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Is Mauritania Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Mauritania

Mauritania is a country located in northwest Africa, sharing its borders with Algeria, Senegal, and Mali, along with the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Mauritania is a country whose main attractions are its desert and its ocean.

This is why it’s no wonder that tourists mostly come here to visit the desert in Adrar and the Tagant areas (areas around Atar), and the ocean in Banc d’Arguin: this is an incredible sight of a natural reserve with dunes ending in the sea, with millions of birds that will take your breath away.

It is protected by UNESCO.

If you’re interested in seeing the stunning desert scenery, Mauritania is the place for you.

You can hike across rocky terrain and through narrow canyons and run into surprising oases which served as some kind of refuge to traders crossing the Sahara for centuries.

Two other stunning historical cities in the Adrar are Chinguetti, once a trading center with an incredible architecture that persisted unchanged for nearly a millennium, and Oudane, and along with a couple of other small towns, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Warnings & Dangers in Mauritania

OVERALL RISK: HIGH

Generally speaking, Mauritania isn’t safe at all for tourists. There have been reports of Westerners being kidnapped and executed while violent crime is on the increase. Exercise maximum possible vigilance.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: HIGH

Use your wits as you would in your own country. For instance, never get in unlicensed cabs as there have been many cases of robbers using this trick to lure and attack their victims. Banditry is increasingly common in Mauritania so be careful when driving or finding yourself on the road. Always keep your windows up and your doors locked.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH

Pickpockets are extremely common, and tourists very commonly wind up being stolen from. When you’re on the streets, try not to look like you have money and leave all your valuables in your accommodation. Don't take your cell phone out in the middle of the street, and while walking around, keep your eyes and hands on your purse at all times.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: HIGH

When it comes to natural disasters, since 2002, Mauritania has battled many wars with natural disasters from locust invasions to severe drought and flooding. The droughts and severe rainfalls keep interchanging so the country is suffering from either one thing or the other.

MUGGING RISK: HIGH

Muggings, robberies, kidnappings, and assaults are becoming increasingly common in Mauritania so be on the lookout everywhere. Be careful at night and avoid remote and poorly lit areas, and if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, hand over your belongings immediately.

TERRORISM RISK: HIGH

Terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in Mauritania. Avoid traveling to the eastern and northern provinces of Mauritania - Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, and Hodh el Chargui - as there is a continuing high threat from terrorism throughout the country.

SCAMS RISK: HIGH

As in almost any country, there is a great risk of getting scammed in Mauritania, too. Always check everything twice and negotiate everything in advance. Taxi drivers might try to trick you into paying more, giving you wrongful information about the price of the ride.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: HIGH

Women are strongly advised against going anywhere in Mauritania alone and unaccompanied. If you do decide to go to Mauritania, be extremely careful, especially at night and always try to stick with other individuals or groups. Even going accompanied by just one more person is better than going alone.

  • So... How Safe Is Mauritania Really?

Though the gorgeous Mauritania, that boasts beautiful deserts and coastline beauty, its safety remains constantly in question with its persistent struggles located with poverty, terrorism, escalating crime rates and severely mined border areas.

Unfortunately, the biggest threat in Mauritania is one of a terrorist attack.

Terrorists have been known to target areas frequented by foreigners, like most of Western Africa, including clubs, restaurants, embassies, international schools, hotels, expatriate housing compounds, churches and other places of worship, and shopping centers, and Mauritania, unfortunately, isn’t an exception.

In early 2011 Mauritanian security forces prevented a car bombing in Nouakchott, while in 2010, three people were injured in an attempted suicide bombing in Nema.

As for crime, you should avoid Nouakchott and Atar, as there’s a great risk of kidnapping particularly against Westerners there.

Violent crime including robbery, rape, and assault is common and represents a great threat in Mauritania.

Armed bandits are becoming increasingly active across Mauritania.

Avoid beach areas, deserted areas and areas along the road between Mali and Mauritania as bandits have been known to operate there.

  • How Does Mauritania Compare?
  • Useful Information

Most countries do need a visa in order to enter Mauritania. Make sure your passport is valid beyond the intended period of your stay. If you are not sure about your visa status, it is best to visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need a visa.

Mauritanian ouguiya is the official currency in Mauritania. Credit cards are mostly accepted at top-end hotels, larger businesses, and similar establishments.

Mauritania has a desert climate in the center-north, that turns into semi-desert in the south, due to the summer monsoon that brings substantial rainfall between June and early October. The temperature is tempered by the sea breezes on the coastline.

Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport is the busiest airport in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. It is located around 25 km north of the city.

Travel Insurance

Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Mauritania, since it covers not only the costs medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.

Mauritania Weather Averages (Temperatures)

  • Average High/Low Temperature
  • Where to Next?

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17 Reviews on Mauritania

High terrorist threat.

As a former resident of this country, I can attest to the danger you’d be putting yourself in by visiting it. I fled in 2014 to Europe which thankfully wasn’t too difficult as my mother is already a French citizen. I lived in Chinguetti which was fast becoming uninhabitable at the time, I had to abandon my home and business. Another beautiful country destroyed by terrorism.

I spent years traveling places that weren’t considered the safest to document wildlife and I can say that this place is not safe at all. I would not travel here by choice. If you have to travel to see family or some other reason, go as a group of 5 or larger and stay together at all times.

Quick Question

Hi Matt, Thank you for sharing your experience. In which year did you travel to Mauritania? I am considering travel there but would like to know how recent your review is.

Wow, very bad!

I was under the impression this place has changed but not by this much! Wow, I am glad I decided to go elsewhere a few years ago. I was looking up another location on this site and happened to spot this one and was curious. Yikes! It sounds terrible there now!

False information!!

If your going to change your mind then please do and dont let this website judge your opinion. Your hearing from experience, this place is beautiful the food, culture, ocean, i was proudly born in this place and its not a danger after 2014 its very unique and interesting. Please consider this an encouragement.

i see your point

mauritania sounds like a place where people are proud of their culture, the food, and country, and I can respect that because many people love their country. this country sounds like an amazing place to visit, but terrorism is a big threat, which is very sad. if the government can deal with terrorism, then maybe people will consider visiting.

I belive you are right Muhammad. One day I would like to travel to Mauritania.

I am a Spanish citizen, I have lived 5 years in Mauritania (2012-2017). I never had a problem. I always felt very safe, and the people there very friendly. Now I am back in Spain but I feel like going back again. I made lots of friends. ALWAYS FELT SAFE.

It's safe place

Mauritania is a good place to visit. I have been working there for over one year. Now I am planning to start business there.

Mauritania is good place to visit for any good purpose.

I am Pakistani citizen and have been working for oilfield for 40 years around the world including Mauritania in year 2010 for more than a year on an offshore rig. Have been travelling frequently to and fro every month without any fears. I have been going to restaurants for meals with local colleagues. I met many foreigners came there for tourism,work and business purposes. As being an ex-oilfield worker I am planning to start oilfield Vendor business there. I would like to ask someone reading these comments to give me some information to start business there please. The country is as safe as any other country in the world. Talking about dangerous situations so it could be in any country. Please do not insult anyone’s country with stupidity.

African visits

I have always wanted to visit Mauritania and will be doing so next month. Insha Allah being born in Africa I have always had pleasant experiences during my travels from North, South, East and West Africa. Africa is no more dangerous than the west Europe or US. Please visit Africa

I’m coming to moritanya let see

Talking about Mauritania I so much love the country more than Nigeria, Mauritania is my dream country that I want to stay and also work, and enjoy the country food.

Mauritania is one of the safest places in Africa and there is NO TERRORISM.

We have foreigners from all over the world working and living here in peace.

The beaches are amazing and safe.

do not go to mauritania it is not safe

High-risk Terrorist Threat? Since When?

I am not sure why some of the people above have rated Mauritania as being a high-risk terrorist threat. I am an American who has lived here for thirteen years. I have traveled to different parts of Mauritania and have even traveled to Senegal via road a couple times as well. I have not felt threatened nor unsafe. This is coming from someone who has lived on five continents and who travels quite a lot. My experience is, the government works hard to make sure that the country is safe. Also, the people are kind overall. Sure! No place is perfect, but those extreme negative ratings above seem very unfair.

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Article Contents

  • Overall Risk
  • Transport & Taxis Risk
  • Pickpockets Risk
  • Natural Disasters Risk
  • Mugging Risk
  • Terrorism Risk
  • Women Travelers Risk
  • Weather Averages (Temperatures)
  • User Reviews
  • Share Your Experience

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Mauritania Travel Restrictions

Traveller's COVID-19 vaccination status

Travelling from New Zealand to Mauritania

Open for vaccinated visitors

COVID-19 testing

Not required

Not required for vaccinated visitors

Restaurants

Not required in public spaces, enclosed environments and public transportation.

