Visa requirements
Passport: is generally required for travel to Mali, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months when entering Mali.
Visa: Generally required
Transit: Transit travelers who fly within 24 hours, have valid documents for the onward journey and do not leave the transit room do not need a transit visa.
Validity period: one month. The length of stay in Mali can be extended (immigration office in Bamako or at any police station).
Application: In person or by post at the consulate or at the consular section of the embassy (see Mali – important addresses).
Residence permit: inquiries to the embassy.
Documents: – an original visa application (no copy, no fax) – 2 passport photos (no scans) – fee (in cash or bank transfer, no checks) – passport that is still valid for at least 6 months – travel booking confirmation of the return flight.
Business Visa: additionally a company letter from the German company about the purpose and duration of the trip with a confirmation of the assumption of costs
A franked and addressed envelope and proof of payment for the visa fees should be enclosed with the postal application.
Here you can download the Visa application form for Mali.
Cost of issuing a Visa: 34.00 euros
Processing time: approximately 1 week for applications by post
Mali visa in Mauritania: the Mali visa is available at the Mali embassy in Nouakchott (for address see Mauritania – important addresses). Waiting time: approx. One hour, costs: 6,500 Ouguiya (approx. € 16) for one month and one entry; 8,000 UM (approx. € 20) for one month and 2 entries 10,000 UM (approx. € 25) for 2 months and 2 entries. You need 2 passport photos.
An ECOWAS auto insurance for the whole of West Africa, but not valid in Mauritania, is also available in Nouakchott at the agency TAAMIN in the Avenue Gamal Abdel Nasser, the airport, just before the large roundabout on the right side. Here this insurance is quite cheap and you already have it when you enter Mali and you avoid problems with the border authorities.
In Mali you can take out car liability insurance before entering Europe
inquire at:
AGF MALI ASSURANCES
Mr. RAY DACKO,
Tel: 00 223 678 55 93. or 00 223 928 52 39.
Email: raydacko@yahoo.com
The information on the Mali visa in Mauritania was kindly provided by: Hans-Peter Hauschild, www.dbfg.de
Entry with children:
German: German ID card with photo or own passport. A separate passport for children is recommended.
Austrians: own passport for children.
Swiss: own passport for children.
The same visa requirements apply to children as to their parents.
Children under the age of 18 who travel without their legal guardians require written consent from them.
Vaccinations: Citizens of all countries must present a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon entry, otherwise entry can be refused.
Money
National currency: 1 CFA (C ommunauté F inancière d ‘ A frique) franc is divided into 100 centimes.
Currency abbreviation: CFA Fr, XOF – ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG
Banknotes are in circulation with a value of 10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000 CFA Fr. Coins are available in nominal amounts of 500, 250, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 CFA Fr.
The CFA Franc (XOF) is issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO, State Bank of the West African States) and used by the 8 members of the African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The CFA Franc (XAF) issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (BEAC, State Bank of the Central African States) is not a legal tender in Mali. The CFA franc is pegged to the euro at a fixed exchange rate.
Currency exchange: most banks in Mali exchange cash. The exchange of money in banks can take a long time, often supermarkets (who value foreign exchange) exchange the money faster. The easiest way to exchange the euro is to accept US dollars (with a higher commission). Euro banknotes are often accepted as a means of payment in Mali, but rarely inland.
Exchange rate CFA Franc:
Currency converter at OANDA
Credit Cards: Payments with Visa, Diners Club and Eurocard are only accepted in Bamako better hotels and restaurants.
ATMs: Cash withdrawals with Visa cards are only possible at BDM in Bamako, sometimes also at Bicim.
Traveler’s checks: accepted in banks (though not as fond of cash). Issuing in euros or US dollars is recommended, the exchange commission is around 2%.
Foreign exchange regulations: The import and export of the national currency is unlimited. The import and export of foreign currencies is also unlimited. There is a declaration requirement from amounts equivalent to CFA 25,000.
Bank opening times: Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Health and Diseases
According to the WHO, Mali is a yellow fever infection area. A valid yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all travelers, except children under 1 year.
