West Africa Visa and Vehicle Permit Costs-Traveling w/o Carnet
Our first African country in the truck - Atlas Mountains in Morocco
Some basic definitions:
Carnet de Passage (CPD): basically a passport for your car. It is a customs permit recognized across borders that allows you to temporarily bring a personal vehicle into a group of countries. Costs vary widely across countries based on assessed risk. Typically, people bundle together a group of countries they plan to visit and secure a CPD from an issuing agency (automobile club for example).
Laissez Passer (LP): when related to a vehicle, it is a country-specific document issued by a customs agency allowing you to temporarily bring your vehicle into that country
Temporary Import Permit (TIP): basically the same as an LP, a temporary permit to import your personal vehicle into a specific country
The primary reasoning behind these documents is that countries want to ensure that you do not bring your personal vehicle into the country and sell it without paying all the appropriate taxes and duties, following all the legalities of that country. A CPD is stamped in and out of each country as you pass through as evidence that you have left and gone on your way. An LP or TIP is typically issued upon entry at the border by customs, although sometimes can be arranged for in advance at an embassy. It is time-constricted and collected or stamped out when you leave the country.
Throughout Western Africa these documents are usually commonly understood and frequently asked for at military and police checkpoints.
CPDs are readily available in Europe and most European travelers are surprised that we don’t have one. We are travelling with a 2019 Toyota Tacoma with US license plates and registration. For us, a CPD is difficult to obtain (we only found one issuing agency who would give us a quote) and very expensive.
Travelling from Morocco to South Africa with all the countries in between we were quoted $1700 as a cost plus a required $50,000 deposit.
In sticker shock, we decided to go without, which we had heard was possible with some extra hassles along the way. We knew the highly-experienced overlander Dan Grec had done it and were willing to give it a go.
We have finished our West Africa route, Morocco to Angola and only hit one major roadblock with vehicle permits (Ghana) and one with visas (Nigeria). Below are tables of costs and some details for both visas and vehicle permits to date, along with where we secured them.
Waiting room at the Mauritania border for Visas on Arrival - a surprisingly complex border, it is not unusual to take 2-3 hours to complete the paperwork
VISAS - MOROCCO TO ANGOLA
One more definition:
Visa on Arrival (VOA): the ability to purchase a visa upon arrival at that country’s border
We are travelling with one US passport and one UK passport. We usually choose the cheapest visa option, mostly single entry one month. All prices are in US dollars using the conversion rate at the time.
We have more specifics on obtaining visas on our country-specific blogs.
| Country | Where we Secured Them | Cost US | Cost UK | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | No visa required | $0 | $0 | NA |
| Mauritania | VOA - at the border | $55 | $55 | NA |
| Senegal | No visa required | $0 | $0 | NA |
| The Gambia | VOA for US, none needed for UK | $108 | $0 | NA |
| Gunea Bissau | Guinea Bissau embassy in Zingachour, Senegal* | $41 | $41 | Brief wait |
| Guinea | Applied online in Guinea Bissau using a hotel address** | $81 | $81 | Overnight |
| Sierra Leone | VOA - at border | $4 | $4 | NA |
| Liberia | Embassy in Conakry | $161 | $100 | Brief wait |
| Ivory Coast | Ivory Coast Consulate in Guinea Bissau | $23 | $23 | Overnight |
| Ghana | Online, then pick up at Embassy in Conakry | $80 | $80 | 2 days |
| Togo | VOA - at the border, but can do online in advance | $53 | $53 | Instant |
| Benin | Online | $50 | $50 | Instant |
| Nigeria | Long and complicated story - see blog below | $470 | $530 | 3 days |
| Cameroon | At the embassy in Lagos | $240 | $240 | Same day |
| Gabon | Embassy in Lomé - 30 day single entry | $100 | $100 | Overnight |
| Republic of Congo | Embassy in Lomé - 90 day*** | $186 | $186 | Same day |
| Angola | Online**** | $183 | $183 | Same day |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Embassy in Yaounde, paid $41 extra for same day | $166 | $166 | Same day |
| Totals | $2,001 | $1,892 |
*Highly recommend stopping to do this, super easy and fast
**Local address helped, the online system went down and the embassy in Guinea Bissau issued them for us
***Paid for 90 days as apposed to 30 as visa date started upon issue and we wanted to make sure to cover our expected travel dates, also paid additional $16 each for same day processing
****Used online processor for $63 each plus will pay actual visa fee of $120 each at border
Further Update: right after we passed through, Cameroun came out with an online visa program and Gabon took away visa requirements for G20 countries including all of the EU.
