Mali

Mali visa guide

  • 2 visa types
  • checked 24 October 2026

How visas for Mali work

Visas for Mali are issued by Mali's embassies and consulates, which are external services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Since March 2025, applications are started on the official portal of Mali's diplomatic missions and consular posts. You select your country of residence and the portal directs you to the embassy or consulate that covers it; that mission then handles the appointment, the documents and the fee.

Mali's missions state that ECOWAS citizens do not need a visa. The embassy in Washington also lists Algeria, Cameroon, Andorra, Monaco, Chad, The Gambia, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia among the nationalities that can enter with a valid identity card or passport. Everyone else needs a visa obtained before travel, and missions ask for proof of yellow fever vaccination.

Foreigners over 18 who stay beyond three months must obtain a stay authorisation from the immigration authority in Mali. This is the residence visa (visa de séjour), valid for up to one year and renewable, handled by the Residence Permits Division of the Border Police, which has its own official online portal. Long-term immigrants receive a resident card valid for five years.

Which visa do I need?

Tourism, family visit or business trip: an entry visa from the Mali mission that covers your country of residence, requested through the missions portal.

Staying more than three months, without or with work: the residence visa (visa de séjour) from the Border Police in Mali.

Settling permanently to live or work: the five-year resident card (carte de résident).

Visa types for Mali

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Entry visa for Mali (tourism, private visit, business)

    Mali's entry visa for tourism, private visits and business is issued by the Mali embassy or consulate that covers your country of residence.

    Validity: Set by the mission; Rome issues three-month and six-month multiple-entry visas

Residence

  • Residence permit Residence visa (visa de séjour) and resident card (carte de résident)

    Under Law No.

    Validity: Residence visa up to one year, renewable; resident card five years, renewable

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a Mali visa?

Start on the official portal of Mali's diplomatic missions, choose your country of residence and follow the instructions of the embassy or consulate it assigns. Paper applications that bypass the portal are not accepted by missions such as New Delhi.

Who can enter Mali without a visa?

Mali's missions state that ECOWAS citizens need no visa. The Washington embassy also lists Algeria, Cameroon, Andorra, Monaco, Chad, The Gambia, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia.

How much does a Mali visa cost?

Fees are set by each mission. The embassy in Rome, for example, charges EUR 110 for a three-month multiple-entry visa and EUR 120 for a six-month multiple-entry visa.

Is yellow fever vaccination required?

Yes. Mali's missions list the yellow fever vaccination certificate among the documents for a visa application.

What happens if I stay longer than three months?

Any foreigner over 18 must obtain a stay authorisation from the immigration authority after three months in Mali, in the form of a residence visa valid for up to one year.

Embassies and consulates

Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.