Rules for overlanding in Mauritania

An Italian licence is valid for six months. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

Customs asks for a carnet de passages. You may also be required to sign an "engagement sur l'honneur" undertaking not to sell the vehicle during your stay; that declaration counts as the circulation permit for a set period and can be renewed for a fee at customs or at other border posts.

Third-party liability cover is compulsory.

Out of about 7,660 km of roads only 866 km are paved. Surfaces are generally in decent shape, but watch the sand along the edges, animals crossing and the inter-urban shared taxis (taxis brousse), which are a frequent cause of accidents.

Driving at night is dangerous and the ministry says to avoid moving after dark.

Prudent driving is essential. Minor collisions are frequent in Nouakchott, though usually without serious consequences for drivers or pedestrians.

Police in the capital systematically check vehicles with foreign plates. Stay calm and polite, and carry an identity document, keeping a copy somewhere safe.

Keep calm and courteous at land crossings even if the wait drags on. Overland movement to or from Mali should only go through Senegalese territory, and Mali itself is a destination advised against for any purpose.

Phone and internet coverage is not guaranteed in some interior regions.

Importing, selling and drinking alcohol are prohibited in Mauritania. Possessing or using narcotics is prohibited and severely punished.

Bringing in pork and pork products is strongly discouraged. Tourists found with cured meats have recently had their passport seized temporarily.

Since 5 January 2025 the visa must be applied for online, and you have to check on the same site that your application has been approved before travelling.

Taking local currency out is prohibited. Foreign currency has no limit but must be declared on entry, and on the way out you can export up to the declared amount; keep your exchange receipts, which customs often asks for. Change money only at authorised banks or hotels; cards work in some hotels and shops, and ATMs exist in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.

Mauritania's civil aviation code (Law 2018-040, article 52) states that no aircraft able to fly without a pilot may fly over Mauritanian territory without a pilot, except with a special authorisation from the competent authorities and under its conditions. (République Islamique de Mauritanie — Loi n° 2018-040 du 13 novembre 2018 portant code de l'aviation civile (J.O. n° 1425 bis du 15 novembre 2018), article 52, texte publié sur le site de l'ANAC)

The Banc d'Arguin National Park (PNBA) states on its visitor page that any vehicle or boat brought into the park must hold a PNBA authorisation issued after payment of the access fees, and lists among its rules not to travel outside the authorised tracks. For first visits, it says using a guide is indispensable, and it recommends 4x4 vehicles and GPS. (Parc National du Banc d'Arguin (PNBA, Mauritanie) — Nous visiter)

According to the French foreign ministry, bringing a vehicle in requires a carnet de passages en douane bearing the logos of the Fédération internationale de l'automobile. Without the carnet, customs asks for a deposit covering the duties and taxes, refunded when the vehicle leaves the country. (Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France) — Conseils aux voyageurs, Mauritanie : entrée / séjour)

According to the French foreign ministry, the authorities admit vehicles by recording them on the owner's passport. The vehicle, or the transfer receipt if it has been sold, must be presented when you leave the country, and a vehicle left behind has to be declared at a police post. (Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France) — Conseils aux voyageurs, Mauritanie : entrée / séjour)

According to the French foreign ministry, you can no longer exit through border posts after 18:00, in some cases after 17:00. Some crossings are bilateral and open only to citizens of Mauritania and of the neighbouring country. In the buffer zone on the Moroccan border, vehicles can be held for an indefinite period. (Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France) — Conseils aux voyageurs, Mauritanie : entrée / séjour)