Border Crossing and Bribery for Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa) DRC, Angola

You can also check border crossing and bribes other Western countries; Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry  or Morocco and Marutania

Mali 

We entered Mali from the Kouremale border.

Passport – We arrived at the border 3 days before our visa started, a bit tricky of course but we where ready to enter, I don’t think anyone ever looked at our visas as they where signed extremely fast. She went to the office, gave the passports to a woman and she went in front of all the people waiting and stamped our passports.

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage (see our blog about this).

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Mali 

We left Mali from the Sikasso border.

Passport – We got our passport stamped out easy nothing asked for

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Burkina Faso 

We entered Burkina Faso from Sikasso (Mali).

Passport – They asked a lot of questions, just to have a conversation but stamped the passports easy

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage (see our blog about this).

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Burkina Faso 

We left Burkina Faso from the Bitou border.

Passport – Got stamped out easy nothing asked for

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage. I needed to explain the guy what he needed to do for several times, he probably still doesn’t know but he stamped the Carnet the Passage so I was satisfied.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Togo 

We entered Togo at the Dapaong border.

Passport – We got our visa here at the border (see our blog about that).

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage. I needed to walk into a office and ask for it to stamp it, they don’t really care about it.

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Togo 

We left Togo at the coastline at the Grand Popo border

Passport – Our passports got stamped easy, nothing asked for.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Benin 

We entered Benin at the Grand Popo border.

Passport – Our passports got stamped easy, nothing asked for.

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Benin 

We left Benin through a small border near Idi Iroko.

 Passport – Our passports got stamped easy, nothing asked for.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Nigeria 

We entered Nigeria through a small border at Idi Iroko. The main border is down the coastline but this is pretty corrupt one so we decided to make a few extra kilometers and cross more easy.

Passport – This took a long, long time but eventually our passports got stamped easy and nothing was asked for. We spent around 3 hours at the border talking to everyone and showing our documents

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Nigeria 

We left Nigeria through the border nearby Calabar called Ekok to Cameroon. This is a small border you pass over the river by bridge, it´s pretty crowded around and the bridge is not very wide. If you include the sidewalk 2 cars just fit.

Passport – This took a long time, she went in with both our passports. The guy asked a lot of questions where we have been what we have been doing. After half an hour he asked her to leave and wanted me to come in, same questions asked and he wanted a form from the border where we entered. I never received something there so I had no idea what he was talking about, he understood this and stamped my passport and send me out to send her back in again. He stamped her passport as well and we where passing through.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Cameroon

We entered Cameroon from the border in Ekok.

Passport – In this border you pass several checkpoints who all take long time they write down all your information by hand, the first checkpoint did this even twice. No passport stamped yet. Next checkpoint writing everything again and the passports got stamped. You will have 2 more checkpoints where they write down the same information.

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Cameroon 

We left Cameroon at the border Minkoko, everything is straightforward and there are not a lot of people around.

Passport – They like to write down everything 3 times or so we got used to this, it takes time but everything goes very friendly.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Gabon

We entered Gabon from the border in Mikoko. A border not used by a lot of people.

Passport – In this border you pass several checkpoints what all take a long time they write down all your information by hand. They love the paperwork, the first one called his boss told our story and write a letter that we needed to give to the immigration office in Bitam. Here they wanted copies from everything, our Passport, Gabon visa, Cameroon visa and exit stamp from Cameroon. Of course there was a copy shop at the other side of the street what asked a fortune for a copy 100 cfa each. If you walk 100 meters to the right they do copies for 25 cfa.

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Gabon

We left Gabon from the border in N´dende, this is one of the few borders to the Republic Congo. It´s a 280 km long dirt road what is not recommended to ride after a lot of rain as it will be pretty muddy, we where lucky it was dry a few days before we got here.

Passport – You need to stamp your passport in the last city N´dende, the office opens at 8 in the morning. From here it´s approximately 50 km´s to the Congo border. You will stop before exiting Gabon again on the road to write down all your information and they will stamp your Carnet here as well.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage .

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Famous N’dende to Dolisie challenge road video :

Congo (Brazzaville)

We entered the Republic Congo from the border in N´dende – Dolisie. A long dirt road needs to be passed for this. The total distance is 280 km and it´s not recommended doing this after a lot of rain and especially not on a rainy day.

