Côte d'Ivoire tourist visa from an embassy

All visitors need a biometric visa except ECOWAS nationals and the nationals of the other countries the government exempts, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Chad, Seychelles and Singapore. The government's visa information sheet lists a long group of countries, from Germany and Canada to Japan and Türkiye, whose nationals may receive the visa directly from an Ivorian embassy without prior clearance by the security ministry.

Applications must be made in your country of residence. SNEDAI's embassy page lists the missions that issue the visa, among them Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Paris and the Lyon consulate, Rome, The Hague, Bern, Vienna, London, Moscow, Ottawa, Brasília, Mexico City, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi, Riyadh, Cairo, Rabat, Tunis, Algiers, Tel Aviv and several West and Central African capitals. If there is no listed embassy where you live, the e-visa is the alternative.

Every applicant brings the original online payment receipt, the appointment confirmation, the completed and signed application form, one identity photo of 5 x 7 cm, and a passport valid for at least six months with a photocopy of its first three pages. For tourism and leisure, add a hotel booking confirmation and proof of means of subsistence. The forms are free and can be obtained at the embassy enrolment centre or downloaded.

SNEDAI's FAQ states that travel insurance must be valid for the whole stay in Côte d'Ivoire, so a three-month policy does not cover a longer trip. Yellow fever vaccination is compulsory for entry and is checked on arrival, so carry the international certificate.

The visa fee is EUR 50 regardless of the length of stay, from one day to three months, excluding bank charges. In its FAQ SNEDAI itemises the biometric visa at EUR 58: EUR 50 file fee, EUR 5 for the compulsory appointment and EUR 3 online commission. Payment is in euros only, online through SNEDAI's FASTRACE payment page. Holders of diplomatic or service passports are exempt from the fee. Fees are not refunded, including after a refusal.

The procedure has five stages: get the form, pay online, book the compulsory appointment on SNEDAI's appointment site, attend the embassy in person for fingerprints and photo, then come back in person with the enrolment receipt to collect the visa. SNEDAI's FAQ notes that appointments are taken about 24 hours ahead depending on availability and that a standard visa is collected 48 hours after enrolment.

The applicant's presence is compulsory both at enrolment and at collection. Families can use the same account and email for several payments, but each application needs its own receipt.

A short-stay visa cannot exceed three months. SNEDAI says an extension of stay can be granted once you are in Côte d'Ivoire through a residence document. Anyone living in the country beyond three months after entry falls under ONECI's resident card rules and pays a penalty if they do not apply in time.

For a minor, the embassy also requires an extract of the birth certificate and the original parental authorisation, legalised, signed by the father, the mother or the legal guardian. Children under 12 are not fingerprinted but must be present.