Overland Mauritania Travel
West Africa > Mauritania
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Contents
- 1 Visiting Mauritania
- 2 Entering Mauritania with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in Mauritania
- 4 Gas price in Mauritania and Diesel price in Mauritania
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Mauritania
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Mauritania
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting Mauritania
Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.
Entering Mauritania with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: July 2013
Required Paperwork
(To check if you need a travel Visa for Mauritania, application instructions and fees see: Mauritania Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
Mauritania recognizes the Carnet de Passage but usually do not use it. Instead they will write a lessé passé for you. So you will need your original Vehicle registration and passport, in the same name.
Process at border
The main Mauritanian border is a bit confusing. You arrive at the military check post after a few horrible km no mans land from Marok. The military guys will check your car after which you are allowed to continue onwards. After 100 m or so there is a building on the right where you have to get your car papers arranged. Its hard to find the right office and person but the office to have is ground floor in the back. After paying for your papers (€15.00 EUR I think) you continue again 100 m to get to the small immigration office at the left. Having your stamp you can buy insurance 50 m further on on the left. There is a lot of hassle on this border, it will be easier and quicker if you take one of the many fixers, but discuss the price in advance and no more then €5.00 EUR to €10.00 EUR. It will save you also many of the tauts who will demand presents.
Cost of entry
You will have to pay about €15.00 EUR for your car permit. You can pay in Euro, Dollar and Mauritanian Ougya
Permitted length of stay
Papers are valid for 30 days, usually.
Extension of stay
I am sure they can be extended but I have no experience with this.
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
If you cross into Senegal never take the Rosso border, always Diema. Exiting is painless, except for the fact that every office demands €5.00 EUR for their work. So police, customs and immigration all want their share. Other then that its straightforward, getting you car signed out and your passport stamped. Be aware that 20km before the border there's a national park guy who wants money and just before entering Senegal you have to cross a small bridge. The bridge keeper wants his money as well but will try to overcharge you.
Driving in Mauritania
Recommended books for Overlanding in Mauritania
Vehicle insurance requirements
Insurance is mandatory but I have never been checked for it and I have the feeling that many locals drive without.
Cost of vehicle insurance
About €45.00 EUR for a month for a truck in 2012.
Where to purchase vehicle insurance
Can, and must, be bought at the border.
Driving license
Your regular, valid, drivers license should be all you need. The one time they checked mine, he was holding it upside down.
Driving side of road
Left side.
LHD vehicle is no problem in Mauritania.
Mandatory items in vehicle
I guess the usual stuff is mandatory (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.) but I have never ever been checked
Roads
General Road quality
The road between Nouakchot and Nouadibhou is brand new tarmac. The rest of the roads in Mauretania vary between old tarmac that is suffering from the summer heat and a lack of maintenance, potholes possible, and piste which vary in quality but may have heavy washboard.
Road signs
There are not to many road signs in Mauritania, then again, there are not so many roads.
Toll roads
There are no toll roads in Mauritania.
Bribery in Mauritania
Briefly describe how common bribery is and whether it should be expected, and the best way to deal with it.
Checkpoints
There are many many checkpoints in Mauritania, all for your security as they say. It is advisable to have about 20 fiche the police to give out at the checkpoints, this will save you a lot of time since they need not enter your name and details in the big book. A fiche de police is merely a piece of paper with on it your name, passport details, car details, profession, and where you are heading. Copy it 20 times and your done. Otherwise the checkpoints are usually correct and friendly.
Traveling with pets
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.
Gas price in Mauritania and Diesel price in Mauritania
Last updated: October 2012
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded | €1.14 EUR per Liter[1] |
| Diesel | €0.97 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
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Mauritania - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Mauritania
There are campsites in every major town, so noudibouh, nouakchot and Atar. Some are mere parking, others have at least some facilities like shower and water or electricity.
Camping will cost you between €2.00 EUR and €5.00 EUR per night .
I have wildcamped, without problem.
Camping guide books
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Drinking water
Water seems safe in the major cities. Outside of these, if you can find it, I have my doubts.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Mauritania
GPS Maps of Mauritania
Tracks4Africa are the undisputed best GPS maps for Africa.
Tracks4Africa is an SD Card for Garmin GPS, and contain Routable turn-by-turn maps with 809,000 kms of roads and over 129,000 points of interest.
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Mauritania
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.
Special Overland Travel interests
List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
Add known good mechanics here.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Mauritania
Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle.
List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.
Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'
References
Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.
Helpful External links
Add any helpful external links here.
- Mauritania: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Mauritania - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Mauritania travel guides at wikivoyage
- Mauritania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
