The new Mauritania eVisa system has caused headaches for many travelers. Whether you’re traveling solo or joining a group tour, if you’re visiting Mauritania to ride the Iron Ore Train, explore its ancient cities, or even just hang out in the capital for a day or two, you’ll need to apply for an eVisa ahead of time. I’m here to break it down for you step by step, and hopefully give you enough tips to help you avoid any problems.
Important Tips for Applying:
1. Apply in advance
You should be applying at least one month out for your eVisa as the turnaround time can vary. It is currently (as of August 2025) around 1-2 weeks, but many people have reported waiting longer than this, which is why it is best to apply early so you aren’t crossing your fingers waiting for it at the last second. You can even apply 3-4 months ahead of time. I have seen rumours online that the system prioritizes urgent applications, but have found that even when applying 3 months in advance, I have been able to receive my eVisa within 1 week.
2. Obtain a Letter of Invitation for quicker approval
If you are booking your trip with Saiga tours, then this is something we obtain for you! You just upload your invitation letter to the eVisa website when you apply. However, it is not a requirement to obtain a Letter of Invitation. If you are traveling solo without an agency’s help, you should still be approved eventually.
3. Use an image resizer for your documents
One of the most frustrating aspects of many eVisa portals is getting the site to accept your document and image uploads. Often, sites have very specific aspect ratios, pixel dimensions, and file sizes that they accept. I recommend using this easy-to-use website if you are having trouble getting a portal to accept your documents: https://imageresizer.com/ (we are not affiliated with this site in any way- it’s just a REALLY helpful and quick tool!). I’ll lay out the specific requirements for the Mauritania eVisa site in the guide below.
4. Bring exact cash on arrival
You will not pay anything online when you apply (so if you are asked to pay anything, you are likely on a 3 rd -party site, and not the official eVisa website). Upon arrival at the land border or airport, you will need to pay €55 EUR or $60 USD for a 30-day visa and present your eVisa. Often immigration “will not have change,” and whether that is true or not, you are not in a position to challenge the immigration officer standing in between you and your entry to the country, so it’s best to be prepared with the exact amount.
How to apply for the Mauritania eVisa
Be sure to use the official eVisa website through Mauritania’s Ministry of the Interior: https://anrpts.gov.mr/visa/requestvisa . Most likely, you will be selecting the 30-day visa, which is what this how-to guide will be based off of. However, you can also apply for 90-day, 360-day, and 720-day visas.
Step One:
On the first page, you will be asked to give basic information like your email, phone number, reason for travel, number of entries, address in Mauritania (use the address of your first accommodation, or if you are camping during your entire stay, just use the address of an existing hotel in Nouakchott), and a written description of the reason for your travel. You do not need to be super specific, but you do need to write at least 50 characters for the system to accept it. If you plan on riding the Iron Ore Train, I would recommend leaving this out of your description, and focusing instead on the other aspects of your travel. For the Number of Entries selection, you’ll notice that the only option is “Unique,” so leave this as it is.
This is also where you will upload your Letter of Invitation if you have one. Again, this is not required, but it can help your application. Getting the site to accept your document can be tricky. It must fit the following criteria: 1. Size must be less than 400kb; 2. The dimensions should be at least 480x640 pixels, but can’t be larger than 1280x960 pixels; 3. Needs to be crisp and readable; 4. Only .jpg and .jpeg files are accepted. If your upload does not fit these requirements, the website will let you know. If you’re having trouble getting your documents to upload, I’ve linked a helpful image resizer tool in Tip #3 above. If your document is accepted, it will look as below:
Step 2
On the next page you will be asked to provide your passport information. Pretty straightforward! Just be sure to use the same passport you will enter the country with.
Step 3
Next, you will be asked to provide basic personal information such as you name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, and profession.
Step 4
At this stage, you will need to upload a visa photo of yourself. This is just a standard headshot that you would use for a visa or passport photo. You do not need to get this professionally taken, but make sure if you are taking it at home on your phone (or more likely having someone else take the picture of you), that you have even lighting with no shadows on your face, a neutral expression, and a plain white background with no shadows or textures. The dimensions of this photo must be exactly 480x640, so this is where the image resizer tool I mentioned before comes in handy! See the below image for additional requirements:
Step Five
Next, you will upload a scan of your passport. The scan needs to be clear and readable, in colour, and with no glare or shadows. It also needs to fit within the dimensions of 480x640 pixels and 1280x960 pixels, and be less than 1MB in size. Again, it must be a .jpg or .jpeg file format. See the below image for specific requirements:
If your images do not fit the file size or dimension requirements, you will see the following error message:
Final Step
Next, you will be taken to a page where you can review all of the information you’ve entered so far. Be sure to double check this for accuracy. Once you are satisfied, make sure you hit “Send” at the bottom of the page. After that, you will be redirected to a page where you are given a 10-digit Reference ID number. You can use this to check the status of your application, so be sure to take a screenshot or record it somewhere. The page will also say that your request is under review.
Finding out if your eVisa is approved
To check if your eVisa is approved, log into the system with your 10-digit Request ID number and your passport number (you can find the system log-in at the bottom of the website homepage where it says “Do you already have an ongoing request? Track your request”). You might not receive an email alerting you that your document is ready, so be sure to check the website yourself. When it is ready, the page will say “Visa Available” and you will be able to download it (see below):
So your eVisa is approved, now what?
Your eVisa should look something like this:
Make sure your validity dates are correct and cover the dates of your travel. Likely this will be a much broader range than your actual travel dates, but as long as your planned trip fits within the time frame, you are fine. Of course, you should also make sure your passport details and personal information are correct as well.
Be sure to print out a copy of your eVisa to present to immigration at the airport or land border. Can you get by with just a copy on your phone? Sure, but it’s better to have a physical copy to avoid an issue like your phone dying, or the lack of wifi at the Nouakchott airport.
You will also need to pay the visa fee at the airport. Be sure to have exact bills in crisp EUR or USD cash. The current price for a 30-day visa for most nationalities is €55 EUR or $60 USD. If you are visiting from an Arab or African country, the 30-day visa cost is €41.
Not receiving your Mauritania eVisa, or need your eVisa immediately?
You are not alone - many travelers experience issues with the eVisa system. Some are able to successfully apply, but then hear nothing for over a month. Then there’s the dreaded scenario of forgetting to apply, then realizing your mistake just a few days before you’re meant to arrive! Luckily, there are fixers on the ground in Nouakchott who can allegedly help get the eVisa with a 2-day turnaround. There are also hotels in Nouakchott that offer expedited eVisa support with a booking - which might be worth the money if you are in a bind, even if you already have plans to stay elsewhere.
Want to visit Mauritania?
If you’re planning a trip to Mauritania, check out our handy Destination Guide here ! We also run group tours that feature a ride on the exciting Iron Ore Train, either on top of the ore, or in the passenger car at the back of the train- both totally unique experiences! We also camp near a beautiful oasis where we can explore nearby nomadic homes, visit historical ancient cities, and stroll through the various vibrant markets of the capital. You can check out our group tours here . If you’re looking for help in planning your visit to Mauritania, send us an email at [email protected].