Consulate in Bissau where we obtained our Côte d'Ivoire visas. No signage whatsoever. Dawn was thrilled when we found it.
Three lessons learned with West African visas:
They are a significant travel expense – our biggest line item in the budget for five months of travel (second biggest is gas).
Dealing with embassies, consulates and online systems can be frustrating and time consuming. It’s best to start early, plan ahead, and to have a Plan B.
Things change frequently and information is quickly dated. We are writing this in January to April 2023. The absolute best resources for us as we have navigated this are the iOverlander app and the Overlanding West Africa and Morocco Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Travelers are supporting each other in amazing ways and freely sharing information in these forums. It feels like a giant security blanket.
VEHICLE PERMITS - MOROCCO TO ANGOLA
| Country | Where we Secured the Permit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | At the border | $0 |
| Mauritania | At the border | $10 |
| Senegal* | At the border | $8 |
| The Gambia | At the border | $11 |
| Gunea Bissau | At the border | $4 |
| Guinea | Town near the border - free | $0 |
| Sierra Leone | At the border | $17 |
| Liberia | Liberia Embassy in Conakry - one day turnaround | $90 |
| Ivory Coast | Ministry of the Interior - Abidjan** | $82 |
| Ghana | At the Elubo border - restricted and expensive | $490 |
| Togo | At the border - easy | $11 |
| Benin | At the border - easy | $16 |
| Nigeria | At the border - free and easy | $0 |
| Cameroon | Short term Passavant at border, official one in Banyo*** | $15 |
| Gabon | Short drive from border to Bitam - quick and free | $0 |
| Republic of Congo | At the border - easy | $16 |
| Angola | At the border - easy | $10 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | At the border - easy | $15 |
| Total | $795 |
*Although inexpensive for newer vehicles, we have heard that for vehicles greater than eight years old, Senegal charges upwards of $250 for an LP
**This was a complicated one. IC borders had been closed since COVID and LP's required for everyone, even those with a CPD. We secured one from an email contact at the ministry for a fee, but others were getting them for free through fellow travelers applying directly at the ministry. The borders opened Feb 15, 2023, no more LP. We were the first ones through, lots of confusion about what to do with our US registered vehicle but in the end they let us pass through.
***Later found out it should have been free at the border, spoofed by customs official there into paying $15 for temporary pass to get real passavant in Banyo, no charge in Banyo
GHANA VEHICLE PERMIT
A special note about Ghana which inspired us to write this blog page. We had difficulty finding information about how to obtain a vehicle permit to drive through Ghana. There were a few references on the iOverlander border crossing posts, but nothing detailed. From the comments, we sensed that it might be complicated. So we asked specifically at two different Ghana embassies (Conakry where we obtained our visas and in Abidjan) about how to obtain a permit for our US plated truck. We were told, no problem just get it at the border.
Arriving at the border, excited to spend some significant time exploring Ghana
We arrived at the Ivory Coast/Ghana border at Elubo at 11am. We were finally released the following day at 1pm. Yup, twenty-six hours. Officials kept asking why we didn’t have a CPD and we explained that it was really expensive for us. We told them about our journey around the world in our truck which was our home. We could tell they wanted to be helpful, but there were rules… After a few hours we made it to the top of the decision chain where two gentlemen in elegant uniforms (referred to by the other officials as the big bosses) agreed that we should be able to pass through Ghana. But still, the rules.
For hours we were shunted back and forth between offices, waiting for answers and confused about next steps. Finally we were told that we would be able to drive through but we would be restricted to a transit visa and limited to a direct route to the next country. OK. Then we were referred to a shipping agent. A nice young man, he explained (it was now 4pm) that he should get going on the paperwork as it could take a while… and there was a fee… Initially it was $650 and he could tell how shocked we were, so then it was $500. But he explained that there was a computer system that he would enter our vehicle information into and it would spit out a price and that was really rock bottom. We asked if he took credit cards, already knowing the answer. So we hoofed it to the village ATM (technically we were already in Ghana having been stamped out of the Côte d'Ivoire) and spent 20 minutes in repeated transactions to pull out enough Ghanaian cedis. It was an unbudgeted financial setback but, luckily for us, not a trip-ending one.