Passport – You come to a little place with 4 offices what is the border, again they all love to write down your information so it takes some time. They know what they are doing so it all goes pretty smooth, they ask your route through the country and stamp the passports.

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage.

Vehicle insurance – ECOWAS insurance valid here.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Congo (Brazzaville)

We left the Republic Congo from the border to Cabinda, there is only 1 border here. It´s pretty crowded but all goes pretty fast.

Passport – Passport is stamped easily, just the writing information takes a bit of time.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Angola (Cabinda)

We entered the Cabinda from the border in 36 km down from Point Noire. It´s pretty crowded but all straight forward and they have real official offices and clothes.

Passport – You enter the first building and need to fill in a form for both about your personal details and where you will stay before they stamp your passport. All people are very helpful and will help you with the translation, all is in Portuguese. Also you need a photo copy from your passport and your Angola visa.

Import Vehicle – Since a long time we are not able to use our Carnet de Passage, Angola is not part of it and they know about this. They will stamp it if you want but still you need to buy temporary importation. The price for motorcycles is 3.166 Kwanza. You can exchange at the border but in Cabinda you will get a better rate, at the moment the black market rates are 2,5 times as much as what the bank will give you for your dollars or euro´s. My advice will be to exchange 20 or 30 dollars at the border and then in Cabinda for a better rate. The importation of the vehicle is 30 days valid.

Vehicle insurance – This is the first country the ECOWAS insurance is not valid anymore. The vehicle importation is directly an insurance as well so you we didn´t buy a new one.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Angola (Cabinda)

We left the Cabinda the border south at Tchinganga.

Passport – Passport is stamped easily, takes a bit of time as you go to multiple offices.

Export Vehicle – They took a look at our importation papers and it was all ok.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Congo (Kinshasa) DRC

We entered the Democratic Republic Congo from Cabinda to Moanda. The road in DRC are not as bad as you expect, a lot of people told us we needed to go from the Luwozi border crossing. For that border you need to ride a long trail what is all mud. Instead taking this border (you need a multiple entrée visa for Angola to take this border). The road from the border to Moanda is a bit sandy but not too bad to ride, distance is about 30 km. From Moanda you head towards Boma this is a good dirt road with a distance about 100 km. After Boma you will find a good tar road!

Passport – It´s a little bit chaotic but all works fine, it´s easy if you have a copy from your passport and visa makes it a little bit more fast. They will take a photo from you as well and ask where you going to.

Import Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage (see our blog about this).

Vehicle insurance – We didn´t buy any insurance for DRC.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for at the border. About 10 km from the border is the first road tax barricade you will find. Just say you are not willing to pay and they will let you pass, at least they did for us as with a motorcycle this is easier. You can avoid this road tax point pretty easy as well like other people with a 4×4 did. Just go to the coast straight after the border to Moanda, it´s a small detour. You will find one more on the road where they let you pass easier.

Leaving Congo (Kinshasa) DRC

We left the DRC from the border at Songolo. This is a really crowded border but the people are very friendly and willing to help you, the officials wearing clothes to recognize them. First you need to pass a road tax office again, this might be a hard one especially for the 4×4´s. If you have a motorcycle just tell them motorcycles don´t pay and wait till a local motorcycle passes, he will open the gate with a smile.

Passport – Passport is stamped easily, they take you in a nice office with AC.

Export Vehicle – We used our Carnet de Passage (see our blog about this).

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for at the border itself.

Angola

We entered Angola from the border at Songolo, this is a big border crossing and very crowded but has all official offices so you know where you need to go.

Passport – You enter the first building and need to fill in a form for both about your personal details and where you will stay before they stamp your passport. Also you need a photocopy from your passport and your Angola visa.

Import Vehicle – See Angola (Cabinda) part for this. They want to see the paper again and will stamp it again so you have the 30 days again same is for your visa if you have multiple entrée.

Vehicle insurance – This is the first country the ECOWAS insurance is not valid anymore. The vehicle importation is directly an insurance as well so you we didn´t buy a new one.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for.

Leaving Angola

We left Angola to Namibia passing the border at Santa Clara, this is the main border between these countries. It’s not that crowded, there are a few guys hanging around who want to exchange money with you and give you advice where to go, all goes friendly we just said no to everything.

Passport – Passport is stamped after going through all your details and where you have been, and then they take a photo from you.

Export Vehicle – You need to show your importation papers, they keep one of them and off you go.

Bribery – No money or gifts where asked for at the border itself.

FS