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Can I travel to Mauritania from New Zealand?

Most visitors from New Zealand, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mauritania.

Can I travel to Mauritania if I am vaccinated?

Fully vaccinated visitors from New Zealand can enter Mauritania without restrictions.

Can I travel to Mauritania without being vaccinated?

Unvaccinated visitors from New Zealand can enter Mauritania without restrictions.

Do I need a COVID test to enter Mauritania?

Visitors from New Zealand are not required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test or antigen result upon entering Mauritania.

Can I travel to Mauritania without quarantine?

Travellers from New Zealand are not required to quarantine.

Do I need to wear a mask in Mauritania?

Mask usage in Mauritania is not required in public spaces, enclosed environments and public transportation.

Are the restaurants and bars open in Mauritania?

Restaurants in Mauritania are open. Bars in Mauritania are .

Update January 10, 2024

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Mauritania Travel Advisory

Travel advisory july 31, 2023, mauritania - level 3: reconsider travel.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Reconsider travel to Mauritania due to crime and terrorism .  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do Not Travel To:

  • Areas designated as off limits by the Mauritanian military due to crime and terrorism .

Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as mugging, armed robbery, and assault, are common. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious crimes.

Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting places frequented by Westerners.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Mauritania as U.S. government employees must obtain special authorization to travel outside Nouakchott. U.S. government employees may travel only during daylight hours and are prohibited from walking alone outside of designated areas and times.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Mauritania.

If you decide to travel to Mauritania:

  • Use caution when walking or driving at night.
  • Always carry a copy of your U.S. passport and visa (if applicable). Keep original documents in a secure location.
  • Monitor local media for breaking events and be prepared to adjust your plans.
  • Be aware of your surroundings.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter .
  • Review the Country Security Report for Mauritania.
  • Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist .
  • Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.

Areas Designated Off-Limits by the Mauritanian Military – Level 4: Do Not Travel

The government of Mauritania designates certain areas off-limits to foreigners and most Mauritanians. These “No Movement Zones” are extremely dangerous due to their proximity to Mali, where armed groups engaged in an active insurgency carry out cross-border attacks into Mauritania. The government of Mauritania does not maintain a substantial presence in these areas and thus police are unable to respond to most incidents there. In addition, cell phone coverage and paved roads are nonexistent. U.S. officials are unable to travel to these places. Since the boundaries of such areas frequently change, U.S. citizens should pay attention to all posted signs and notices of restricted entry. They should presume the following areas are off-limits:

  • All areas north of the Tropic of Cancer
  • All areas east of 08⁰ longitude (West of Greenwich) situated within 100km of the Mali Border

Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas .

Travel Advisory Levels

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Tips and how to travel to Mauritania in 2024

By Joan Torres 88 Comments Last updated on March 21, 2024

travel to Mauritania

Wanna travel to Mauritania with Against the Compass?

safe travel nz mauritania

Join a group of like-minded travelers in our next scheduled tour in Mauritania:

November 26th to December 3rd, 2024

How to get a visa, budget & costs, COVID-19 travel restrictions, cultural facts, moving around, how to find accommodation, top experiences and more. This is the most comprehensive and epic guide for traveling to Mauritania available on the internet.

If I had to say one reason to visit Mauritania , I would say that few countries in the world feel as raw.

Until the middle of the 20th century, when the French were ruling the country, up to 90% of all Mauritanians were still carrying out a nomadic, pastoralist lifestyle.

That wasn’t a long time ago.

Today, many from that generation are still alive, so their tribal system and traditional life are completely visible, not only in remote Sahara towns such as Tidjikja, but even the most cosmopolitan people of Nouakchott will wear traditional clothes and have a haima deep into the desert as their second residence.

Backpacking around Mauritania , traveling like the locals do, is the best way to witness the unspoiled Mauritanian lifestyle. If you are lucky, you will travel in a local pick-up loaded with camels, or goats in the worst-case scenario, and taking a break in a Bedouin camp where you will be offered some zrig (fermented yogurt) is almost guaranteed.

In Tidjikja, I once met a Mauritanian who had lived and worked in the USA for almost 10 years. He decided to return to his homeland and, with all the money he saved, he bought tens of camels.

Like in the old times, this is the best business – he said. He was one of the richest men in town now.

And then there is the desert. Mauritania is nearly twice the size of France, yet less than 5 million people live spread across those extensive arid plains, mostly composed of breathtaking desert landscapes, yet to be explored by the average traveler.

Mauritania was on the way of becoming a mass tourism destination (relatively-speaking) but unfortunate events related to the conflict with the Sahel put an end to the industry.

However, Mauritania is still there, awaiting to be discovered by the rawest adventurers.

Look for all the places to visit? Check my 2-week itinerary for Mauritania

Mauritania travel tips

In this Mauritania travel guide you will find:

Table of Contents

  • COVID-19 travel bans
  • Best time to visit
  • Travel insurance
  • Top experiences
  • Useful books
  • Cultural facts
  • Solo female travel
  • Money, budget & costs
  • Accommodation
  • How to move around
  • More information

😷 COVID-19 travel requirements for Mauritania

For entering Mauritania, you can either present a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR.

The PCR for leaving Mauritania isn’t mandatory anymore.

Travel Insurance for Mauritania with COVID-19 coverage

IATI Insurance is one of the few providers that offers full Coronavirus coverage, not only when it comes to treatment, but also cancellations costs in case you tested positive before departure. 

And not only this, but it’s one of the few insurance providers that gives coverage for traveling to Mauritania.

Readers of Against the Compass can get an exclusive 5% discount .

🪪 How to get a tourist visa for Mauritania

Today, practically all nationalities can get a visa on arrival in Mauritania, valid for 1 month.

The visa costs 55€ or 60USD , and it applies to both airports and land borders.

Some travelers have recently reported the immigration officer asking for a 20€ extra fee, claiming it was a necessary fee to pay for getting their passport back.

Obviously, this is a scam and, if you experience a similar issue, report it to the authorities right away.

visa for Mauritania

✍️ How to sign up for a tour in Mauritania

Traveling with a group and an expert local guide will make things much easier, and more fun!

Against the Compass has the following scheduled expedition to Mauritania, which includes riding on top of the Iron Ore Train:

  • Nov 16th to 23rd, 2024 – SOLD OUT
  • Nov 26th to Dec 3rd, 2024 – APPLY NOW
  • Jan 11th to 18th, 2025 – APPLY NOW
  • Jan 21st to 28th, 2025 – APPLY NOW

8-day expedition where besides driving through the desert and visiting remote caravan cities, we will ride on top of the Iron Ore Train.

Learn more here about our upcoming Mauritania Tours

🛫 How to travel to Mauritania

Traveling to mauritania by plane.

Nouakchott and Nouadhibou have the most transited international airports, and I chose Nouakchott because flights were cheaper.

I flew to Nouakchott via Dakar (Senegal) with Air Senegal, but you can find some direct flights from Europe, especially from France and the Canary Islands (Spain).

Alternatively, the airport of Atar – capital of the Adrar region, where most touristic sites are – has direct flights from Paris and some other French cities.

Traveling to Mauritania overland

Mauritania shares a border with:

How to travel to Mauritania from Morocco (Western Sahara)

An easy border to cross, the entry point being the closest Moroccan city to Nouadhibou.

Here’s a border crossing report .

How to travel to Mauritania from Algeria

The Algeria-Mauritania border is currently closed to foreigners due to safety concerns.

How to travel to Mauritania from Mali

After my trip to Mauritania, I went to Mali but I flew there.

It should be open but do check the latest security update, since most embassies claim the border areas are not entirely safe, even though all travelers I met who crossed them said it was just fine.

Read my Mali travel guide

How to travel to Mauritania from Senegal

A very transited border completely open to all travelers, Rosso being the most common entry point, also infamous for its numerous scams.

Instead, experienced travelers recommend going through Diama .

⛅ Best time to visit Mauritania

Spread across some of the driest plains in the Sahara, Mauritania might easily be one of the hottest countries on Earth, along with Sudan and Saudi Arabia , with overwhelmingly killing summers.

Personally, I can’t stand the heat, so my advice is to definitely avoid coming in the summer months, the best season for backpacking in Mauritania being from November to March .

I was backpacking in Mauritania there in the month of February and, during the day, the sun was already pretty harsh, with temperatures averaging 30-35ºC.

