Visas
This page is designed to help you through the visa process on the continent in a quick and easy way.
For all visa applications we recommend you use Google Chrome browser on a computer rather than a phone. Safari for instance has been known to give errors with some of the applications, as have mobile devices.
Always double check current visa conditions with your government website. While the visa policies here apply to the vast majority of travelers (95%) attempting this route, they do not cover everyone.
All of the sites listed below are official government websites, we do not recommend using the ones besides those listed here due to scams.
With e-visas unless otherwise mentioned, print out copies to take to the border.
Morocco
Does not require a visa for most nationalities.
You receive a visa on arrival for 90 days for free.
Mauritania
Most nationalities need to apply for an e-visa for Mauritania.
The link to the official government site:
https://anrpts.gov.mr/visa/requestvisa
Once the visa is granted, you will pay for your visa at the border in Euros. The current price is 55 Euros for the 30 day visa.
Tip: Use online tools such as ChatGPT to resize the images exactly to the specification, otherwise you’ll have problems submitting the application. It’s notorious to want uploads to the pixel.
Senegal
Most nationalities do not require a visa and receive one on arrival for 30 days free of charge.
For those that need a visa (for instance Norwegians), we recommend going to the embassy in Nouakchott in Mauritania where it takes about 3 business days. For South Americans such as Paraguyans we have been told this option DOES NOT work.
Gambia
Entering The Gambia is also typically a visa on arrival and free of charge for most nationalities.
For those that need one (namely Americans, the Swiss, etc). It is available at the border, the current cost varies by nationality but seems to be around $100 USD.
Guinea Bissau
You will need a paper visa for Guinea Bissau. The visa is best obtained through the consulate in Ziguinchor, Senegal. Contact the consul via WhatsApp and he will typically meet you within an hour at the consulate. The cost is 25,000 XOF (West African Francs) to be paid in cash to the consul.
Guinea
Most nationalities require an electronic visa for Guinea.
Here is a link to the official government site:
This is one of the trickier ones on the continent so I recommend reading the tips below.
Tips for the application:
This visa application will be rerouted to the embassy of whichever country you list for your address in the application. It is NOT processed in Bissau. If you come from a small country without a Guinean embassy you could have issues with your applications and many people have reported so. Many have avoided this by putting down a hotel address in Senegal. This works for the majority of people, though a few were asked to come in for an interview at the embassy in Dakar. It’s a small gamble.
Even though they do not ask for it, you need to upload a PDF or an image of a hotel booking. It doesn’t need to be for the whole 30 days, just anything.
For your onward ticket, it is good to prepare a simple written pdf explaining your trip in French (use Google Translate if you don’t speak it), with photos of your vehicle and perhaps a trip map. You’ll need this anyways once you apply for the visas for Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon anyways so you might as well get it ready now.
Below is a sample of the one I used. It is my Ghanian one but I used exactly the same words and format for the Guinean one just translated to French.
If you’re staying in the country for more than 5 days, you should convert your e-visa to a sticker visa at the airport.
Sierra Leone
Most nationalities require a visa on arrival for Sierra Leone. It is available at the border and the cost is 80 Euros/USD. You can pay in any combination of the two or even swap XOF for Leones.
Liberia
You will need a paper visa for Liberia. The best places to apply for a Liberian Visa are either the embassy in Conakry, Guinea or in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The Liberian embassies are some of the most corrupt on the continent but the cost is typically $100. They will typically try to hassle you into paying $50 extra for the “express fee”. Many of us were able to get out of this in Conakry but in Freetown it seems almost impossible to do so. It’s $150 there.
DO NOT use the e-visa system (as of Feb 2026) it does not work and you will lose your money!
Application requirements in Conakry:
2 passport photos, $100 cash ($150 express)
Application requirements in Freetown:
1 passport photo, 1 copy of hotel booking, 1 copy of your passport, $150 cash
Ivory Coast
Almost everyone needs a visa to the Ivory Coast. There are two ways to do it but the e-visa the better of the two. If you are traveling from South to North, the e-visa is your only option. The e-visa is around 72 Euros so it is slightly more expensive but you don’t need to go to the embassy to pickup the visa.
Link to the government e-visa page:
The other option involves first paying the visa fee on the official government website listed below:
https://www.snedai-visardv.ci/visa
Click on “Paiement code RDV” on the left side. Pay the 58 Euros for the Visa Fee. You will receive an email confirming the payment and with a code. Print this out and take it to an Ivorian Embassy. The easiest and friendliest one is in Conakry, Guinea. You usually get your passport back the same day if you hand it in the morning.
