The Visa

A biometric visa is mandatory for anyone wishing to visit Mauritania. It must be obtained from the consulate or embassy of your country of origin. For French nationals, visas are issued by Mauritanian diplomatic and consular authorities in Paris. However, in certain cases, the visa can be obtained upon arrival at the airport, as well as at some border crossings. For more details, please contact the Mauritania Consulate in Paris.

It's important to know that in Mauritania, there are three types of visa. The first is the transit visa. It is valid for a maximum of 2 days and is issued upon presentation of the visa for your final destination country. The second is the short-stay visa. This type of visa is valid for one to three months maximum. It is granted based on your flight ticket dates (round trip). The third is the long-stay visa. As its name suggests, this type of visa is reserved for those wishing to remain in Mauritanian territory for more than three months.

As for fees, the transit visa costs €47, the short-stay visa €93.75, and the long-stay visa €125. The Embassy's processing time is 3 working days. It's worth noting that there is no expedited procedure for obtaining a visa. It is also important to emphasize that in Mauritania, dual nationality is not recognized. It is therefore strongly advised to use the same passport to enter and exit Mauritanian territory.

For those who wish to travel with children, know that from now on, minors, regardless of their age, must also have an individual passport. Indeed, since January 2017, the exit authorization from the territory for minor French nationals traveling without the company of at least one of their parents has been reinstated. Thus, any minor traveling under these conditions must present a passport or identity card (depending on the requirements of the destination country); an exit authorization from the territory signed by one of the parents holding parental authority; as well as a photocopy of an identity document of the signing parent.

Documents required to obtain a visa

• Valid passport with at least 3 months validity after the end of your stay in Mauritania and a copy of the page with your photo
• 1 recent identity photo (standard format)
• 1 travel certificate or a copy of your round-trip flight ticket
• Vaccination record (mandatory)
• 1 housing certificate certified by a competent local authority or 1 hotel reservation sent by fax
• 1 official visa application form to download at the following address: http://www.mon-visa.com/media/Formulaire-Mauritanie.pdf

Other Practical Information

To facilitate the procedures for obtaining entry and residence visas for foreigners, a biometric visa issuance system has been established at Nouakchott International Airport. Visas issued at Nouakchott Airport are systematically valid for 30 days.

Entry to Mauritanian territory via Nouakchott International Airport requires a valid passport with more than 6 months validity from the date of passage through the police checkpoint.

It is also prohibited to bring certain products into Mauritania. This includes food products of pork origin, animal remains or live animals, as well as alcohol and all narcotic substances. If you are undergoing treatment, medications must be justified by a prescription.

Useful Addresses

Before you leave

• Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

5, rue de Montévidéo

75116 PARIS

Telephone: 01.45.04.88.54

Fax: 01.40.72.82.96

On site

• Embassy of France

Rue Ahmed-Ould-Mouhamed, BP 231, Nouakchott.

Tel: (00 222) 45 29 96 99.

Fax: (00 222) 45 25 69 38.

www.ambafrance-mr.org