new visa for senegal

hello, has anyone got any up to date info on the new visa requirement for Senegal, on the best place to get one and which boarder post have the facility to process them( apparently there biometric),they have just put the skids under my winter trip to gambia. regards chris:mad:  

Obvious I know, but have you contacted the Foreign Office?

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/senegal

hello tom, yes, obvious, I'v got most of the basic facts, that is from 1 july 2013 everyone but the ECWOS, MAURI, MOROC people now need a visa, the problem is its a biometric visa, you have go the embassy to have your finger prints taken, the uk one has no facilities to do this, theres one or two on the contienent, it can't be done through the post, then there's the boarder posts that you can use it, DAKAR airport is the main one, not a lot of good for overlanders, I believe ROSSO will be able to prosess them also, but that is a no no for me, done it twice never again, another place is MBAK, that's on the G-BISSAU boarder, that's a hell of a detour to get to GAMBIA. i would like to here from anyone who has got on the ground experience of whats involved. regards chris:getting nowher 

Ah, you have been doing your homework. I suppose that's all you can do, keep posting on travel-related forums until you hear back from somebody who has been through the same process.

Good luck!

What a pain! I thought Senegal were trying to encourage tourism?

Oslo has a consul (that is where we sorted out the visa for Viking Explorer). He may be able to take fingerprints, so do contact them on email. (Very friendly people there).

They were laying tar down to Diama Dam earlier this year, so hopefully they'll complement that with biometric scanner?

Keep passing on any information you find!

rgds
African GirlChild

OK,

Had a little look online and came across a thread on Thorn Tree where people have been discussing it.

Seems to be information on here: http://www.snedai.sn/paiement/

And copied pasted this:
NEW BIOMETRIC VISA GUIDANCE NOTES
1 - INTRODUCTION:
The visa application is compulsory for all countries wishing to travel to Senegal from 1
st
July 2013 (except nationals from ECOWAS countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde,
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra
Leone, Togo). All information related to the visa application process is available on the
following website: http://www.snedai.sn/paiement/.
A phone line is available 24/7 for all information about the visa application process and to
help solve of all kinds of technical problems online.
2 - PAYMENT
The visa fee is €50 (excluding processing fees) for and entry and stay of between 1 to 90
days.
The applicant pays the visa fee online with a valid bank card (Visa, MasterCard, etc.).
The visa applicant has the option to pay online and then complete the biometric enrolment
at a Senegalese Embassy /Consulate listed below (if he/she doesn’t have the possibility to
upload the requested supporting documents)
List of Senegalese Embassies /Consulates in the countries below where onsite
biometric enrolment service is available
Belgium
Cameroun
China
France
Gambia
Germany
India

Italy
Mauritania
Russia
South Africa
Spain
United States

Case 1: Payment on the website at the time of pre-enrolment online with a Visa card or
MasterCard. When payment is made for biometric visa, the applicant will receive two (2)
messages. A first snapshot mail is sent to you (with an attachment that displays the
unique, personal code / proof of payment). The second email is the "pre-visa" (approval or
rejection from the competent authority)
Case 2: Payment of fees at the airport at the cash Ecobank Office which is installed close to

Other payment methods will be defined later (cash, bank transfer ...)
Examples of special mission would be: a group of people attending a seminar, attending
an international conference, travelling with a national sport team, etc...
3 – MAKING AN APPLICATION
The visa applicant has the choice to be biometrically pre-enrolled online or at a Senegalese
Embassy or Consulate (See above list of Senegalese Embassies/Consulates where onsite
biometric enrolment service is available).
Case 1: Pre-enrolment online
After making the payment online, the applicants fills out an application form available
online then attaches/uploads all required documentation and send the request by clicking
on "Submit".
Case 2: Pre-enrolment at a Senegalese Embassy/Consulate (See above list of Senegalese
Embassies/Consulates where onsite biometric enrolment service is available)
After making an online payment, the visa applicant will need to visit a Senegalese Embassy
or Consulate with the receipt of payment, fill out the paper application form on site and
make a biometric enrolment. The consular officer shall provide the visa applicant with a
receipt and an appointment for the collection of the visa/passport.
4 – EMAILS CONFIRMATION (IF PRE-ENROLED ONLINE)
When the online application form is submitted, the visa applicant will receive two emails:
 An e-mail confirmation with an attachment that displays the unique, personal code
/ proof of payment)
 An e-mail with the "Permission to disembark at Dakar International Airport"
5 – BIOMETRIC ENROLMENT AT A SENEGALESE EMBASSY / CONSULATE
The applicant visits a Senegalese Embassy or Consulate for enlistment (highly
recommended), equipped with the required documents (listed below)
The applicant goes to the Senegalese Embassy / Consulate with the "Permission to
disembark" email confirmation to be biometrically enrolled. Once there, the bar code is
scanned and the data of the applicant appear on the computer system. The enrolment of
the applicant will be to register their biometric data at the end of which a receipt is issued
for the collection of the visa/passport within 48 hours.
The receipt the enrolment contains the following:
 Place, date and time of recording of the biometric data
 Information on the identity of the applicant (name, date of birth, Passport number
etc.)
6 - BIOMETRIC ENROLMENT AT THE AIRPORT
The applicant travels with the "Permission to disembark" email confirmation and, upon
arrival at the airport in Senegal, he will be directed to the "Visa Airport Office" area where
his biometric data will be taken then the visa will be printed on the spot and affixed to the

7 - ISSUING THE VISA
The visa application is processed within 48 hours after enrolment. The applicant will visit
personally a Senegalese Embassy / Consulate with the emails confirmation of enrolment
and payment for the collection of his visa.
8 – OTHER INFORMATION:
 Enrolment (the fingerprinting and photo) is required for each visa application, even
if the applicant has already obtained several Senegal visas.
 It is possible to send someone get a visa upon presentation of the original copy of
the receipt of enrolment, a power of attorney signed by the applicant and a
photocopy of his ID.
 In special cases (with physical disabilities and / or people with no fingerprints), a
medical certificate is required.
 The biometric visa requires the physical presence of the applicant. The
fingerprinting is mandatory for all except children under 12 years, however their
presence will still be required.
 For foreigners living or settled in Senegal, the introduction of new biometric visa
does not change the existing procedure. Indeed, for all foreign holder of Senegalese
identity card for foreigners, it is possible to obtain a return visa at the DPETV.
9 - DOCUMENTS:
1 - The original receipt of payment of visa fee (€50)
2 - A visa application form duly completed and signed by the person
3 - A photo ID
4 - A passport valid for at least six months + a photocopy of the first five pages
5 - The travel to / or a detailed proof of booking airfare
6 - Hotel reservation or accommodation certificate or invitation letter
10 - CHILDREN:
 A signed and notarized parental consent if the parent is a minor traveling
alone
 The original receipt of payment of visa fee (€50)
 A visa application form duly completed and signed by the person
 A photo ID
 A passport valid for at least six months
 Photocopies of the first five pages of the passport/travel document
 The travel to / or a detailed proof of booking airfare
 Hotel reservation or accommodation certificate or invitation letter

Not clear about crossing by land though ... but maybe a booking from Zebrabar and indicate no flight but arriving by land may work?

(Tom - can you move this thread to Paperwork section coz I think people will need to refer to it for a while to come yet!!)

rgds
African GirlChild