Nights and early mornings were kind of chilly though (15ºC), so do bring some small clothes, especially if you are planning to ride the Iron Ore train .

why visit Mauritania

🚑 Travel insurance for Mauritania

For Mauritania, get IATI Insurance :

  • Covers travel in Mauritania (which is rare)
  • One of the few providers with full COVID-19 coverage
  • They have loads of different plans for all types of travelers: from families to backpackers
  • Good for long term trips (up to 1 year).
  • Readers of this blog can get a 5% exclusive discount

🛖 Top Experiences in Mauritania

Riding the iron ore train.

Every single day of the year, a 2.5km long train departs from the remote Sahara town of Zouerat and travels 700km across the Sahara desert to the coastal city of Nouadhibou, transporting hundreds of tonnes of iron ore.

As hardcore as it sounds, travelers can get on top of the train and travel along the 18-hour journey.

This is one of the top reasons to visit Mauritania, and one of the best traveling experiences I have ever had.

Read here about the full experience .

Mauritania travel guide

Visiting the rawest Sahara villages

As I said in the introduction, Mauritania is a particularly raw country and visiting several villages deep in the Sahara feels like traveling back in time.

I strongly recommend Tidjikja.

Tidjikja, Mauritania

Seeing the largest concentrations of camels ever

From Oman to Sudan, hanging out with camels has become a vital part of my travels across the Middle East , but I think the camel market that takes place in the city of Nouakchott has the largest concentration of camels I have ever witnessed.

camel market Nouakchott

Exploring the vastest Sahara

Mauritania is a far-flung land home to jaw-dropping desert scenarios that only a small bunch of travelers have had the chance to discover.

travel Mauritania

📚 Useful books for planning your trip to in Mauritania

West africa travel guide by lonely planet.

A useful book for West Africa overlanders – with a chapter fully dedicated to Mauritania – but bear in mind that it contains travel guides to 18 different countries, so consider it a small introduction to the region.

safe travel nz mauritania

The desert and the drum (Mbarfek Ould Beyrouk)

This is the first Mauritanian novel to ever be translated into English and I think it’s the only one so far, that’s why I bought it.

The story is about a Bedouin girl who falls in love with a stranger city guy and all the consequences after her tribe found out.

To be very honest, the book is a bit cheesy but what I liked that it gives you many insights into how tribal people live in Mauritania.

safe travel nz mauritania

🕌 Facts about Mauritania, its culture, people and religion

Mauritania is where maghreb meets africa.

Nestled between Morocco and Senegal, Mauritania is a chaotic mix of both Maghrebis and sub-Saharan Africans, visible not only in people’s facial features but also in their food and the daily life of many Mauritanians.

You might also like: Libya travel guide

Generally speaking, Mauritanians classify their society into 3 main groups:

White Moors (Beidane) – The dominant ethnic group, which refers to those Maghrebi-looking people who have lighter skin, and mostly have Arab or Berber descent.

Black Moors (Haratin) – Descendants of black slaves who lived in the Maghreb.

Sub-Saharan ethnic groups – Mauritanians who belong to African ethnicities from different parts of West Africa.

Something you need to know about Mauritania is that there is a pretty tangible structural racism , visible in all aspects of life. Mauritanians have a particularly traditional society, many of them either have a tribal mindset or live under a tribal system, which is why black ethnic groups are often treated as second-class citizens, have lower salaries and pursue low-qualified jobs, from house servants to fishermen. ‘’You will never see a White Moor cleaning houses’’ – some locals told me, as if they always felt the need to acknowledge to me they are the dominant group. I didn’t like it.

people Mauritania

Hassaniya is the local language

Hassaniya, which is a variety of Maghrebi Arabic, is the main language in Mauritania, and in the Western Sahara as well.

Nevertheless, languages such Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof are also recognized as national languages, and they are spoken by black African Mauritanians, depending on their ethnicity.

port du peche Nouakchott

It used to be a French colony, so French is the way to go, but English is not that useful

As a former French Colony (from the late 19th century to 1960), French is widely used in Mauritania, especially in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.

Outside of these two cities, however, only highly educated people or people working in hospitality speak fluent French.

English, nevertheless, was hardly spoken by anyone – not even in touristic auberges – and that was a big downside for me, since my French is good enough to make myself understood but I can’t have deep conversations.

It’s a Muslim country

99.9% of the population in Mauritania are Sunni Muslims, most of them being highly devoted to Islam.

You also need to know that there is no freedom of religion and that atheism is punished with the death sentence.

Mauritania tourism

Most people wear traditional clothes

What I loved about Mauritania is that everybody wears traditional clothes, even young people from the capital.

Typically, men wear a wide blue dress named daraa and cover their head with a turban named shesh , which basically means scarf in Arabic.

I did buy the full set in a local market in Nouakchott and didn’t pay more than 6€, but I had to bargain.

Women dress in a traditional colorful dress named melhafa.

Mauritania travel blog

Leblouh is still a big deal in Mauritania

Leblouh refers to the tradition of force-feeding girls when they are very young, typically in those places where obesity is directly related to beauty, so they can get married earlier.

This old practice has been used in many African countries but in Mauritania, it’s still a very big thing. A few young local men talked to me about this particular topic, saying it’s a widely used habit. You will quickly notice that most Mauritanian women are curvy.

Slavery in Mauritania You probably heard of Mauritania being home to the last slavery stronghold in the world and, to some extent, it can be true. Slavery in Mauritania was only abolished in 1981, but it didn’t become an actual criminal offense until 2007. According to international media, however, slavery still exists. Slaves in Mauritania were always black Africans serving their White Moor masters. When you travel in the north of Mauritania, you are likely to see Bedouin families with black servants. Those servants were born and raised among those Bedouins but are treated as second-class family members, whose main goal in life is being their servants. Foreign media will tell you that those are actual slaves, while local Mauritanians claim those people are free to leave but they don’t because they are uneducated, that’s the only life they know and, basically, they are OK with it. Make your own judgment.

market Nouakchott

🍲 Food in Mauritania

If I ever travel back to Mauritania, food won’t probably be the reason.

Mauritania is mostly composed of arid plains and it’s a traditionally nomadic society, so they never had either the ingredients or the motivation to have an elaborate cuisine.

Nonetheless, since Mauritania is sort of a cultural hub with people from Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa, you can find some food variety, but you need to look for it.

One thing that surprised me about backpacking in Mauritania is that it can be difficult to find food, cooked food I mean.

In many towns and villages, there weren’t any restaurants, and even in a relatively sized-town like Tidjikja, there was only one, and the day I went there, they said I had to order 3 to 4 hours in advance. On the next day, I did go there early in the morning, but it never opened.

Don’t panic, however. Usually, most auberges have a daily dish.

Things you are likely to eat in your trip to Mauritania:

Macaroni – Regular, greasy pasta with vegetables and meat. That’s what they fed me most days.

Mauritania food

Thieboudienne – That was my favorite. It’s a traditional Senegalese dish consisting of a brown, thin rice, fish and spices.

Mauritania cuisine

Moroccan cous-cous – I say Moroccan because that’s what they call it. Just regular cous-cous but nothing comparable to the ones you find in Tunisia or Morocco.

Camel meat – Many of the above dishes will often come with camel meat.

Tea culture in Mauritania

Tea is an essential part of Mauritanian life, and a symbol of hospitality.

They have it in a similar way to neighbouring Morocco but the ritual takes longer and they serve it with a lot of foam, like in the Western Sahara.

Their tea is good, heavily concentrated but they take so much time preparing it, averaging 20-25 minutes, if doing it right.

During the first few days of your Mauritania trip, it’s a pretty cool process to observe but then, when you bump into random people who want to invite you for tea, expect to waste 40 or 45 minutes of your time. Because of this, once I missed the sunset and got very upset.

Alcohol in Mauritania Mauritania is a dry country and alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden.

tea Mauritania

⚠️ Is it safe to travel to Mauritania?

Insurance for traveling in Mauritania I strongly recommend IATI Insurance : COVID-19 + full Mauritania coverage + 5% discount BUY IT HERE TO GET YOUR SPECIAL DISCOUNT

For a more comprehensive analysis, read my Mauritania safety guide

If you look into the FCDO advice , you will see that all Mauritania is a big NO-GO zone.

safe travel nz mauritania

Mauritania belongs to the Sahel, a region that spreads across Mauritania, Mali , Niger and Chad – among others – and one of the most turbulent regions on Earth, today home to rebel groups like Al Qaeda Maghreb (AQIM) and many other similar organizations.

The truth is that Mauritania has actually suffered from unfortunate incidents that ended with the premature tourism industry, but it’s also true that, thanks to an outstanding level of security, the situation in Mauritania has remained stable for many years.

Nowadays, Mauritania is a safe destination to travel .

There are some areas near the border with Mali and Algeria where security can be an issue but that’s too remote to go anyways.

