Getting a visa for Mauritania used to be quite simple for all nationalities with an easy visa on arrival system. However, as of January 5th 2025, nearly all nationalities must apply for an evisa prior to arrival (excluded from this step are the visa-exempt countries listed below). You can apply for a 30, 60, or 90 day visa. The correct website for obtaining your evisa is anrpts.gov.mr/visa/requestvisa. Be prepared to upload a visa photo of yourself with a plain white or light coloured background, as well as a scan of your passport. The site is very particular about the file size, so you will likely have to go through some trial and error with this step.
Since the system is new, you can expect glitches. There have already been reports of people getting rejected with no explanation, applying again, then getting approved. So even though the website says 2 to 3 day turnaround, the local authorities recommend applying 1 to 2 months ahead of time if you know your travel plans, and we definitely agree with this advice. However, on the other hand, some people have reported getting visas approved within 24 hours however, so if your travel plans are more spontaneous, you might still have some luck. You must bring a paper copy of your visa with you to the airport or land border.
Prior to this system change, you would receive a full-page sticker in your passport, but that is no longer the case.
Arrival at the Airport in Nouakchott
Once at the airport, you will present the paper copy of your evisa at immigration, where you will then pay for it. The cost for a 30 day visa is 55 EUR or 60 USD, and you’ll need to have the exact amount in clean, crisp notes. If you forget to print out your visa, there is a printer you can use in the airport before immigration.
The process at the airport can be quite slow, so you will want to make your way to immigration as quickly as possible and be prepared for a wait.
Crossing at a Land Border
An evisa is also required at the land borders, and payment will need to be made at border control. The main crossings are with Western Sahara in the north, and with Senegal in the south. The two crossings with Senegal are at Diama and Rosso. There are also two main crossings with Mali from Timbuktu or Nara. There is also an extremely remote border crossing with Algeria between Zouerate and Tindouf, but it requires special permission to access and there is 700km of desert between the two towns.
Visa Exempt Countries
If you have a passport for the following countries, you do not need a visa: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Tunisia.
