Whether you need a visa for French-speaking Africa depends first on your nationality, then on the country you are heading to. ECOWAS and CEMAC citizens can often enter the countries of their own zone without a visa. Other travelers go through one of three procedures: an e-visa online, a visa issued on arrival, or a visa applied for at an embassy.
For your own situation, use the “Do I need a visa?” tool on the Entry requirements page. This guide explains the general rules, country by country.
The four possible cases
Depending on your passport, the same country may let you in freely or ask you for a full application.
1. No visa: regional and bilateral agreements
West Africa has the oldest agreement. The ECOWAS Protocol on free movement, signed in 1979, allows a citizen of the Community to enter without a visa for up to 90 days. Its Article 3 requires a valid travel document and up-to-date vaccination certificates (text of the protocol).
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have left ECOWAS. They still exempt its citizens from visas, according to their declaration of December 13, 2024, which our country guides reflect.
In Central Africa, the six CEMAC countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad) ratified free movement for their citizens in October 2017. That is what the South African daily Business Day reported at the time.
Watch out
The two zones are separate. A Senegalese passport does not open the CEMAC zone: our country guides list an e-visa for Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Other agreements exist. Benin lets in all African passports visa-free for 90 days. Togo has done the same for 30 days since May 18, 2026, with an online declaration 24 hours before arrival.
Outside Africa, many European, Swiss, North American and British passports enter Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Mauritius without a visa, generally for up to 90 days.
2. The e-visa: an online application before you leave
This is the most common procedure. You fill in a form on the official portal, upload your documents and pay by card. The approval arrives by email.
Often it is only an authorization: the visa itself is issued at the airport, after your fingerprints are taken. This is the case in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea and Burundi. Our article on the Côte d'Ivoire e-visa walks through this process.
3. The visa on arrival
It is becoming rare. Rwanda, Madagascar and Comoros offer it to all nationalities. Mauritania first requires an online authorization, then charges for the visa on arrival: €55 for 30 days, according to our country guides. In Djibouti, a one-month visa can be issued on arrival, but only if the airline and immigration accept it.
Watch out
Togo, Cameroon, Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic do not issue visas on arrival to nationalities that need one. Without a visa or prior approval, the airline may refuse to let you board.
4. The visa from an embassy or consulate
Where no e-visa is in service, you have to submit an application to an embassy or consulate, sometimes by appointment. This is the rule for most foreigners in Algeria, DR Congo, the Central African Republic and Niger. In the Republic of the Congo, you apply and pay online through the embassy, then the visa is affixed in your passport.
Visa for French-speaking Africa, country by country
These tables sum up each country's general rule, based on our entry requirement guides checked in October 2026. They do not replace checking your own case: exemptions change often and depend on your nationality.
North and West Africa
| Country | Main visa exemptions | Procedure for other passports | Yellow fever required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | EU, Switzerland, North America, United Kingdom, many African countries | E-visa on acces-maroc.ma or consulate | No |
| Algeria | A few neighbors (Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali) | Consulate; visa on arrival for a tour of the Deep South organized by an approved agency | Depending on origin |
| Tunisia | EU, Switzerland, North America, United Kingdom, Maghreb, many West African countries | Embassy (no e-visa) | No |
| Mauritania | About ten neighbors (Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire…) | Online authorization, then visa paid on arrival | Depending on origin |
| Senegal | ECOWAS, EU, Switzerland, North America, United Kingdom, Morocco, Tunisia… | Embassy (free visa) | Depending on origin |
| Mali | ECOWAS, a few African and Maghreb countries | Online application then embassy, no visa on arrival | Yes |
| Burkina Faso | ECOWAS | E-visa, plus an online travel form | Yes |
| Niger | ECOWAS, Morocco, Tunisia, Chad | Embassy, no visa on arrival | Yes |
| Guinea | ECOWAS, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritania | E-visa, then visa issued in Conakry | Yes |
| Côte d'Ivoire | ECOWAS, Morocco, Tunisia, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda… | E-visa on snedai.com, visa issued in Abidjan | Yes |
| Togo | ECOWAS; African passports for 30 days | E-visa, no more visa on arrival | Yes |
| Benin | All African passports (90 days) | E-visa on evisa.bj | Yes |
Central Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean
| Country | Main visa exemptions | Procedure for other passports | Yellow fever required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | CEMAC, Nigeria | E-visa on evisacam.cm | Yes |
| Chad | CEMAC | E-visa on evisa.td | Yes |
| Central African Republic | CEMAC | Embassy, no e-visa | Yes |
| Equatorial Guinea | CEMAC, Tunisia | E-visa, visa affixed in Malabo | Yes |
| Gabon | CEMAC, Morocco, Mauritius, South Africa | E-visa, entry through Libreville | Yes |
| Republic of the Congo | CEMAC | Embassy, online application | Yes |
| DR Congo | A few neighbors | Embassy (e-visa announced, not in service) | Yes |
| Rwanda | No exemption needed | Visa on arrival or online | Depending on origin |
| Burundi | East African Community, a few countries | Online application, visa issued on arrival (90 USD) | Yes |
| Djibouti | None for an ordinary passport | E-visa or embassy | Depending on origin |
| Madagascar | No exemption needed | Visa on arrival or e-visa | Depending on origin |
| Comoros | No exemption needed | Visa on arrival in Moroni | No |
| Seychelles | No visa for anyone | Paid online travel authorization | Depending on origin |
| Mauritius | Most nationalities | Online form before arrival; visa in advance for a short list of countries | Depending on origin |
“Depending on origin”: the certificate is required if you arrive from a country where yellow fever circulates. Details on each country guide and on our Health page.