Mauritania travel tip: Bring 20-30 copies of your visa & passport When you are traveling around Mauritania, you will go through endless checkpoints in which all foreigners must register for their own security. In those checkpoints, the gendarmerie or military will ask you for a fiche , a document containing a copy of your passport and visa. If you don’t have one, they will make you get off the car and write down all your information, wasting you a lot of time. Therefore, do bring plenty of copies (30, at least). I recommend printing one single page with a copy of your visa and passport, along with your local phone number, if any.

can you travel to Mauritania

💃 Solo female travel in Mauritania

Mauritania is a patriarchal, conservative, Muslim country, so a woman’s experience will differ greatly from a man’s.

However, I haven’t met yet a female traveler who has been backpacking in Mauritania by herself, so I can’t give very specific information about it. If you have visited Mauritania as a solo woman and would like to tell us about your experience, kindly let me know.

Based on female experiences in other countries, nonetheless, here are a few observations:

  • Do expect some occasional harassment, but no more than popular destinations, such as Egypt.
  • If you don’t have a lot of solo travel experience in Muslim countries, it is recommended to first travel to more touristic countries such as Jordan or Morocco
  • Traveling in Mauritania as a solo female should not be very different from traveling in Pakistan or Sudan

💻 Internet and connectivity in Mauritania

Generally, internet is pretty bad in Mauritania, both Wi-Fi and internet data, even in Nouakchott.

Outside of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou I never found Wi-Fi.

Internet data worked OK in Atar, Tidjikja and Zouerat.

In Ouadane and Terjit, it was nonexistent. Chinguetti was fine to send emails and simple browsing.

If you need to download anything, do it in your home country.

I bought a Mauritel SIM card and you can buy extra data and calls in any regular grocery store across the country.

Get a VPN for traveling in Mauritania

You should always use a VPN when you travel, especially when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks.

Your connection will be much safer. 

Moreover, you will be able to access content which is typically censored in Mauritania. 

I recommend ExpressVPN – Extremely easy to use, fast and cheap. 

If you want to learn more about VPN, check: Why you need a VPN for traveling .

💰 Money, budget and costs

In Mauritania, they use the Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRU) and, approximately:

1 USD = 34.75 MRU

In 2018, Mauritania replaced their currency by introducing a new Ouguiya with the same value divided by 10.

The problem is that the vast majority of people still think in the old currency, and it’s so easy to get confused. Occasionally, it’s difficult to guess in which currency they are talking about, especially because sometimes it looks either too cheap or too expensive, but Mauritania is a very cheap country, so always go for the cheaper option 😉

Credit cards and ATMs

You will hardly find a place where you can pay by card. Do always have cash.

Société Generale is the most popular bank among foreigners for withdrawing money. I think it’s the only one that accepts international credit cards. You can find quite a few branches in both Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.

Outside of these two main cities, ATMs are scarce, so remember to bring enough cash.

Exchanging money

There are several exchange offices in the city center (Capital area). Alternatively, I exchanged in many auberges at an acceptable rate.

How much does it cost to travel in Mauritania?

Prices of the most typical things:

  • Full meal in a local place: 150MRU
  • Full meal in fancier places: from 250-350MRU
  • Meals in auberges: 200-300MRU
  • Fast food (sandwich): 70MRU
  • Coffee in a local place: 40MRU
  • Coffee in a fancy café: 80MRU
  • Bottle of water (75cl): 10MRU
  • Local shared taxi within Nouakchott: 10MRU
  • Bus from Nouakchott to Tidjikja: 700MRU
  • Local car from Tidjikja to Atar: 700MRU
  • Local car from Atar to Chinguetti: 200MRU

Backpacking in Mauritania – Average daily budget

safe travel nz mauritania

🏨 How to find accommodation in Mauritania

In Mauritania, there are many accommodation options but, outside of the main cities, they mostly consist of basic campsites and auberges. They also come with a large variety of nonsensical prices. Once I paid 20€ for a creepy hut and the next day I paid 4€ for a similar quality room.

In Nouakchott, if you are a budget traveler, I strongly recommend Le Village & Auberge Triskell , run by Sebastien, a French man who has been living in Mauritania for a long time.

Moreover, in Nouakchott, you can find hotels suitable for any wallet.

Outside of Nouakchott, you will rarely find anything on the internet.

Below is a list of some of the places I stayed at:

  • Tidjikja – Auberge Caravane du Desert – Very basic rooms with private bathroom. 1,000MRU for a double room
  • Terjit – Chez Jamel – A tended camp. It’s pretty basic but it’s well taken care of. 300MRU for a tent
  • Ouadane – Auberge Vasque – This is the best place I stayed in Mauritania. Clean, the only auberge with hot water and a comfortable mattress. 1,200MRU for a double room
  • Chinguetti – Auberge Zarga – Extremely basic and very dirty but the owner seems to be one of the few people in town who is used to dealing with travelers. 150MRU for a dorm-bed Zouerat – Tiris Hotel – Basic hotel and expensive but not many options in Zouerat. 1,500MRU for a double room
  • Nouadhibou – Hotel Esma – A proper, modern hotel. Perfect for those who arrive in Nouadhibou after riding the Iron Ore Train . 2,000MRU for a double room with breakfast

For a more detailed explanation of all these places, don’t forget to check my Mauritania travel itinerary

🛺 How to move around Mauritania

Traveling around mauritania with a rented vehicle.

If I ever visit Mauritania again, I will rent a 4×4. Actually, one of the things I regret about visiting Mauritania is that I didn’t get deep into the desert. I mean, I did visit remote Sahara towns, but didn’t get far away from civilization and main roads.

You can easily rent a car in Nouakchott, or through your preferred guide/tour operator.

By the way, only experienced drivers should attempt exploring the depths of the Mauritanian Sahara.

Traveling around Mauritania by public transportation

Before traveling to Mauritania, I thought that moving between Sahara towns would be challenging but it turns out that all you need is a shit load of patience.

OMG, you can’t imagine how many hours I wasted waiting for a bus/car to leave.

Typically, local 4×4 pick-ups is the preferred way of transportation for moving between Sahara towns. They fit up to 8 people and leave once they are full, but when a town is too remote, it may take a few days to fill it up.

safe travel nz mauritania

I actually wanted to go to Tichit from Tidjikja. Upon my arrival in Tidjikja, the first thing I did was try to arrange the local pick-up to take me there. The car wasn’t full yet, so I waited for one more day but nothing, they still didn’t have enough passengers:

Maybe tomorrow, or maybe not – they said.

In the hypothetical case I managed to get to Tichit, there could also be the possibility that I had to wait there for 3-4 extra days to come back to Tidjikja, which would imply spending more than a week in a very remote area with not much to do and where nobody spoke English, so I passed.

This is how I moved between towns:

  • Nouakchott to Tidjikja – Local buses leave early in the morning from Carrefour Madrid. It’s a 12-hour journey.
  • Tidjikja to Terjit – Local pick-ups leave almost daily, but you need to arrange it on the day before. It’s an epic ride over sand dunes. 10-hour journey.
  • Terjit to Atar – A local pick-up leaves early in the morning but I managed to hitch a ride after waiting for more than 2 hours.
  • Atar to Chinguetti – A few pick-ups run daily. Easy.
  • Chinguetti to Ouadane – First, you need to take a private taxi to the Ouadane intersection and wait there for a car to pass by. The intersection is literally in the middle of the desert, with no internet service and 30km from the nearest civilization. I waited for like 3 hours.
  • Ouadane to Zouerat – A very long ride. First, you must arrange a local pick-up that will take you to Atar, which typically leaves at 7am. Once in Atar, I had to wait for about 5 hours for a bus to depart to Zouérat.

roads in Mauritania

❗ More information for traveling in Mauritania

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

All guides and articles for traveling in Mauritania destination

  • Travel Guide to Nouakchott
  • Iron Ore Train Guide in Mauritania
  • Is Mauritania Safe?
  • Mauritania Itinerary

Travel guides to other countries in Africa

  • Ethiopia Travel Guide
  • Eritrea Travel Guide
  • Somaliland Travel Guide
  • Travel Guide to Sudan
  • Travel Guide to Egypt
  • Libya Travel Guide
  • Mali Travel Guide
  • Tunisia Travel Guide

visit Mauritania

88 comments

Amazing travel blog Joan, thanks alot!

One thing: as far as I understood, the border between Morocco & Mauritania is not closed because of Covid but because of increased tensions in Guerguerat and at the Berm between Morocco and the Frente Polisario since November. Freight shipping is open but tourists are not allowed to pass through (travelling in Western Sahara remains of course open, safe and wide open): https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/north-africa/western-sahara/b82-time-international-re-engagement-western-sahara

Thanks for the info, man! I had no idea.

