Visa policy of Mauritania

Most visitors to Mauritania may obtain an electronic visa to Mauritania, unless they are a national of one of the visa-exempt countries.

Visa exemption

Citizens of the following 9 countries can visit Mauritania without a visa for a stay up to 90 days:

— Not listed by Timatic as being visa-exempt.

Holders of diplomatic and service passports issued to nationals of Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Morocco and Turkey do not require a visa for Mauritania.
Nationals of any country with a diplomatic passport except Italy do not require a visa.

Obtaining a visa

E-Visa

Mauritania launched e-Visa system in January 2025.
As of 5 January 2025, all visa required nationals will be required to apply for an e-Visa before boarding their flight to Mauritania.
As of June 2025, Mauritanian embassies no longer issue visas; they instead direct prospective applicants to obtain a e-Visa online prior to entering Mauritania.

Visa on arrival

Before 2025 holders of passports issued by any country could obtain a visa on arrival at any international airport, such as Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport, as well as any land border crossing. However, according to Timatic, nationals of Syria were ineligible to obtain a visa on arrival, and had to obtain prior confirmation from the Direction General of National Security in order to enter Mauritania.