Mali tourist and business visa

Mali's missions state that ECOWAS citizens can enter without a visa. The embassy in Washington adds Algeria, Cameroon, Andorra, Monaco, Chad, The Gambia, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia, whose citizens may enter with a valid identity card or passport. The embassy in New Delhi notes that residents of Indonesia do not need an entry visa for a short stay. All other travellers apply in advance through the mission responsible for their country of residence.

The embassy in Rome asks for a passport, or a laissez-passer for United Nations and international organisation staff, valid for at least six months; two colour photos on a white background; a hotel booking in Mali; for business trips, a cover letter or an invitation letter signed by the partner in Mali and legalised at a Malian municipality; the completed application form with a precise address and telephone number in Mali and in the country of residence; a copy of the passport's biometric pages; and international vaccination certificates, especially for yellow fever. The New Delhi embassy also lists a copy of the return flight booking.

Each mission publishes its own fees. The embassy in Rome charges EUR 110 for a multiple-entry visa valid for three months and EUR 120 for six months. The embassy in New Delhi gives an average processing time of 5 to 10 working days outside urgent cases, and states that incomplete applications may be delayed or refused without refund.

Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs a single portal for its embassies and consulates. You choose your country of residence and the portal lists the mission or missions where you can file the request; for residents of France, for example, it shows the embassy in Paris and the consulates-general in Paris and Lyon. The embassy in New Delhi describes the steps from 11 March 2025: create an account, choose the visa type, fill in the online form, upload the supporting documents as PDF or JPG files, book an appointment if required and pay the visa fee. Applications on paper that do not go through the portal are not accepted there.

Movement within Mali is free for foreigners, but you must be able to show the documents required for your stay whenever the authorities ask. A foreigner without a return ticket or a ticket to a destination outside Mali must pay a repatriation deposit, equal to the cheapest fare from the place of embarkation, to the Public Treasury within 15 days of arrival, or hold a bank guarantee. Anyone over 18 staying beyond three months needs a stay authorisation.