Hello, why choose, in fact it’s both. The land borders of Morocco and Mauritania have been closed since March 16, 2020, in fact the land borders of Morocco (even with Europe) are not really open except to the flow of goods and for rare exceptions, it is a way for Morocco to preserve the Sahara, on the other hand, tensions between the Polisario and Morocco add an unstable climate at the border with some clashes.

Hello Matthis

Almost a other year have passed since your last post that my border is not open for toursit from Marocco to Mauretania. I wanna cross it by car in March 2023. So you know about the current open or not? Thanks

The borders are open again without any restrictions.

Welcome and have a good trip

hello there, actually, borders are a little bit dangerous if u are not coming with an agency so they contact people from here and there to make it easier. for me, I recommend the agency below they are more professional in dealing with people and also care more about quality I will let u discover their progs by yo self. have fun

Thanks Joan… I am Australian and we can’t travel right now . ( and I do appreciate how well off we are! ) it’s nice to travel vicariously

Amazing blog and tips, thank you. Have to ask how you managed from Zouérat, was it easy to find where the train departed? Did you hire a local guide to help you? Thanks in advance, am struggling to find much information online!

Hey, it was very easy. I just asked locals around. I think here I give more details about it: https://againstthecompass.com/en/iron-ore-train-mauritania/

Fascinating! Love the idea of travelling on the iron ore train. Mauritania has not been in my radar but it is now. Can’t wait to get back on the road again. Australian borders are still closed.

Hope Australia opens soon cause I heard many Australians being frustrated about this

Dear Joan, Thanks for your description of Mauritania. It looks a hardly reachable and challenging, but luring destination. If you ever organize a tour there, I’d gladly be in 🙂

Hi Vakaris, thanks! I may probably organize 1 in the future 🙂

Does Mauritania Require a Yellow Fever Vaccination for Entering the Country?

Hi, I really don’t know but my recommendation is that you should always have the yellow fever vaccination when you are traveling anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa because they do random checks in all countries they require it so. It happened to me in Mali for example, where I traveled from Mauritania. I didn’t know the yellow fever vaccine was a requirement, and if I didn’t have my international vaccine certificate (the yellow card) with me, I would have had to pay a fee at the border

Yes, Australia is a lovely country but we are rearing to go explore other parts of the world.

I got pulled over on more than a couple of occasions for yellow fever vaccination checks while on the road in Africa. Not just at the borders.

I am asking specifically for Mauritania as that country does not fall in the yellow fever area if we exclude some of the southern part same as to travel to Brazil Yellow Fever is not an entry requirement but an recommendation.

Hello Dear friend , I was very impressed by your trip thanks for sharing this experience. I would like to know if i need to self isolate 14 days if i come from UK. Regards,

Hello Khalid, so far not, you don’t need to quarantine 🙂

I ended up leaving Mauritania in 2017 with 5.000 ouguiya. How much would this have been worth in dollars/euros in 2017? If I go back to Mauritania again will I be able to exchange these old ouguiya for new ouguiya? I’m really confused.

Hello, the 2007 banknotes are no longer legal tender in Mauritania.

Hello, wonderful article! Incredible source of information, thank you. I’ve started planning my trip for probably December and stumbled upon here.

Given the pickpockets and safety, I have a relatively expensive phone – do you suggest I should bring a cheap burner phone to avoid any issues?

Also, what about packing – how big was your bag and what did you find useful, any possibility to wash clothes? I’ve never visited the Sahara and I don’t expect to bring a big suitcase so I want to make sure I can take only essentials.

Hi there, to be very honest, it’s not for me to decide whether you should bring your phone or not but what I can tell is that there are much more pickpockets in any European cities than in Mauritania

About packing, I travel with quite a big backpack because I carry many travel gadgets (camera gear, etc) but other than that, I travel with very few clothes.

I washed my clothes at the hotel in Nouakchott

I’m planning a trip in an year gap and Mauritania is a must go! But I only have august to visit the country. 🙁 I hear it is raining season, do u know if it would ruin my trip? I know it is desert, but…

Hello, no, even if it is the “rainy season” the rainy season comes down to 5 or 6 days of rain spread over a month and a half ….

Hi there. Great post. Do you know the time requirement for the test leaving Mauritania? Is it 72 hours? Thanks!

Hello, a test of less than 72 hours is sufficient to enter Mauritania

Hi Sebastien! He means that PCR for exiting Mauritania, the one you do in Nouakchott. Is also 72h?

salut Joan, j’espère que tu vas bien et tes amis en Afganistan. The test is 48 hours maximum before departure it is free it is even possible to have it the same day by going there in the morning and then pick it up at 5.30 p.m.

Hello, When entering Mauritania there are no problems with the photo equipment? I want to take a SLR camera and several removable lenses to it. Thanks.

Hello, no problem with the cameras, avoid drones. Welcome

Dear Joan, Thank you very much for your invaluable travel blog. I would feel extremely lost without it. Taking the iron ore train has long been on my radar but I am wondering what you recommend for transportation from Nouakchott to Choum? Is there a truck that makes a daily run or does it change day to day? Thank you very much for all your help.

Best wishes, Chris

Hi Chris, there’s direct public transportation to the city of Atar, from where you can take a bus to Choum. Very easy!

First off all, congrats for the amazing blog you have.

Any advice for taking my drone to Mauritania? Is there anything I can do before arriving in the country so that I don’t have my equipment confiscated?

When leaving the airport they do check your luggage, but they don’t check on yo. Maybe you can put it in your jacket? Also, by removing the battery there’s less chances from them to find it

Great Article with details on smallest possible information a visitor may required while visiting Mauritania. Loved your article.

Hello, I read that to enter Mauritania now it is enough to have an international certificate of full vaccination?

Hello, no indeed, it is not necessary to have a vaccination record, a PCR test is enough, however, some airlines require a vaccination record to get on their planes.

Is it enough to have a vaccination protocol. But don’t do the test? Thank you!

It should be enough. I’m planning to do the iron ore train mid may:) But due to transit countries its maybe better to do the PCR test anyway even it is not neccessary

Here is the official text:

Unvaccinated Passengers: Passengers aged 12 years and older must hold a negative PCR test certificate from a certified laboratory obtained within 72 hours prior to arrival.

Vaccinated Passengers: Test is not required for passengers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

· Passengers displaying symptoms of Covid-19 on arrival will be subject to an RT-PCR test. If a negative result is received, the passenger is advised to quarantine for 10 days. If a positive result is received, the passenger must quarantine for 10 days on arrival in designated establishments at his own cost and will be subject to an RT-PCR test at the end of the quarantine period. Crew members who are required to spend one or more nights for operational or technical reasons and who do not hold a vaccination certificate or a RT-PCR test must quarantine in a hotel until their departure.

The PCR test is no longer compulsory to enter Mauritania but it is requested from the Marocco (even in the event of a stopover) Currently from Nouakchott towards the exit of the territory the test has become paying (50 euros) 2000 mru. It is no longer necessary to pick up the result on site, it is now sent by whatsapp at 5 p.m.

Hello Joan! Your blog is a gift to fellow humans. Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge with such candour and good humour 🙂 I’m planning a solo (female) trip to Mauritania at the end of Feb 2022 (gutted that I missed your expedition dates). I’m wondering whether you think it’s possible to go directly from Nouakchott to Chinguetti by public transport (in one day)? Any tips will be greatly appreciated. best, Kat

Hi Kat! Yes, it’s possible but you’ll have to transit in Atar. Do start your journey very early!

I had the same question! So I hear there is an 8am bus from Nouakchott to Atar, and then hopefully the car to Chinguetti leaves from the same location that the bus arrives?

And then from Chinguetti to Zouerat via Atar. Hoping to do in the same day. Joan it seems you were able to do that, but needed to wait 5 hours in Atar.

I will be in Mauritania in 2 weeks, and I can’t wait! My only concern is the time required to get from place to place. I wish I had more time, but I’m somewhat limited.

Thanks, Joan for this info. Amazing blog.

Thanks for all the amazing information! Your blog helped in more than one ways and am glad to finally make it here to Mauritania. Tomorrow I will trek towards Tarjit and Chinguetti, etc, from Nouakchott. FYI you now don’t need a PCR test if you are fully vaccinated to enter the country. All the best

Hi Aaron, Did you by any chance go onwards to Morocco? I am trying to do the iron ore train trip in Mauritania and finish in Nouadibhou. Is it OK to leave Mauritania without a PCR test now, too? By the information I have, entering Morocco/Western Sahara should be possible with just the vaccination certificate. Thanks!

