How to Enter Cote d’Ivoire

Do I need a passport or visa to enter?

The Ivoirian government requires U.S. citizens to have a valid visa for entry into Côte d'Ivoire, as well as a passport with more than six months of remaining validity. U.S. citizens traveling to Côte d'Ivoire should check with the nearest Ivoirian embassy or consulate for details regarding the latest visa procedures and fees. Please note that visas are not available at the airport upon arrival, and that airport immigration control officials in Abidjan have both detained and denied entry to U.S. citizens arriving in Côte d’Ivoire without a visa. In addition to visa and passport requirements, an international health certificate showing current yellow fever immunization is required for entry into Côte d’Ivoire. Without proof of yellow fever immunization, the traveler may be required to submit to vaccination at entry before clearing immigration, at a cost of 7,000 CFA (approximately $14).

An exit permit is required for all art objects being removed from Côte d'Ivoire. The export permit costs 2,000 CFA plus 500 CFA per object (approximately one to four U.S. dollars). Only the National Museum has the authority to issue the permits.

Foreign travelers are sometimes approached at ports of entry by individuals with offers to expedite passport control and customs, and are then asked to pay an exorbitant fee, both for the service and for the passport and customs officers. Travelers to Côte d’Ivoire are advised that there is no need to pay a police officer or customs officer for any service rendered during an arrival or departure, and that they should not surrender their passports or other important documents to anyone except easily identifiable government officials in uniform.

U.S. citizens intending to establish a residence in Côte d’Ivoire must apply for a residency permit “carte de séjour” at the Office d’Identification Nationale. (Note: "Cartes de séjour" are not issued to children under the age of 16 who are documented on their parents' visas.)

Travelers may obtain the latest information and details on entry requirements from the Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007, tel. (202) 797-0300. Côte d’Ivoire has a Consulate in Los Angeles located at 3550 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 1728, Los Angeles, CA 90010, tel. (310) 358-3339. There are honorary consulates for Côte d’Ivoire in San Francisco, Stamford, Orlando, Houston, and Detroit. If you are currently overseas, you should inquire at the nearest Ivoirian embassy or consulate.

Special Travel Circumstances in Cote d’Ivoire

Ivoirian customs authorities encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information, call (212) 354-4480 or e-mail ATA Carnet Headquarters.

If traveling to another West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) country, expatriate residents leaving Côte d’Ivoire must declare the amount of currency being taken out of the country. Residents traveling to countries that use the CFA franc currency, but are not WAEMU members, are prohibited from taking CFA francs out of Côte d’Ivoire and are authorized to carry up to the equivalent of 2,000,000 CFA francs (approximately $4,000) in any other currency. You can take funds in excess of that amount out of the country in the form of travelers or bank checks. If going to any other non-WAEMU country, tourists are prohibited from taking more than 500,000 CFA francs (approximately $1,000) and business operators are prohibited from taking more than 2,000,000 CFA francs (approximately $4,000) without government approval.

Carry a photocopy of your U.S. passport, visa, and entry stamps. You should also carry an international driver’s license, especially if you plan to drive anywhere in Côte d’Ivoire. U.S. driver’s licenses are not valid in Côte d’Ivoire. Government corruption remains a serious problem in Côte d’Ivoire, and has an impact on judicial proceedings, contract awards, customs, and tax issues. Uniformed security forces (police, military, and gendarmes) routinely stop vehicles for traffic violations and security checks. If you are stopped, politely present your identification. Police and security officials rarely speak English. If you are stopped at one of these checkpoints and asked to pay a bribe, politely refuse and present your photocopy of your U.S. passport, visa, and entry stamp.

Disclaimer

You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Information provided is subject to change without notice. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources. Information published on this website may contain errors. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.

All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe