We’re planning to drive to Senegal by car. We’re a little nervous because it’ll be our first time making the trip with a car that isn’t ours.
We’re doing the trip to deliver it to its owner.
Has anyone here done this before?
What documents will we need?
This topic interests me because I’m planning to head back to Mauritania at the end of the year in "my old VW T3 camper van," and I wanted to extend the trip by taking a little detour to Senegal.
I checked the Senegalese government website and noticed they’ve really tightened up the paperwork required just to do a "round trip" with your own vehicle.
So, driving a vehicle that isn’t even yours and then leaving it there????????????
It must be possible, but it’ll take a lot of patience—laws in Africa are often "hit-or-miss" depending on who you talk to.
Make sure to get all the required documents clarified by the consulate, and watch out for "hearsay"!!!
I’m curious to hear what others have to say.
"Il vaut mieux faire des enfants quand on est vieux, on les em...de moins longtemps (Desproges)
I can already picture some guys rubbing their hands in delight when they see you roll into Rosso. (Better to avoid it and go through Diama, depending on the month).
We don’t have enough info to give you a proper answer...
French car? Who are you giving it to? A tourist there? A French resident? A Senegalese person? Do you know the person well?
It’s odd if it’s for a French person who didn’t give you the details... If it’s a Senegalese person, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re letting you walk right into a trap...
Since you’re a new profile and unlikely to return, I’ll wait for your response...😅
Qui écoute trop la météo, passe sa vie au bistrot !
I can already picture the guys who’ll have a field day when they see you roll into Rosso. (Better to avoid it and go through Diama, depending on the month).
We don’t have enough info to answer you...
French car? Who’s it for? A tourist there? A French resident? A Senegalese? Do you know the person well?
Weird if it’s for a French guy and he didn’t give you the details... If it’s a Senegalese, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s letting you walk right into a trap...
Since you’re a new profile and unlikely to return, I’ll wait for your reply...😄
I can just imagine their excitement when they see a newbie like me show up :)
It’s a French car that an acquaintance (a Senegalese living in France) bought, and he apparently wanted to send it by boat.
But since I wanted to do the road trip, he offered to let me bring this one.
***I know more after asking him a bunch of questions :)
The car is less than 8 years old, registered in France, and he bought it from a garage—so far, so good in my opinion. After pushing him, he told me the car wasn’t “registerable,” and I figured it wasn’t exactly legit (VEI or a VGE).
I need to go see the car and the papers, but I already know I’d never travel with a car like that. Because if my suspicions are confirmed, this car shouldn’t be sold to a private individual.
This smells like a scam from a mile away.
Back in the day, I knew about this kind of trade heading to West African countries a few decades ago, where a lot of shady folks would transport cars that looked decent but were actually rejects from the French market, just to resell them there and fund "exotic" trips on the cheap. But those countries aren’t fools anymore—they’ve long since caught onto this business and put in place strict rules to discourage bringing vehicles into their territory.
"Il vaut mieux faire des enfants quand on est vieux, on les em...de moins longtemps (Desproges)
What’s more, it’s perfectly possible to drive a vehicle to most countries, as long as you’ve carefully met all the legal import conditions specific to each one—details are available at their consulates.
"Il vaut mieux faire des enfants quand on est vieux, on les em...de moins longtemps (Desproges)
😊
This is tough for me—I’ve sold so many things, including cars, in most West African countries regularly for over 10 years...
You’re seriously mistaken about this market...
Sure, most of the old cars used to go to Africa, but it’s important to put things into perspective...
1- Europe was more than happy to see them go.
2- These African countries, especially Senegal, NEVER tried to avoid these junk cars. Instead, they forced people to buy from the mafia-like business of the Wade clan, where Karim (the son) managed these kinds of interests.
3- Those old cars—if you only knew how much they helped people over there...
And just so you know, the ones that didn’t make it by road still ended up being sold by junkyards, imported in containers, and sold at much higher prices, lining the pockets of a few corrupt individuals.
4- Most car dealers, sure, like you said, took vacations there, BUT the amounts were ridiculous and not enough to open a Swiss bank account. Almost all of it was reinvested in the local economy.
5- Let’s not be hypocritical—where do you think all the tons of clothes in huts near our landfills come from? And so many other things our governments dump on them...
Plus, even the old cars were in better condition than the locals’ vehicles.
You pay taxes to a country that sells lethal weapons to poor countries and then sells them bandages afterward.
I’ve seen some shady, unscrupulous dealers make shameful deals, but I’ve also met a lot of nice people who couldn’t afford transportation any other way, bringing lots of supplies for small villages in those cars and selling the vehicle to fund the trip.
Just one example... I sold a beautiful 9-seater 505 family wagon in 2003 in Béma, between Nioro du Sahel and Bamako in northern Mali. That beauty has been a taxi between Nioro and Diéma for 22 years now. I also sold a few PlayStations with soccer games... They opened a gaming room.
I didn’t *have* to do this kind of business because I’ve always been financially comfortable, but it opened my mind, and I enjoyed traveling this way and being seen as a sort of *bana-bana* rather than just another *toubab*...
I’ve experienced and seen things I never would’ve if I’d traveled any other way. 😄
I’ve been to a lot of places tourists ignore, sticking to the *toubab* villages on the coast...
