 56.46″ N, 2° 25′ 3.324″ E

The office is easy to recognize—a small building painted half white and half blue, with a blue sign outside displaying the insurance companies they represent.

To purchase the policy, we simply handed over our vehicle documents (in our case, just the vehicle registration). About 30 minutes later, the insurance was ready and printed. We received a small insurance voucher as proof of coverage, along with a printed receipt showing the policy details and coverage breakdown.

The cost for 30 days was 24,765 CFA francs.

Interestingly, the office also issued us a 30-day Carte Brune, even though we explained that we already had a valid Brown Card that would cover the remainder of our journey through the applicable countries. We were told that both policies are always issued together, and there was no option to purchase only the Carte Rose.

We listed both of us as drivers on the insurance policy without any issues.

One important tip: make sure you ask the agent to set the policy start date to the day you plan to enter Cameroon. Otherwise, they may activate the insurance on the day you purchase it, which could result in losing several days of coverage before you even reach the border.

At the embassy

Get there early so you can park your vehicle right outside the embassy. This is a fairly safe area (the Africa Universal Music building is right across the street), but parking is limited and the street is quiet enough that it’s easy to manoeuvre and reverse when needed.

Once you arrive, you’ll first register with the security guard at the entrance. He’ll log your passport details and take your phone number, then issue you a visitor pass.

From there, walk to the left side of the building and follow it around to the back entrance. Enter through the rear of the building, then head to the second office on your right.

Inside, embassy staff will check your printed pre-approval and scan your passports. They’ll take your biometrics (just fingerprints—they use your scanned passport photo), and then print your visa sticker and affix it directly into your passport.

Our appointment was scheduled for Wednesday at 9:00am, but the officer arrived about 40 minutes late. Once things got started, the actual visa process itself took only around 20 minutes.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Dutch couple we met at the Ghana embassy didn’t even make an appointment. Instead, they simply showed up late in the afternoon before closing time and were able to get their visa sticker processed.

The day after applying for our first three visas, I applied for:

Nigeria

This turned out to be the second fastest visa we’ve ever received on the entire trip—faster even than Mauritania. 

If you’re planning to apply, we’ve created a full step-by-step guide with screenshots to walk you through the entire online process

By now, you know the routine: create an account at their official evisa portal, fill in all your personal details, and upload the required documents.

Then comes the payment. We paid $160 USD per person for a single-entry visa. The visa is valid for 90 days from the date after it was issued, giving you a three-month window to enter the country. Once you cross the border, your 30-day stay begins. There are two different payment providers to choose from for the e-visa fee. We initially tried one of them twice and couldn’t get it to work, so we switched to the second option—and it went through immediately. If this happens to you, don’t stress, just try the other payment provider.

Within about two hours, we received our e-visa directly in our email!

You’re almost there! Before entering Nigeria, every traveler must complete a Landing Card application. Thankfully, the process was quick and straightforward for us. Simply visit the official website, select “Apply for Landing Card,” create an account, and follow the steps. If you’d like to see exactly how we did it, including screenshots and the full process, check out our detailed guide.

Make sure to print several colour copies of the visa and the landing cars, because border officials will need to clearly scan the QR codes. In our case, while crossing into Mauritania, one of our copies wouldn’t scan properly—but thankfully we had a spare that worked. Since then, we always carry multiple printed copies of every visa.

Keep in mind that you’ll also need to complete an Exit Card before leaving Nigeria. The process is very similar to the Landing Card application and only takes a few minutes. In our detailed guide, we walk you through both the Landing Card and Exit Card applications step by step.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

This is an in-person visa.

The way we coordinated it was actually quite tight. On Friday at around 1:00pm, we were still at the Ghana embassy picking up our visas (even though we were originally told to arrive at 3:00pm). As soon as we finished there, we walked straight to the DRC embassy, which is only about 1 kilometre (½ mile) away.

If you decide to drive instead, be aware that it’s on a very busy road with chaotic traffic. There is parking right in front of the embassy, but spaces are limited and often full. If you do find a spot, keep in mind you’ll need to reverse back out into that same busy street, which can be stressful.