By the way, I wish I knew French or Arabic, because it’s been a bit difficult to manage in English & Spanish. Especially when trying to meet locals in the street.

Hi guy’s, do you know if it nowday’s again possible overland travel from Morroco to Mauritania ?

Joan, amazing, informative post, again. Thank you!

Hi Jozef, the border has recently reopened.

Hî, yes the border is open.

The blasphemy law and apostasy/atheist law and their punishment by death sentence, do you know if they apply to Mauritanians only or to foreigners as well? As a foreign tourist if you’re atheist you need to lie and say you are a believer in some religion, or is it OK to say you’re atheist if asked for example?

Hi there, there’s absolutely no need to say you are an atheist. Just say you are Christian regardless of the local law… Having traveled extensively across many Muslim countries, being an atheist is a very negative thing in most locals’ eyes.

I understand, but do you know if the death sentence law applies to foreigners as well as locals?

I don’t think this is the right place to ask these sort of questions, but you should ask a lawyer in Mauritania

the death penalty is in the texts in Mauritania but it has not been applied for a very long time. In Mauritania, the last execution dates from 1987 and followed a death sentence pronounced by a military tribunal. Unless you commit an unforgivable crime, you are unlikely to encounter any kind of trouble with the police in Mauritania. Mauritania is a Muslim country practicing an Islam of tolerance (in fact normal Islam) If you want to spend a full day dicerting on religion, you only have to say that you are atheist, if not to shorten, you just have to (as Juan says) say you’re a Christian. In general and for the respect of the populations who welcome you, we will avoid blaspheming whatever the country in which we are….

Hi Joan! Thank you so much for you blog, really, I use it a lot. There is really not such a blog that explains in that much detail how to travel in off the beaten track places.

Did you go from Nouakchott to Nouadhibou? is there easy and often busses going there? If you did (or anyone else), how many hours should I expect to go up there and then cross the border?

You have departures from Nouakchott to Nouadhibou in the morning from 7 a.m. then in the afternoon around 3 p.m. it takes 6 to 7 hours by road, if you want to go to Morocco from Nouakchott, there is a bus company (moussafir) which offers a Nouakchott – Dakhla ticket with a change of bus across the border.

Thank you for this post! Intending to travel to Mauritania, however my second language is Spanish, not French or Arabic. Will that cause major problems as I try and find rides between towns and places to stay at? Also, how do you book a room for the night, was it upon arrival, or were you using tripadvisor. Finally, I’ve traveled alone many times, and understand the reality that this world can be dangerous, but never to Africa alone, too dangerous of a choice? Loaded question, but man I’m lucky to have found your blog before I buy the ticket.

Hi Jacob, most people there speak French, I suggest learning a few words, but you might find some english speaking people from time to time, at least good enough to buy tickets, book hotels etc.

I always booked upon arrival, never in advance.

Mauritania is super safe!

Rock on man! Will study French before embarking, thank you so much for the tips!!

Thank you so much for this blog! I have a question as I’m planing a trip – is it possible to cross the border back to Western Sahara from Mauritania?

Yes, it’s possible to cross into Morocco WS nowadays

Thank you for sharing your experiences on this blog 🙂

As Maroc and Tunesia both lifted all covid-19 measures, do you expect Mauretania to do the same soon? I saw that people who can not present a pcr test on the airport, are temperature measured and exposed to an antigen test, which would be fine by me. How strict is Mauretania still with this?

You need a PCR test or a complete vaccination plan to enter Mauritania, the documents are requested at the airport.

Have a nice trip,

Hey Joan, love your blog on the iron train. I really wanted to join your group after reading it but it’s full. Wah Wah.. so now I wanna do it solo. Have you heard from any solo women doing this and if so, how they felt.. or do you know anyone In Mauritania that I could talk to about possibly giving me some tips while I’m there? Thanks so much! Love your blog.

Hi Morgan, I don’t know if I heard from women doing the train experience completely by themselves… I did it solo once, and I recommend you finding a travel partner, cause 24 hours on the train do get lonely! Other than that, woman traveling solo across Mauritania didn’t experience more issues than other Muslim countries in the Middle East

We have at least 4 or 5 clients who have already made the trip alone (including a 73-year-old woman!) They have not encountered any particular difficulties.

Hey Joan, yea I’m here in Mauritania right now and I find it to be less conservative for solo females than other Middle Eastern countries actually. I ended up hiring a local guide for the train just because I don’t speak French and to be on the safe side. Taking it tonight. Thanks for responding. 🙂

Helloa Joan,

I am from Iraq. I read your blog. It is very interesting. Very useful. Very smooth. I travelled 73 countries. after reading about Mauritania, I would like to make it my next destination. I am very allerged of dust and smells. Do you think it Ok for me to vist Mauritania whis is also called Chankit in Arabic. regards Maadidi Yahya

Hi Yahya, I don’t really know what to say. There’s a lot of dust in Mauritania, that’s for sure.

I am a tour guide from Mauritania and would like to express my gratitude for the creation of this informative travel guide. The promotion of my country is greatly appreciated and the detailed explanations provided will be useful for those considering a visit to Mauritania. I am passionate about sharing the beauty of my country with others and I would be delighted to lead tours for those interested in experiencing all that Mauritania has to offer.

Hi Joan, Thank you for this updated and excellent description of Mauritania travel. Question: do you sense the recent protest in DarNaim is growing into anything bigger than an isolated protest? I have just one day in Nouakchott coming up – do you have specific places you recommend seeing in the capital city? Thank you again.

Hi Michelle, I don’t think these protests will originate into a further problem. For things to see in Nouakchott, Port au Peche and the Camel market are the best attractions: https://againstthecompass.com/en/mauritania-itinerary/#41

Hi Sebastian, was wondering how much iron dust comes off the train. I understand not eating and drinking carefully. Did you wear a mask to limit the amount iron dust depositing in your lungs?

I wore a sanitizer face mask and a headscarf wrapped up around my face

Hello in fact it’s a bit of a raffle there are three different types of minerals that can travel on the train a rather large mineral a medium and a very fine with a lot of dust in any case it is better to protect your eyes with a mask type ski mask and for the dust for the lungs it is better to wear a scarf like the Mauritanians. Iron dust is non-toxic.

General remarks Remove contaminated clothing. After inhalation Provide fresh air. Safety data according to Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACH) Iron powder ≥96%, <149 μm, reduced, extra pure After skin contact Rinse skin with water/shower. After eye contact Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. After swallowing Rinse mouth. Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed So far no known symptoms and effects. Indication of any immediate medical attention and special treatment needed none https://www.carlroth.com/medias/SDB-9454-CH-FR.pdf?context=bWFzdGVyfHNlY3VyaXR5RGF0YXNoZWV0c3wyMjU5ODV8YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRmfHNlY3VyaXR5RGF0YXNoZWV0cy9oOGUvaDRlLzkwND g2N zUzNTI2MDYucGRmfGI5MTY1MTUxYjFiMmZlMDQ5MzRlOTY1MGRlODRkODJhY2JjZGVlYWQ4NWRiZGY0NzdjZWQ2OWE4NjgzMzRkZTg

Hi, hope you don’t mind me asking a few questions about Aleg. will be staying there for a few weeks and first time in the country…any idea if it’s possible to swim in Lake Aleg and if so the best access? Any recommendations on where to stay there and how to get there from Noukchott without renting a car would be much appreciated,Thanks!

Hello, I do not believe that it is possible to swim in Lake Aleg (which is a seasonal lake fed only in the rainy season) due to the large number of animals that come to drink there and to the fact that it is a reserve for migratory birds, I have in any case never heard anyone who has bathed in the lake (which is surrounded by quicksand) to get to Aleg you have buses every day from Nouakchott .

Hello does anyone know if its possible to rent a small motorbike (vespa size) in nouakchatt? I cannot find that online. thanks!

Hi, no you can’t, but if you need it for a long time, you can buy it 600 € and resell it.

How much is the cost to rent a 4×4 with a driver in Nouakchott? I would travel to Zouerat and back. Do you have any good contact for that? I have been quoted USD 1000-1300, which I declined as excessive. I believe a maximum of USD 100/day would be acceptable, all inclusive (car, driver, fuel). Your thoughts?

Hi Joan, thanks for this detailed guide about Mauritania. I am booked from to fly from Dakar to Nouakchott in three weeks, as I heed the collective advise from several travelers crossing to Mauritania from Russo border. Lots of them say the immigrations there are corrupted and sometimes dangerous. I wonder how is the entry to Mauritania at the airport? Are there security concerns that I should be aware of the same as the land border? I have my yellow fever vaccine and will get visa -on arrival. Thank you!