The Federal Foreign Office’s health service also recommends vaccination protection against tetanus, diphtheria, especially poliomyelitis (poliomyelitis) and hepatitis A, and for long-term stays over 4 weeks, additional hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid and meningococcal meningitis (including type A and W).
The standard vaccinations for children according to the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute should be up to date.
Yellow fever: In the past few years, individual cases of yellow fever have been confirmed in the Kayes and Kita regions.
Malaria: Malaria is one of the most important diseases in Mali in terms of both disease rate and mortality. The transmission takes place through the bite of blood-sucking, nocturnal Anopheles mosquitoes. If left untreated, especially dangerous malaria tropica (approx. 90% of cases in Mali!) Is often fatal in non-immune Europeans. The disease can break out weeks to months after your stay. If fever occurs during this time, it is necessary to inform the attending doctor about staying in a malaria area.
There is a high risk of malaria in Mali. North of the 16th latitude, malaria occurs episodically, south of the Gao – Timbuktu line seasonally with the highest number of illnesses during the rainy season and subsequent transition phase and decrease in the dry season. Chemoprophylaxis (taking tablets) is recommended. For malaria prophylaxis, various prescription medicines (e.g. Malarone®, Doxycyclin, Lariam®) are only partially available in local pharmacies. It is advisable to take a sufficient supply with you. The choice of medication and its personal adaptation as well as side effects or incompatibilities with other medications should be discussed with a tropical medicine / travel medicine before taking it.
Due to the mosquito-borne risk of infection, all travelers are advised to
- Wear body-covering clothing (long pants, long shirts),
- Repeatedly apply insect repellant to all free parts of the body all day (dengue, see below) and in the evening and at night (malaria!)
- to sleep under a mosquito net if necessary
HIV / AIDS:130,000 cases of HIV /AIDSinfections are reported for Mali in 2005. In 2005, 1.7% of the adult population and approximately 31% of prostitutes were HIV positive. Through heterosexual and homosexual contacts, drug use (dirty syringes or cannulas) and blood transfusions there is always a high risk. Condom use is always recommended, especially on the occasion of acquaintances.
Diarrhea and cholera: Cholera occurs repeatedly in epidemics with up to several thousand cases a year.
Appropriate food and drinking water hygiene can prevent most diarrheal diseases and especially cholera.
Some basic rules:
Only drink water of safe origin, e.g. bottled water, never tap water. In case of emergency, use filtered, disinfected or boiled water. Use only drinking water for washing dishes and brushing your teeth. The following applies to food: cooking, peeling or disinfecting. Be sure to keep flies away from your food. Wash your hands with soap as often as possible, but always after using the toilet and always before preparing food and before eating. Hand disinfection, where appropriate, use disposable towels.
Other infectious diseases:
Meningococcal meningitis: Mali is regularly hit by epidemics of meningococcal meningitis (meningitis) during the dry season from December to April, with approximately 400 to 1500 reported cases per year in recent years. The meningococcal vaccination is also recommended during the meningitis season for travelers with a stay of less than 4 weeks. Care should be taken to use a combination vaccine against the four meningococcal types ACWY.
Dengue fever occurs. Dengue is transmitted by the diurnal mosquito Stegomyia aegypti. It cannot be differentiated from malaria based on symptoms alone. In individual cases, serious health problems can result in death. Mosquito repellent is the only precautionary measure.
Schistosomiasis (schistosomiasis): The risk of transmission of this worm infection exists when bathing in fresh water throughout the country (e.g. in the Niger River). Bathing in open fresh water should therefore always be avoided.
The medical care in the country cannot be compared to Europe and is often technically, apparatusally and / or hygienically highly problematic. The number of adequately trained specialists is limited. Medical care in Bamako is limited. The city has individual German-speaking doctors. French-speaking specialists in all major specialties are available.
Predictable operations should only be performed in Europe. Individual private clinics in Bamako can be considered for emergencies.
Bringing medication for a medicine chest is recommended and necessary for people who need special medication. The pharmacies in Bamako have a sufficient assortment of all important standard medicines, often of French origin. Counterfeit medicines with unsafe content occur.
