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Entering Mali with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: (date last confirmed correct)

Required Paperwork

You need at least proof of ownership and a pasport, usually in the same name. Some border crossings will ask for proof of insurance, but its unusual. If you do not have a carnet-de-passage, you need minimum of 15.000 to buy a Lesė Pasé for 30 days

Process at border

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Mali, application instructions and fees see: Mali Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)

Mali has one of the easiest borders in Africa.
If you are at a main border you either get your Carnet de Passage stamped or buy a lesé psé, which cost normally FCFA15,000.00 XAF.
This allows your car to be in Mali for 30 days and can be extended once, in Bamako. Usually free.
If you have a visa your passport is stamped. If you don't, you have to buy a visa also for FCFA15,000.00 XAF, but you have to get this confirmed in Bamako.
Some border officials demand FCFA1,000.00 XAF or FCFA2,000.00 XAF for a stamp. This is not official. Refusing will delay things but eventually they will stamp.

Cost of entry

State the cost for a vehicle to enter

Permitted length of stay

State the permitted length of entry for the vehicle

Extension of stay

To extend a Lesé Pasé you wil need to visit the main custom office in Bamako BEFORE the document has expired. The office is a bit hard to find, it is in the grand marchee, i wil post Gps point shortly. There is no need to bring your vehicle. Bring the Lesé Pasé, your car papers and your pasport. Once you find the right guy, he should stamp it and you're done. There should be no charge. If you have entered on a carnet the passage and it is expiring, it might be easier to leave the country on the old carnet and re-enter on the new since the paperwork needed to get this done are complicated.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle

Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.

Driving in Mali

Insurance requirements

Yes or No if insurance is mandatory, and what kind is acceptable.

Cost of insurance

State the price of insurance and a time period.

Where to purchase insurance

Describe where insurance can be purchased.

Driving license

State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.

Driving side of road

Right.
RHD vehicles can be driven in Mali.

Mandatory items in vehicle

State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)

Roads

General Road quality

Give a brief description of the general road quality. Mention if one way streets are common.

Road signs

Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.

Toll roads

List the frequency and approximate price of toll roads.

Bribery in Mali

Briefly describe how common bribery is and whether it should be expected, and the best way to deal with it.

Checkpoints

describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.

Traveling with pets

List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.

Gas price in Mali and Diesel price in Mali

Last updated: October 2012

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade	Price
Unleaded	€1.40 EUR per Liter^[1]
Diesel	€1.23 EUR per Liter^[1]

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency

Briefly describe if gas shortages are known to occur.
Also state the approximate average distance between gas stations. This is a very rough estimate.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.
State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.

Vehicle parking

Discuss if vehicles can be parked on the street, if they are considered "safe" at night. If vehicles can not be parked on the street, list the other options that exist.

Special driving considerations

A List of special things to be careful of (i.e. Unsigned speed bumps, abnormal road rules, people or animals on the road, etc.).
List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.

Security advisories and information

Camping in Mali

As in most of west Africa, campsites are not very common but do exist. Most major cities have hotels with big parkings and in most you are allowed to camp for a nominal fee. Ofcourse the Hotel owner hope you wil eat and drink at their facilities. There are a few campsites known. Some are no more then a fenced of piece of land, others will have some facilities but do not expect European or South African standards. Some known campsites are Sleepy Camel in Bamako, Cool Camp in Manantali.
You should be paying between CFA 2000 and 5000 per person per day..
Wildcamping is a good option when there is no campsite near. Mali is a huge country with lots of uninhabited space and it should not be hard to find a quite place to park for the night. Wildcamping is safe, as long as you keep basic safety rules in the back of your mind. Currently, it might not be a good option to wildcamp east of the Segou-Sikasso line, due to the trouble in the far Notheast of Mali in the rest of the country there should be no trouble..

Camping guide books

List and link to books specifically for camping.

Drinking water

Describe if the regular tap water is safe to drink. If not, describe where safe water can be purchased and the approximate average price range.

Navigation

Paper maps

Description of the best paper maps and where to purchase them.

GPS Maps of Mali

Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa). (with links to each).

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Mali

Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.