Hi Julie. If arriving via airport, everything is smooth and easy. Just try to bring exact change for visa, sometimes they say they don’t have and make you wait

Hi Joan, I’m going to Mauritania in a few weeks. I would love to do some hiking around the Adrar region, but I’m not sure where the best places are (maybe Terjit, Chinguetti, or Ouadane?) and how feasible this is to do without signing up for some kind of organised private tour? I’m a reasonably experienced hiker and have no problem hiking several days with a heavy backpack, but I would be a little hesitant to go off hiking myself in somewhere so remote. Are there often people who will often be walking overland with camels anyway who I can follow, or do they just use cars and buses nowadays? Thanks!

Hi @joe no one travels with camels in Mauritania (except nomads and border guards in the south) if you want to hike in the desert you absolutely need a guide and equipment, you can organize a trek from chinguetti to Tergit, depending on your dates, you may be able to include yourself in a group of travelers who also like to walk.

Okay great, thanks for the info Sebastien! Do you know the best way to find local guides or groups beforehand? Is it possible to just find guides who would be willing to do some hiking in any of the more visited towns like Chinguetti or Ouadane when I arrive there?

It will be easier from Chinguetti, you can contact me giving me fixed dates if you want to find a group (which is not guaranteed) or if you just want to find a guide it is not very complicated. I don’t know if I can write down my contact here, click on my name.

Hey Joan, love your blogs so much! Been super useful for organising my trip to Mauritania with my brother this December. We both want an epic off the beaten track adventure, so your guide is ace. Would love some advice on two questions:

its a 10 day trip so we would like to rent a 4×4 for most of it, based off your information that public transport requires lots of time and patience. However, I can’t work out how to do that for most of the trip and also do the iron ore train and a one-way camel trek.

We are planning on flying into Nouakchott and then driving east to Nibeika to pop over to see that crocodiles in Matmata, then even further east to Tidjikja, before driving direct north to Atar (via Terjit?).

1) Can you confirm that driving directly north from Tidjikja to Atar (and not via Nouakchott) is possible?

From there we will drive east to Ouadane to see the eye of the Sahara and then back to Chinguetti. We’d like to organise a 3-4 day camel trek from Chinguetti to see the Dunes of Lemkhaleg, Ez Zerga, the oasis of Mhaireth ending up in Terjit.

From Terjit we’d want to go to Zouerat and jump on the iron ore train back to Nouadhibou and then head back to Nouakchott.

Do you have any recommendations on how to do this and get the car from Chinguetti to Terjit (while we are on camels) , and then from Zouerat to Nouadhibou (while we are on the train)?

Is it possible to pay someone / hire someone to do this section of the journey for us, or do you think too much of a risk? Would you recommend hiring a local guide for the entire trip (who could also get the car from A to B on those two sections) or is that excessive?

2) You mentioned that camel treks can be organised from any auberge. Can you give a bit more information? all the camel treks online seem to be about EUR 1000 and go for 14 days, which isn’t really what we are after (and can’t afford). Can we just turn up at Oadane or Chinguetti, find someone local to hire camels and a guide for us, and do a 3 -5 day one way route to Terjit?

p.s – if you think this all wont be possible in 10 days, we’d probably cut out the crocodiles and Tidjikja.

pps. we’re also open to doing the trip half by private and half by local transport- just conscious of time constraints.

Thanks SO much!

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Is Mauritania safe to visit? Mauritania Safety Travel Tips

Modified: Mar 8, 2023 by BasicPlanet · This post may contain affiliate links ·

safe travel nz mauritania

Situated in the north-western part of Africa, Mauritania bridges the Arab Maghreb and the western sub-Saharan Africa- an interesting combination which attracts every potential tourist of Africa’s attention with the diverse culture and landscapes.

You might want to experience the beauties this African country has to offer, but you should not forget that in order to have a safe and enjoyable trip, one of the basic steps you can take is getting informed. Safety should be a priority when planning a trip to another continent or country. This is when our Mauritania safety travel guide comes useful for you. Not only will we provide the information required for you to travel safe to Mauritania, but also advice on how to prevent yourself and your loved ones from unfortunate events that could alter the quality of your trip.

Because of the economic turmoil present in Mauritania, you might want to know that this country struggles with poverty, escalating crime rates and terrorism. What is more, the border areas are heavily mined and therefore, they come with high risks for the visitors’ safety.

Even though Mauritania figures on your must-visit African countries and its beautiful deserted areas and coastlines are undeniable, you should read our Mauritania safety tips and decide for yourself whether this country is a safe destination for you. Read on to find out how safe is Mauritania for tourists:

Highest Risks You Expose Yourself to When Visiting Mauritania

Overall risks in mauritania: medium to high.

Because of the economic and political turmoil Mauritania is characterized by, authorities advise against travelling to Mauritania for pleasure, as the trip could turn into a dangerous adventure. From terrorist attacks to violent acts, you and your travel partners risk to get involved in unpleasant events that could ruin your holiday. Therefore, read our Mauritania safety guide and decide for yourself whether a trip to this country is worth being done in this period and, if the risks do not seem threatening to you, find out our safety advice on how to avoid encountering these risks during your stay in Mauritania.

In order to stay safe in Mauritania, you should take into account some important safety tips that will be provided in this Mauritania safety guide. As general advice, you should be very attentive to the people around you, avoid getting involved in large gatherings or situations that could harm your health and do not let any valuable goods unattended. Any unpleasant event can be solved with common sense and extra caution. Read on to get informed about how to stay safe in Mauritania, irrespective of the unpleasant situation encountered.

Violence Risk in Mauritania: HIGH

Violence in Mauritania is usually connected to the petty crimes mentioned above. Political gatherings might turn violent and attackers could take advantage of your poor knowledge of the area to lure you into going in isolated places. Nevertheless, scams and violent attackers have been registered and along with the terrorist groups who activate in this country, the risk of being a victim is high.

What is more, religious and ethnic violence is also common here: as a Muslim country, local people seem to have a low tolerance towards other religions and therefore, making religious statements is not advisable to be done when visiting this country.

  • How to Avoid Violence in Mauritania?

In order to avoid getting involved in such unpleasant events, you should avoid leaving any goods unattended and be skeptical about the people around you. Trusting everyone you have just met is one of the basic mistakes that you can avoid. In case you are accompanied by a travel partner, make sure you stay together during the visits you make in cities or villages and keep an eye on your luggage all the time.

In case you are involved in an attack, try not to resist the attacker and contact the right authorities. They will for sure be willing to help you recover your goods and stay safe.

Pickpocketing and Theft Risks in Mauritania: HIGH

The level of crime in Mauritania has increased significantly during the last years, especially because the country is characterized by poverty and terrorist attacks. From robbery to petty thefts and rape, this country can be a challenge for any visitor. Violent assaults and armed bandits are pretty common in this area, especially in places such as beaches, deserted areas or isolated roads.

  • How to avoid pickpocketing and theft in Mauritania?

It is very important to get equipped with the right Mauritania safety tips before deciding to embark on a journey there. Try to avoid exploring isolated parts of the cities and, if you are forced to walk or drive at night, do not leave your valuable goods unattended. Expensive phones, pieces of jewelry and valuable gadgets or money can attract the criminals’ attention and they may see you as a target victim. Take extra caution to the people around you and do not stray from well-traveled roads.

Scam Risk in Mauritania: MEDIUM

At the moment, the only scam that's worrying people all around the world - and which originates from Mauritania - involves a call from a number registered with this country. Reportedly, you receive a call during the night and, if you answer your phone, you will later face quite a costly callback. Obviously, it is unlikely that you'll answer unknown numbers while on your trip and you may also buy a country-specific number in order to make communication easier while traveling.

Therefore, you should not be worried too much about this particular scam.

However, keep in mind that you are subject to other scams! Street vendors, clerks, restaurant/ bar waiters can always take advantage of the fact that you are a tourist and overprice some of the things you're buying from them. This is why you should always be on your toes when interacting with strangers or locals, as you may never know their true intentions.

  • How to avoid getting scammed in Mauritania?

As mentioned before, you should always keep an eye out for anything suspicious when traveling. First of all, it is important that you get familiar with the country's currency, as well as with local laws and customs. Then, whenever you think of ordering something, in a restaurant or bar, you should check the menu beforehand and memorize the prices of the things you want to buy.

Even though the waiters try to recommend you certain beverages/ dishes - which are, conveniently enough for them, not on the menu -, you should still settle only for the things you can see the price of.

It is recommended that you limit the time you spend in the company of strangers or locals that try to sell you something or to draw your attention too hard. If they're trying too hard, it means that they have a plan of scamming/ robbing you.