Tourists coming to Mali should take out additional travel health insurance. People who want to stay in Mali for a longer period should have private health insurance that covers treatment costs in Mali, but also in Germany. It is recommended that you take out air rescue insurance from an air rescue organization.
Before you go to Mali, get advice from a tropical medicine advice center / a tropical medicine / travel medicine.
In addition to my general disclaimer, please note the following important note:
A guarantee for the correctness and completeness of the medical information as well as a liability for possible damage cannot be assumed. You stay responsible for your healthy.
Travel opportunities on Mali vacation
Airplane: The airlines Compagnie Aerienne du Mali (CAM) and Mali Air Express (MAE) fly to domestic airports such as Mopti, Kayes and Timbuktu.
Ship: During the Niger flooding from August to November / December, three Compagnie Malienne de Navigation (COMANAV) ferries operate on the river between Koulikoro (50 km west of Bamako), Mopti, Timbuktu and Gao. However, there may be delays or interruptions in the ferry service at any time. The 1,300 km journey takes about 5 to 7 days. It is better to bring groceries, but you can also buy everything you need on the ships. From December to March, at times of low water levels in Niger, the ferries only operate the route between Mopti and Gao. In Timbuktu and Mopti it is possible to rent pirogues (small boats) and pinasses (large motorized river boats).
Train: A train runs daily between Bamako and Kayes. The comfort in these trains (air conditioning, dining car) is not bad. The “timetables” are never met, the speed of travel is low. Many stations have been closed since 2003.
Cars: The road quality in Mali is very different, from very well paved to impassable through the rainy season. The main route in Mali runs from Sikasso in the south to Bamako, Mopti and Gao. The roads north of Niger are often very bad.
During the rainy season (mid-June to mid-September), when the Niger and its tributary Bani flood, the road between Mopti and Gao is closed.
Buses (including those from Somatra and Bittar) connect the larger cities in Mali. Bus taxis and minibuses also go to remote areas and are a little cheaper than buses. Documents: The international driving license is recommended. Visitors with their own vehicle need a “Carnet de passage”.
Longer night drives should be avoided due to roadblocks and the risk of accidents and robberies.
City traffic: The shared taxis in the cities are inexpensive, uniform tariffs are required.
Mali – Places to See
In Mali’s capital Bamako , the botanical garden, the zoo and the Musée National are recommended. It is of course also interesting to trade in the markets.
Djenne was one of the most important cities on the Trans-Sahara route. Djenne is best known for the huge clay mosque, in the shade of which a colorful market takes place every Monday. The original settlement was around 250 BC. BC and is located about 5 km from today’s Djenne. Djenné has strange buildings that seem to grow out of the ground, soft and crooked. The magnificent mosque is one of the most impressive buildings on earth.
Mopti is located at the confluence of the Bani and Niger rivers. The city consists of three islands connected by dams. The city’s mosque and market are well worth seeing. The busy river port with pinasses and pirogues, among others to Timbuktu, always offers a photo opportunity. Mopti is the link between the Arab and Black African world. This is the southernmost point where the Arabs come with their merchandise to trade with the rest of the continent. Because of its great importance, the Arabs call Niger “the Nile of the black man”.
Southeast of Mopti, on the Bandiagara plateau, lives the Dogon people, whose religious traditions have remained untouched by Islam to this day. It is recommended to visit their very interesting villages only on organized tours or with a local guide. Otherwise it is possible to accidentally disrupt the very traditional way of life of the Dogon. The Bandiagara cliff has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Timbuktu was the center of the legendary gold and salt trade in the 15th century. In addition, numerous Islamic clerics taught in this town on the edge of the desert. Nowadays Timbuktu has more or less crumbled, but there are still some mosques (e.g. Djingerebur, Sankore or Sidi Yahaya) and tombs from the 14th century.
In the centuries-old city of Gao, the Kankan Moussa Mosque is very interesting, and the tombs of the Askia dynasty also invite you to visit.
La Boucle du Baoule National Park: There is not much left of the wildlife in Mali. You can still see some things in the La Boucle du Baoule National Park, with luck you can see giraffes, buffalos or hippos.