Rules that depend on your passport
According to our country guides, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Gabon suspended visas for Americans, on a reciprocity basis, between June 2025 and January 2026. Guinea has tightened its conditions for European Union passports since August 1, 2026: a 45-day processing time and a $100 visa. Morocco has no longer exempted Ivorians since September 2024.
On the other hand, Chad and the Republic of the Congo have announced that they will scrap visas for all Africans on January 1, 2027. Check that this is in effect before you leave.
Our advice
Open the Entry requirements page and choose your passport and destination in the “Do I need a visa?” tool. Also read your own government's travel advice.
The documents to prepare
The lists vary from country to country, but four documents come up almost everywhere.
A passport valid for at least six months
Many countries require a passport valid for at least six months, counted from your arrival or your return date depending on the country. This is the case in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, DR Congo, Rwanda and Madagascar, among others. Tunisia has required three months since January 1, 2025.
Our advice
Aim for a passport valid six months after your return: that margin covers every country.
A return ticket
A round-trip or onward ticket is required in Benin, Cameroon, Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius. Morocco may also ask for one on arrival.
Proof of accommodation
A hotel booking or a proof of accommodation is often required. Côte d'Ivoire asks for a letter of invitation or a certificate of accommodation, not just a booking: our article on the hotel booking for the Côte d'Ivoire visa explains which document to ask for. In the Republic of the Congo, you need a certificate of accommodation issued by a district town hall, or a hotel booking that is already paid.
Some countries also check your funds. Comoros asks for €30 per day of stay, and Mauritius may ask for proof of 100 US dollars per day.
The yellow fever vaccination certificate
It is required on entry in 15 of the 26 countries. A single dose protects for life, according to the World Health Organization. Since July 11, 2016, the international certificate of vaccination has been valid for life after one dose, as Quebec's public health institute (INSPQ) points out.
Watch out
A second dose is only advised if you were vaccinated before the age of 2, during a pregnancy, or if you have HIV or a weakened immune system. The certificate only becomes valid 10 days after the first vaccination, according to MesVaccins.net: get vaccinated early and keep the yellow booklet with your passport.
According to our country guides, the booklet is checked systematically on arrival in Gabon and DR Congo. Without it, you may be turned back.
Beware of fake e-visa websites
Search for “e-visa” and a country name: the top results are often private websites. Some charge for a pointless service, others are outright scams.
In December 2025, Chad denounced the English-language website evisa-chad.org as fraudulent and one to “avoid at all costs,” according to the APA News agency (our translation). The official site is evisa.td. The Ivorian company SNEDAI issued the same warning in 2019, according to Connectionivoirienne.
Any other application website is not OFFICIAL and is not recognized by the STATE of Côte d'Ivoire.
Three habits will protect you:
- Start from the official address. Take it from the country guide or an embassy website, never from an ad.
- Look at the domain name. Official portals often end in the country's extension (.td, .bj, .cm, .bf, .tg, .gov.mg). A .com or .org with “visa” in the name deserves a check.
- Compare the price. A fee much higher than the one in our country guides often points to a middleman.
If you have paid a fake website, alert your bank and the embassy of the country concerned.
When should you apply?
Whatever the country, apply one to two weeks before departure, once your flights and accommodation are booked. SNEDAI announces 48 business hours for Côte d'Ivoire, Togo asks for the e-visa at least 5 days before arrival, and Benin at least 7 days. But a rejected document means starting over. Allow more time for an embassy visa or a specific processing time, such as Guinea's 45 days for European Union passports.
Our advice
Print the e-visa approval, the payment receipt and your bookings, and keep a copy on your phone.
See also our Safety and Budget pages.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a visa for French-speaking Africa with a French passport?
It depends on the country. A French passport enters Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Mauritius without a visa. You need an e-visa for Côte d'Ivoire, Benin or Cameroon, and an embassy visa for Algeria or DR Congo. Check each country in the tool on the Entry requirements page.
Is a visa for one ECOWAS country valid for its neighbors?
No. We found no common visa for foreigners across the ECOWAS or CEMAC countries: each country issues its own. Only citizens of member countries move freely.
Can you get a visa on arrival everywhere?
No. The visa on arrival exists in Rwanda, Madagascar and Comoros. Elsewhere, you almost always have to apply before departure, online or at the embassy.
Is the yellow fever vaccine mandatory for the visa?
It is required on entry in 15 of the 26 countries, and Guinea asks for it in the e-visa application. A single dose is valid for life, except in special cases.
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