VISA to Côte d'Ivoire

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If you are not a citizen of Côte d'Ivoire and wish to travel there, you will need to request a VISA.

That's something you might not be used to do if you are from Europe and only traveled to countries where VISA were not necessary with your passport. Indeed, some passports can open you the doors to many countries without the need to request a VISA. 

But, if you do not hold one of these most powerful passports and are not a citizen of the country, you will have to claim one.

The cost may vary depending on the way you request it. There are two ways to get it.

Via an embassy

Cote d'Ivoire has a few embassies in Europe but not in every country. If you are lucky enough to have an embassy in your country, it will leave you with less uncertainty when traveling to Cote d'Ivoire. in order to get it, there will be different steps:

1.  Fill a form that you can download from the SNEDAI website

2. Pay online for the VISA, it will cost you 50 euros

3. Book an appointment online

4. Enroll by providing the documents necessary on site

5. Once your application submitted, it will take up to 48h to get an answer. Once approved you will be able to collect your VISA with the enrollment receipt directly at the embassy.

Online

Since February 2014, it is possible to claim an eVISA online, which is great if there are no Ivorian embassies in the country you reside. Otherwise, you will need to travel to the closest country with an embassy. The process is pretty similar to the embassy one except that you will collect your VISA only upon arrival in the country at the custom.

1. you need to pre-enroll by filling an online form and upload the requested documents.

2. Pay online, it will cost you 73  euros in total (VISA + admin fees) to get a 3 months VISA

3. If approved, you will receive a confirmation document that validates your online pre-enrollment. Keep this with your travel documents along with your passport with more than 6 months of remaining validity and one blank page for entry stamp.

4. Once arrived at the airport, there will be an office at the custom where you will have to enroll. The process is very straightforward. They just double check if the information provided are correct, take an ID photo of you and also your prints. If it is not too busy, it will take about 15-20 minutes in total.

Among the requested documents, you will also need to provide:

  •  a hotel booking confirmation or an accommodation certificate from the person that will host you
  • a photocopy of your birth certificate
  • the international certificate of vaccination showing a recent vaccine against yellow fever
  • the confirmation of your return flight ticket

I found the experience hassle free even though the pre-enrollment does not guarantee they will accept your application upon arrival. So make sure to provide all the necessary documents and if needed do not hesitate to contact the embassy for further information. 

Also, be careful to only treat with custom officers in uniform once you arrived. There is no need to pay police officers or custom officers for any service rendered during an arrival or departure.

One final advice would be to plan your trip long-time in advance, 3-4 months at least. The collection of all these requested documents if you live abroad like me can be time-consuming.