Mauritania Switches to E-Visas for Travelers Starting 2025

The Mauritanian government has just announced a major simplification of administrative procedures for travelers. Waiting in endless queues at embassies and consulates is a thing of the past—the country is embracing a fully digital visa system.

Come January 5, 2025, an electronic visa (e-Visa) will become mandatory for all foreign travelers who require a visa to enter Mauritania.

Fully streamlined e-Visa applications

So how will this new system work? Everything is now done online. Travelers must visit the platform of the National Agency for the Civil Registry and Secured Titles (ANRPTS), accessible at anrpts.gov.mr.

There, they’ll fill out an online form with personal details, travel dates, and the purpose of their visit. Multiple stay durations are available: 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, or even 2 years, with the option of single, double, or multiple entries.

Screengrab of the official Mauritanian e-Visa portal

No more adhesive visas

After completing the form, travelers submit it online along with a digital passport photo and a copy of their passport, valid for at least six months beyond their planned arrival in Mauritania.

Once approved, the e-Visa—displaying a QR code—arrives by email. Travelers print it out and present it upon arrival; no physical visa sticker is needed. Visa fees range from €55 to €270, with reductions for African and Arab nationalities; payment is due on arrival in euros or US dollars. Travelers will undergo a biometric data capture at the border to finalize entry.

No exceptions for travelers

This new procedure applies to all visa-required travelers, including diplomatic and consular staff and representatives of accredited international organizations.

Correction issued: the MAE notice correctly states the e-Visa launches in 2025

Nations exempt from e-Visa requirements

Exceptions do exist. Travelers from the following countries are visa-exempt and can enter Mauritania without applying for an e-Visa:

• Algeria

• Burkina Faso

• Côte d’Ivoire

• Gambia

• Guinea-Bissau

• Libya

• Mali

• Niger

• Senegal

• Chad

• Tunisia

Mauritania modernizes travel entry amid regional challenges

The push into e-Visa territory is a clear sign of Mauritania’s ambition to modernize and streamline its administration. The move mirrors a global shift toward digitalizing travel services, seen in places like Kuwait or Chad.

By simplifying entry for millions of travelers, the system also aims to boost tourism, which has lagged due to security concerns emanating from neighboring Mali and ongoing regional instability. Though Mauritania boasts vast desert landscapes, Atlantic coastlines, and rich historical sites, tourism remains modest—until now.

French government travel advice still advises caution amid a difficult security context. With the e-Visa rollout, Mauritania may yet turn the corner—especially if regional security conditions improve.

French MFA’s Mauritania travel advisory highlights persistent security concerns