Trust me, there are way worse—and far less harmless—businesses out there...
Qui écoute trop la météo, passe sa vie au bistrot !
"After insisting, he told me the car wasn't 'registerable' and I realized it wasn't quite above board (VEI or a VGE)."
Actually, this isn’t a problem for leaving France and crossing Morocco and Mauritania.
The issue with your plan is that your Senegalese "friend" living in France likely wants to bring this car into his country while avoiding the customs duties he’d have to pay if the car arrived by boat... though at the end of the day, that’s not really your problem.
Your real problem is the hassle you’ll face trying to leave Senegal without the car—it’s a total nightmare.
If you’re looking for a trip, I’ve got a similar but more solid plan for you:
I’m heading to Mauritania with two friends and my daughter. We’ll have three vehicles, two of which will be cleared through customs in Mauritania and left there. I’ll return to France with the third one.
We’ll be staying in Nouakchott with an old Mauritanian friend and his wife (we’ve known each other for over 20 years).
If you’d like to join us, I’ll provide you with a car to drive to Nouakchott. After that, my Mauritanian friend and I will accompany you to the Senegalese border and handle your exit formalities from Mauritania.
Guy
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I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist!
But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point.
I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing!
In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing!
I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me!
If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.
hi there
I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....
So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...
Question for those who’ve done it:
In theory (French national), I’m visa-exempt for a 30-day tourist stay, but on France Diplomatie it says on this page
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
Hi there,
My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization.
Does anyone have any recent info on this?
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone.
I’m leaving for almost 3 months in the Philippines (11 weeks total) starting in early May.
I already have my round-trip ticket.
The problem is, I don’t have time to get a 2-month visa because the process takes nearly a month.
From what I’ve read here and there, I need a return ticket valid for less than a month when I arrive in the Philippines to prove my good faith.
After that, I can apply for a 30-day extension at the immigration office.
I’m planning to either buy a fully refundable ticket to the nearest country or a fake ticket.
For 3 months, I’ll need to extend my visa two more times before my return date to France.
My question is this:
Will immigration ask me each time I extend my visa by one month to show proof of an exit ticket matching the new visa extension date?
Is it possible to extend directly by 2 months before the initial 30 days expire?
Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips! 😊
I’ve been to Thailand several times, but it was about 20 years ago…
There’s a new system in place now, it seems.
TDAC – Thailand Digital Arrival Card.
Before arriving, I apply for a TDAC, okay.
If during my stay I cross the border to spend a few days in Malaysia and then re-enter Thailand,
do I need to submit a new TDAC application?
Do I use the same TDAC as when I first entered the country?
Or do I initially have to pay for a Thai multi-entry visa?
Thanks in advance for your insights—I can’t find the answer online.
My partner (Mexican) entered France on January 21st as a tourist. She was therefore entitled to stay for 90 days in the Schengen Area. She’ll be leaving for Mexico on April 16th, so she’ll have “used up” 86 days.
She plans to return to France on July 18th. According to the European Commission’s Schengen calculator, this new stay “may be authorized for a maximum of 90 days.” That’s not very clear ("may be," "for a maximum of").
The text of Article 6 of the European regulation (2016/399) states that for a stay planned in the territory of the Member States, not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period, one must examine "the 180-day period preceding each day of the stay." That’s not very clear either.
My partner wants to return to France for a 90-day period starting on July 18th. Is this possible?
There are two ways to look at it:
1) The first day she spent in the Schengen Area was January 21st. That day will drop out of the calculation 180 days later, on July 20th.
From July 20th, she’ll get back 1 day of possible stay; on July 22nd, 2 days; and so on. All the days from her previous stay (January 21st–April 16th) need to be outside the 180-day rolling window.
The last day of her stay was April 16th. Looking 180 days ahead, that brings us to October 13th. From that date, she’ll be able to return for a full 90 days.
2) The number of allowed days is calculated for each day of the new stay. In other words: the 180-day window is recalculated every day, not fixed at the entry date.
If she re-enters France on July 18th, she’ll only have a “credit” of 4 days. But with each day of her new stay, one day from the previous stay (January–April) will drop out of the calculation. The rolling window allows her to “replace” days from the previous stay with those of the new stay, without ever exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period.
In this case, my partner could stay in France for 90 days starting on July 18th.
The Prefecture doesn’t provide any information, nor does Air France, and in the forums I’ve checked, opinions are divided. Thanks for any insights you can share!
Hello,
We’re planning to travel to Indonesia (Sulawesi with family) next July and August for a stay longer than a month (about 6 weeks).
I’ve seen that it’s possible to get a 60-day visa before departure, but I’ve also read about people having a lot of trouble getting it (some even didn’t manage and had to leave without it).
We absolutely need to have these 4 visas BEFORE leaving because once we’re in Sulawesi, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go to an embassy to request a visa extension after 30 days.
In short, how can we **100% guarantee** that we’ll get our 4 60-day visas before our trip this summer?
Voyager en camping-car au MarocFR
Neuf jours pour faire aimer le MarocFR
From Avignon to Casamance Without Flying
Trip to Morocco in September-October 2025, in our camper van
Escapade à Marrakech, la "ville rouge"FR
Family trip from Marrakech to the desert
Beautiful stops and sites discovered in Morocco in March