To enter the embassy, you actually need to push the black front door quite firmly—it doesn’t look openable at first, and there’s no one waiting to greet you outside. Don’t wait for someone to come out, and don’t rely on the intercom either, as it doesn’t work.

Once inside, you fill out the application form. You can download it beforehand here if you want to be prepared and save time. This is the exact same form we filled out at the embassy.

We paid 50,000 CFA per person, for a 30 day visa effective at the date it was issued, valid for 6 months which is the standard fee for most European nationalities as well.

We submitted all the documents listed in the master checklist above, including our passports (which stayed at the embassy until collection) and two passport photos each—not just one, so make sure you bring extras.

After submission, we were given a receipt and told to return on Tuesday afternoon to collect our visas. We asked if Monday pickup was possible, but the answer was no. In the end, we returned on Tuesday around 11:00am and everything was ready. The whole process took two business days.

As an extra tip, there are several food options along this busy road. There’s a good shawarma spot almost directly opposite the embassy, and right next to it is a popular ice cream shop—handy if you end up waiting around in the area.

Republic of Congo Visa (Brazzaville)

This is another in-person visa, and timing this one well actually makes a big difference. The Cameroon embassy is very close to the Congo embassy, so if you plan it right, you can easily do both in the same day.

We left the Cameroon embassy at around 10:20am and arrived at the Congo embassy about 5 minutes later. You can park directly in front of the embassy on the sidewalk—there’s space for roughly fiver cars parked pependicular to the road. It’s a fairly busy avenue, but not with chaotic traffic, so reversing back out is manageable. The area itself also feels quite safe.

Once you arrive, you check in with the guard at the entrance. Communication is a bit of a challenge through the thick glass and small opening, so patience helps here. You pass your passports through the slot, and he logs your details and asks for your phone number.

Inside, walk through the entrance on the left, then take a right into the main area. At the counter straight ahead (next to the copy machines), let them know you’re there to apply for a visa.

It’s best to arrive fully prepared with your application already completed. You can download the official form in advance here, this is the exact same form we filled out at the embassy.

We submitted all the documents listed in the master checklist above. One thing to note: we intentionally did not include a hotel reservation, mainly because we already had several bookings across different countries. However, we did enter all hotel details on the application form and made sure we had everything ready in case they asked us to book it on the spot. That said, a hotel reservation is technically a requirement.

The officer at the counter carefully checked all our documents and surprisingly did not ask for the hotel booking. However, he did request the Carnet de Passages en Douane counterfoil page stamped and signed by Ivory Coast customs—which we already had included in our file.

After that, he asked us to take a seat while he went upstairs with our documents to speak with someone in an office. When he came back, he called us over to the counter and told us we could proceed with payment.

We paid 80,000 CFA per person for a 30-day single-entry visa. The visa validity started immediately on the date of issue (June 3rd) and remained valid until August 27th.We asked if it was possible to collect the visa the same afternoon, but he declined, showing us a stack of applications still being processed. He asked us to return the next day at 2:00pm. No receipt was issued for the payment, even though we asked for it.

The next day, we arrived at 11:00am. A very friendly lady at the counter asked for our receipt, and we explained that we hadn’t been given one. She simply went to retrieve our passports and handed them back to us immediately with the visas inside.

Important note on timing

The Irish overland couple had applied a week earlier (they submitted copies of their passports since their originals were still at the Ghana embassy). They brought their actual passports in the day before we applied and were told to collect their visas the following day—which coincidentally was the same day we were there to apply.

It turns out it doesn’t really make a huge difference how far in advance you apply. We were told that the person who signs the visas is only in the embassy between 11:00am and 2:00pm, which ultimately controls the entire processing timeline.

We are currently overlanding through Africa, and as our journey continues, we’ll keep this guide updated with the latest visa information for each country we visit. Our goal is to provide fellow overlanders and travelers with accurate, firsthand information based on our own experiences at every border crossing.