The young man took us to his office which was over the village kitchen with women cooking up huge pots of cassava and we waited while three employees on two computers started entering our information. At 5:30 we asked how it was going and they said, “oh, fine, but you won’t be able to leave until tomorrow”. Dang. It was 95º F and we were feeling tired and a little miserable.
So we popped up the camper in the paved immigration parking lot, attracted a lot of attention and got ready for a hot stifling night. Probably our worst to date.
Camping in the customs and immigration parking lot. Our least favorite camping spot so far.
The next morning we found our way back to the office and were told we should be able to leave by noon. Back to waiting. Finally, our agent appeared, took us through multiple official approval points, attached a giant “Transit” sticker to the windshield and locked a tracker onto the inside of the truck. We were allowed to drive a route to Accra over 10 days and exit at the southeast side of the country.
Our $500 transit sticker
So, our two weeks journey into the interior was fired, no Mole National Park, no Kumasi…
Tracking device attached to passenger seat. Big brother is watching us.
But at least we are on the road again. We made it across Ghana with some sighTseeing along the way. Of course, exiting became another adventure. Six hours at the Ghana border trying to leave. Transit authorities wanted to charge us additional fees to remove the device. Andy lost it, saying that we had already paid too much, that we had not been told about more fees upon exit. Lots of back and forth and finally kicked up the chain to the big boss who agreed we had already paid a lot of money and signed off on our leaving.
We have since heard of others having similar experiences at the Ghana Elubo border. We also know travelers who drove further north to the Takikro border and were able to get a simple and cheap TIP.
Well at least, we are still ahead of the quoted $1700 for a CPD for our truck. As we keep reminding ourselves as we go for days on end without seeing another tourist, if traveling in West Africa were easy there would be more people doing it. And we are quite happy to be among the few on this fabulous journey.
NIGERIAN VISAS SAGA
Pretty much as soon as we started our West Africa journey we started thinking about how to get our Nigerian visas. Rumored to be really difficult for overlanders, we tried to do our research and be prepared but still ended up paying way more than we should have and significantly delaying our trip.
The easiest and most direct way to get a visa for Nigeria is to get it at the embassy in your home country. For people who can plan ahead from home this was an excellent option. But we had left the US two years prior and did not want to incur the cost of flying back from Africa to secure visas for Nigeria.
Our route to the border of Nigeria, marking our almost half way point to the tip of South Africa from Morocco
We started off by visiting Nigerian embassies in other countries along the way. Our first try was in Conakry in Guinea. We were told to try closer to Nigeria, in Togo or Benin, that they would be able to help us. We asked if those embassies were issuing visas to tourists and were told “no problem.” Feeling reassured, we skipped the next few embassies. We should have stopped at more and investigated the possibilities. I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.
We later heard that the Nigerian Embassy in Freetown in Sierra Leone was actually issuing visas but we had blown by that one. It was also a bit of a problem because visas were issued for 30 days from the date of issue which was not a lot of time to get from Freetown down through Nigeria.
Processes were further complicated by the approach of huge presidential elections which meant the country was facing potential internal conflict and unrest as four candidates vied for power. (In the end this did not come to be and Nigerians told us there was a lot of positive emphasis on working together to keep things calm across party lines and that the military and police forces all came together to ensure peace.)
So our next embassy stop was after a lot of this fear of country wide violence had dissipated. We went to the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana and were told, again, to apply closer to the Nigerian border, in Togo or Benin. So we went on our way.
We have mentioned that we rely heavily on the iOverlander app for travel information, and we read the posts for the Togo and Benin embassies and noted that no one had actually been able to get their visas at either of them recently. Hmm.
Starting to get more concerned, we reached out to some fellow US travelers ahead of us and asked how they got their visas. They told us about a site called Destinali which provides all the paperwork needed for Nigerian Business Visa on Arrival that is issued online. The regular tourist Visa on Arrival is not available for US citizens.
