Mauritania Visa Information

Passport/Visa

	Passport Required?	Visa Required?	Return Ticket Required?
British	Yes	Yes	Yes
Australian	Yes	Yes	Yes
Canadian	Yes	Yes	Yes
USA	Yes	Yes	Yes
Other EU	Yes	Yes	Yes

Passports
Valid passports required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above.

Visas
Required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above except transit passengers continuing their journey within 24 hours by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy for visa requirements (see General Info).

Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist or Business: £42. All visas are multiple-entry.

Validity
Three months.

Applications to:
Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see General Info.

Working Days Required
Usually takes 72 hours to be processed.

Warning
Travelers are advised against all but essential travel to the area near Mauritania’s border with Algeria, and the area near Mauritania’s northern border with Mali east of Nema, because of the risk of banditry, and the activities of armed smugglers and extremist groups.

Developments in the region may trigger public unrest, especially after Friday prayers. Travelers should avoid large gatherings of people and demonstrations, which can turn hostile. Be particularly alert in public places.

Mauritania shares with the rest of the region a threat from international terrorism to visibly Western interests. It is believed that terrorist groups may be planning attacks against civilian targets, particularly those frequented by foreigners.

Travel in Mauritania can be difficult. Outside the main urban areas, there are currently only four paved roads. Conditions are otherwise poor for overland travel. Domestic flights operate between the main towns. 

Travelers should carry a copy of their passport at all times for identification purposes.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organizations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

Health

	Special Precautions	Certificate Required?
Yellow Fever	Yes	1
Cholera	2	No
Typhoid and Polio	3	N/A
Malaria	4	N/A

Health Care
Medical facilities are very limited. Nouakchott boasts the country’s best medical facilities with many doctors, most in private practices or clinics, and plenty of chemists stocking most existing French medicines. The hospital in the capital has 450 beds; there are fewer than 100 other beds elsewhere. Health insurance, to include cover for emergency repatriation, is essential.

Note
1
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from all travelers over one year of age, except travelers arriving from a non-infected area and staying less than two weeks in the country.

2
Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Mauritania. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness.

3
Immunization against typhoid is recommended and vaccination against poliomyelitis is sometimes advised.

4
Malaria risk, mainly in the malignant falciparum form, exists throughout the year except in the northern areas of Dakhlet-Nouadhibou and Tiris-Zemour. In Adrar and Inchiri, there is a malaria risk during the rainy season (July through October). Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. The recommended prophylaxis in these areas is chloroquine plus proguanil.


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