Ivory Coast

Nationals of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) enjoy a full visa exemption for travel to Côte d'Ivoire. This includes: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Also included are the Central African Republic, Congo, Morocco, Mauritania, Seychelles, Singapore, Chad, Tunisia, the Philippines and Rwanda.

For all other nationalities, a visa application is required. A large number are eligible for the Ivorian e-Visa, including nationals of: South Africa, Algeria, Germany, Andorra, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, the Comoros, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, Eritrea, Spain, Estonia, Eswatini, the United States, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, the Cook Islands, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lesotho, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, the Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Niue, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Romania, the United Kingdom, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, El Salvador, São Tomé and Príncipe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tanzania, the Czech Republic, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Nationalities not included on this list eligible for the e-Visa must contact an embassy or consulate of Côte d'Ivoire to submit a standard visa application. Similarly, if your e-Visa application is rejected by the Ivorian authorities, this consular route remains open.

The process is entirely paperless: nothing needs to be sent by post and no consulate visit is required. Via the online form, you submit your personal information and supporting documents through a secure portal. The authorisation is then issued to you in PDF format, to be printed in colour before your departure.

It is strongly recommended to submit your application at least 7 working days before your intended arrival date in Côte d'Ivoire. Processing by the Ivorian authorities takes approximately 5 working days, and some applications may be subject to follow-up requests or requests for additional documents from the authorities, extending the overall timeframe.

The Ivorian e-Visa is valid for stays of a maximum of 90 days. Its 90-day validity period begins on the date the PDF document is issued — and not from the date of entry into the territory. It is therefore advisable not to apply too far in advance of your intended departure date, as the document's validity may begin to run before you even arrive in Côte d'Ivoire.

The e-Visa is a multiple-entry visa: you can enter and exit Ivorian territory multiple times during the 90-day validity period. The same traveller may also submit up to 3 e-Visa applications in the same calendar year.

The question also arises for travellers wishing to extend their stay beyond 90 days. Côte d'Ivoire formally allows the extension of the e-Visa, but the process must be carried out at an immigration office on the ground, and approval is not guaranteed. It is therefore strongly advisable to anticipate this process and submit it to the competent authorities well before the current visa expires, without waiting until the last few days.

Obtaining the e-Visa is a key step, but it is not the only preparation to plan before travelling to Côte d'Ivoire. Several practical points deserve checking in advance: the validity of your passport, your entry conditions, your health coverage and any specificities related to your purpose of travel. Here is a summary of the essential points to check before departure.

Côte d'Ivoire is a destination that combines natural riches with economic dynamism. The country has an Atlantic coastline with beach resorts, forested massifs in the western zone, and an economic metropolis — Abidjan — which ranks among the most active in sub-Saharan Africa. Business travellers will find a structured professional environment, particularly in the sectors of trade, agri-food industry and financial services.