If you wanna spend an extra day in Conakry and deal with the traffic there to save 14 euros, I’ll buy you a beer for bravery if we ever meet.
Ghana
Most nationalities need a sticker visa to Ghana. The easiest places to apply are at the embassies in Freetown in Sierra Leone and Abidjan in Ivory Coast.
Application requirements Freetown:
First, you need to go to the bank and make the payment. Any EcoBank branch works. 1940 LE for single entry or 2340 for multiple entry.
Account Number: 6340000698
Account Name: Special Leones Collection Account
List your full name on the payment and bring the receipt to the embassy.
Next, fill out the visa form on their site: https://freetown.mfa.gov.gh/
Bring the following to the embassy:
Itinerary for your stay in Ghana (roughly 3-4 cities), motivation statement for your trip (see the Guinea section for an example, just reuse it), 1 passport photo, 2 different hotel bookings, the bank payment receipt, digital application form filled out
Application requirements Abidjan:
Visa application filled out: https://abidjan.mfa.gov.gh/
The rest of the requirements are similar to those above. Additionally, bring photos of your vehicle from all four sides and a copy of your CDP for each applicant.
Cost: 80k CFA for 24h processing, 60k CFA for 3 business days, 40k for 5 business days payable in cash at the embassy.
Togo
Togo has a pretty straightforward e-visa system and most people require one. It is one of the most efficient and least problematic in the entire region. Most people report getting this visa within hours of applying.
Link to the official government site:
If you’re planning on staying for more than 15 days, you should go to the passport office below to get a visa sticker. It’s free.
Benin
Similarly to Togo, Benin has a great e-visa system. Most nationalities require an e-visa.
The link to the official site is below:
Nigeria
Most nationalities require a visa for Nigeria. The best way to apply for a Nigerian visa is currently through their e-visa site below:
https://evisa.immigration.gov.ng
Tips:
For your onward ticket upload a document similar to the one for Guinea detailing your trip. Alternatively, users have found that booking a fake onward ticket or photoshopping one has done the trick.
Be sure to attach a valid hotel booking to the application and do not censor your bank account information (others have been declined because of this).
You are officially required to complete a digital landing card as well.
The government site for that is:
https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng/
Cameroon requires an e-visa to enter the country.
Click the link below for the official site:
https://www.evisacam.cm/ords/dl_portal/r/public_portal/home
Tips:
There are several options to consider here. If you are only transiting then the 5 day transit visa might make sense. It is free of charge. However, bear in mind that crossing the country in five days is quite fast and the dates are not flexible. One member was able to apply for a second 5 day transit visa while in the country, but this can be risky.
Republic of Congo
Most nationalities require a sticker visa for the Republic of Congo but it is one of the easier paper visas to get. It is available nearly at any consulate even to non-residents.
The prices vary widely from ~$200 in Conakry for a 3 month visa to $90 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It is best to check iOverlander for the latest updates but in general we would recommend the embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon for this one.
Democratic Republic of Congo
The DRC is one of the countries which most people forget on their trip down and one of the least issued visas in the region. You will either need a DRC sticker visa (recommended) or you will have to pay for the “ferry” across the Congo River once you are in Cabinda.
If you have a motorcycle it’s more or less the same price with less flexibility on which you’ll choose. If you have a car or a large vehicle I most certainly recommend you to get the DRC visa to save some money.
The only places in the North to South direction where you can get this visa are in Conakry in Guinea, in Accra in Ghana and to a lesser degree in Cotonou, Benin. This means you need to plan early for this one!
Conakry is our recommendation due to the low cost ($110). You can get it in Accra as well but the cost there is around $230 or $180 if you’re American. You are able to give them a date of entry up to 6 months in advance, and the visa is then valid for 30 days from the date of entry.
Angola
Angola is a visa on arrival for most nationalities and is free of charge.
Namibia
Namibia is now a paid visa on arrival (around $80) or an e-visa for most visitors.
The visa on arrival is only available at large border crossings.
Bear in mind if you are crossing at some of the smaller border crossings you will need the e-visa as they cannot prepare the visa on arrival.
Here’s the link to their e-visa website:
South Africa
South Africa is visa on arrival for most visitors and is free.
Be sure to ask for 90 days if you want them, most border officials will generally give you this automatically but just double check your stamp.
South Africa is one of the few countries where the days on your visa do not pause upon exit. For example, you enter South Africa on January 1st and your 90 days visa expires April 1st, even if you happen to visit Botswana for two months between those dates.