We went online with Destinali and asked if it was possible. They were super, replied immediately, made it really easy for us to provide the needed documents (basically pictures of our passports and passport photos). We paid $97 each for the service. Communication was clear and responsive on their end. A few days after we submitted our materials they provided the official request letter for the visa, and sent us a link to pay for the visa on the Nigerian immigration portal. They said we would have our final, approved visa within three days. We paid the $160 each and waited. And waited. After a week, we started emailing and messaging. We were told there was an issue with the system but they would be in touch after the weekend. On the Monday they re-sent the immigration link to pay. We said, wait, we already paid.
In our last email from Destinali we were told they would look into it and get back to us. We never heard from them again.
Despite over a week of emails and Whatsapp attempts, Destinali had gone non-responsive. Which, if you read their online reviews happens regularly. People either get their reviews in three days no problem or just get no response at all. We were betting on success for us and lost. So did fellow traveler Armando who was going through this with us in Togo and Benin.
Still feeling like we could make something happen and not willing to turn back (despite starting to hear more stories of travelers turning around or shipping around Nigera) we found ourselves in Cotonou, Benin looking for the final solution. Despite not being hopeful, we put on our official embassy clothes and made our way to the Nigerian Embassy in Cotonou. It was our worst embassy experience to date. The woman we talked to was incensed that we would ask about visas, as she only issued them to residents of Benin. When we told her that other embassies had told us to come to Benin she became, even more irritated, saying that other embassies were trying to get her in trouble for sending tourists to her. Hmm. She told us we should just fly to Lagos, visas were issued at the airport for people who flew in. We politely said that as we lived in our vehicle that was not an option for us, we really needed to drive in. We left discouraged.
So Plan B. Another overlander had sent us the contact of a man who worked at Nigerian Immigration who helped travelers get Business Visas on Arrival. Unfortunately his fee was $300 each on top of the official visa fee which was why we tried Destinali first.
But by now we had been in Cotonou for over a week and were really ready to move on. We started communication with our new contact, sent him the same information and went to camp at the beach and ease our frustration.
The other factor in all of this was that we knew, with the Destinali online visa option, that there was another little hitch. We would be showing up at a land border with basically an approved visa letter but would need to get our actual visa put in our passports at the airport (the only realy issuing immigration agency for visas) which was a two hour drive from the border. The overlanding standard had been to hire a police escort at the border to escort you and your vehicle to the airport to make sure the visa paperwork was completed. Costs for this were rumored to be $200-$300 per person.
In our initial WhatsApp messages with our new immigration contact, we clarified that we would be getting a visa that did not require this extra cost and he confirmed that his fee was all inclusive and we would be able to enter at a land border and not need an escort.
So after our weekend at the beach we woke up to visas in our WhatsApp messages, whooped it up and packed up.
We got up early and reached the Idiroko border at 10am. And were told that we had to pay $400 ($200 per person) for an escort to the airport. Yikes. We had our immigration contact on the phone and he tried, but no go. We tried to negotiate but they were firm. After two hours, we paid. On the positive side we were given a full police escort for 2 hours of driving through a reputed 80+ police, customs, military and safety barriers. We had one officer in the truck with us and two in a pickup infront with lights flashing. We have never driven so fast in Africa.
Our escort officer James in the truck, his colleagues infront in a police pickup with flashers on.
At the airport, our escorts were incredibly helpful getting us through the process. But we didn't miss the grumblings from airport officers there about “this Idiroko land barrier practice of letting people come in.” They reiterated the idea that people should just be flying in.
So that is our long and convoluted story. Total cost for us to enter Nigeria was actually over $1,900. (Initial payments for the two of us to Destinali $192 for processing, $360 for visa fees, next payments to immigration officer, $600 for processing, $360 for immigration fees. Then $400 for border escort. (On the chart above I just put the basic visa fees for US and UK so it didn’t look crazy, we made some mistakes hopefully others can avoid.) We hear people can ship around Nigeria for about that and some people are. We have also heard of others having success with finding a way to get resident cards in Togo or Benin and then getting visas through the embassies in those countries.
In the end we are aware this is a travel adventure for us and visa issues across the world can be a much more serious life issue. We were frustrated that we fell two weeks behind our schedule to avoid the monsoon season on muddy roads, but it all worked out for us in the end. We are still grateful to be on this journey.
Hoping this information is useful to others as you plan for expenses and permits for a journey through West Africa. As always, please reach out with any questions. Safe journeys.