Kidnapping Risk in Mauritania: MEDIUM to HIGH

Kidnapping seems to be a serious threat/ risk throughout Mauritania. First of all, most governments advise travelers/ tourists to avoid traveling to the northern and eastern regions of Mauritania, as well as to Mauritania's border areas with Western Sahara, Mali, and Algeria, mainly due to the risk of military activities.

Besides military activities, here are known to operate extremist groups as well, responsible for several cases of kidnapping and armed banditry. Moreover, if you enter the military area, you may be considered a legitimate target.

Furthermore, there is a serious threat of kidnapping throughout Mauritania as well, mainly because Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and several other groups are known to operate in some parts of North Africa and may be seen as a threat in Mauritania as well. These groups have kidnapped foreigners/ tourists, mostly those that were in border, remote, and desert areas of North Africa.

Therefore, you should think twice before traveling to a certain location!

  • How to avoid getting kidnapped in Mauritania?

The first and most important rule is to stick to the areas that are meant for tourists. It is imperative that you avoid dangerous and remote areas at all costs. Naturally, traveling alone is not recommended - you should either employ a travel guide or have friends or family with you. In the latter case, a personal protection team is recommended in order to ensure your safety during your trip, especially if it is a long distance one.

You should stay within the areas surrounding your accommodation and never embark on long journeys without a proper, registered tour guide and without any means of protection. It is highly recommended that you consult with either the authorities or with the embassy before leaving for any sort of trip.

Terrorism Risk in Mauritania: HIGH

The north-western part of Africa is well-known for the indiscriminate terrorist attacks that happened there, especially in areas commonly visited by foreigners. Public places such as embassies, restaurants, hotels and shopping centers, followed by Government buildings and crowded streets in the centers of the town are target areas for terrorist groups.

  From car bombing to kidnappings and attempted suicide bombings, events related to the terrorist group AQIM have been registered in 2010 and 211, imposing high threats for any visitors who is not informed about how to stay safe in Mauritania in such unfortunate cases.

  • How to avoid terrorism in Mauritania?

In order to stay safe in Mauritania during a terrorist attack, you should know a few safety tips. First of all, avoid staying in crowded places for too long, as they may be target areas for terrorists. It is advisable to avoid open terraces, cafes and tourist areas and leave as soon as possible in cases in which the gatherings become agitated.

Risks of Women Traveling Alone in Mauritania: HIGH

Solo travelers in Mauritania, especially if we are speaking of women traveling to Mauritania, can encounter a lot or risks during their journey. As seen above, the crime risk is pretty high, with common violent acts such as robbery, rapes and assaults on the increase. When traveling solo, women can be perceived as target victims by attackers and this is why traveling to Mauritania alone is not advisable.

  • How to crime as a solo woman traveler in Mauritania?

If traveling to Mauritania is a necessity for you, as a woman, you should keep in mind a few simple rules. First of all, the best way in which you can avoid being a target victim of attackers is to dress neutral and decent, not leave valuable objects at sight and not leave doors or windows open at the accommodation.

In order to make sure you get to see everything Mauritania has to offer and have a trouble-free journey, try to hire a guide who is really well-informed about the surroundings. This way you will always be accompanied and you will know what areas are safe for you to visit and enjoy.

Get informed about the telephone numbers of the authorities and keep your common sense during the journey. You should also know some important aspects about the local customs and laws in order not to get noticed as a foreigner by the local people. Every unfortunate situation can be avoided if you pay extra caution to everything around you.

Rape Risk in Mauritania: MEDIUM to HIGH

Even though there are little to no reports regarding this type of crime in Mauritania, evidence that sexual assault happens does exist. However, it is most likely not reported to the authorities - it is known that some women that reported cases of rape now face jail time for doing so. This is because the local women are at risk of being jailed because they had intercourse outside of marriage.

Therefore, if something bad happens to you, you might be frowned upon and your case dismissed. However, there are little to no cases of foreign women being victims of sexual violence. It is very likely that such things happen mostly in the country's remote areas and less in any major cities.

Still, you should learn how to protect yourself and how to avoid such things from happening to you.

  • How to avoid getting raped in Mauritania?

First of all, you should avoid the areas that are deemed as dangerous - Tiris Zemmour province, Adrar province, within 25km of the Western Sahara border -, as well as any remote areas/ villages. As mentioned a couple of times before, you should not be traveling alone and you should not engage in long-distance trips if you don't have personal protection.

Then, it is important that you get acquainted with the locals laws and customs so that you don't end up offending any locals. Naturally, you should approach a decent outfit when you leave your accommodation and try to blend in with the locals as much as possible. You should not try to draw attention towards you, especially when you are traveling outside of the city you are accommodated in.

Do not travel during the night, even if you are not alone. Avoid any shady alleys, bad-reputed neighborhoods, as well as the city slums and outskirts. Keep yourself safe by staying within the tourist-recommended areas/ locations.

Risks for People Traveling with Children in Mauritania: HIGH

Given everything we have mentioned so far, it goes without saying that Mauritania might not be the best place to visit with your children. The FCO advises against all travel in about 80% of the country, while the rest of the 20% is recommended for essential travel only. There are already too many risks and threats to take into account when you are traveling alone - if you were to bring your children with you as well, you'd have one or more things to consider as well.

Moreover, given the increased risk of kidnapping, you should do your best not to expose your children to such danger.

However, if you decide to bring your children with you, keep in mind that the weather in Mauritania is usually very hot and dry. Thus, fluid intake with enough salts included is recommended to be kept at a high level - meaning that you have to make sure that the little ones stay hydrated.

It is also worth mentioning that you may not be able to rely on the country's medical facilities in case something happens, as they are extremely limited. If you are not in Nouadhibou or Nouakchott, you or your children may not be treated in time in case of a medical emergency.

  • How to avoid unwanted scenarios?

When traveling with your children, you must keep in mind that you'll have to protect and care for them at all times, especially in this country. Besides keeping them hydrated and out of harm's way, you'll also have to make sure that no one around you is trying to do or doing anything suspicious.

In short, it is highly recommended that you reconsider your traveling location if you plan to bring your children with you.

Natural Disaster Risks in Mauritania: MEDIUM

Natural disasters are not common here, but flooding might appear during the rain storms which take place from August to November. This might make road transportation difficult, as well as the supply of water poor.

Apart from that, Mauritania is visited by sandstorms, especially during the winter, and these can affect your health significantly. Not only do they make breathing a real challenge, but they can also alter the air quality for longer periods and alter machinery.

Try to avoid traveling there in the above-mentioned months and carry water with you every time you travel (if possible). The water system is poorly maintained and cannot be trusted. In case you encounter a sandstorm, it is recommended to take shelter in the nearest building you can find or in a vehicle with the doors and windows closed.

Transportation Risks in Mauritania: MEDIUM to HIGH

Because the road conditions and the driving standards in Mauritania are poor, driving there can be a challenge. Isolated areas can be target locations for attackers, as well as carjackers and this is why extra caution is definitely needed when driving on the roads of Mauritania.

In what concerns the public transportation, you should know that many sexual assaults have taken place in public transports such as buses or taxis. Poor maintenance of the means of transport, combined with the poor conditions of the roads can cause problems during your trip.

If you want to stay safe in Mauritania when driving, try to avoid doing it at night or in isolated areas. The signal, the gas stations and the road signs here are difficult to find, so any unnecessary travel will cost you time and will be dangerous.

Travelling from one place to another in Mauritania can be a challenge, so make sure you have a well-organized plan before visiting this country and try to use the transport as rarely as possible.

Night-Clubs, Pubs, and Bar Risks in Mauritania: MEDIUM

There have been reports of various incidents taking place on and around unlit beaches, as well as in the Le Cinquieme district, especially after dark. Moreover, statistics show that several other violent incidents, as well as theft have been reported there in the past couple of years.

Therefore, it is safe to say that most night-clubs, pubs, and bars are not safe to visit in Mauritania. Even though there are no clear reports telling of incidents taking place inside such facilities, we can only assume that tourists either don't visit them or stick to the ones close to or located inside their accommodation.

Keep in mind that alcohol is illegal in Mauritania, both its sale and consumption. So, if you planned on having a wild night there during your trip, you should avoid keeping your promise, so to say, at all costs. Before visiting any type of location/ building, it is recommended that you have a basic understanding over the country's local laws and customs - for example, police officers usually don't like being taken photos without their permission.

Be extremely careful on your way to night-clubs, pubs, bars, as well as on your way back - use only reputable taxi services. Obviously, you should not visit the aforementioned locations alone.

Health Risks in Mauritania

As mentioned before, Mauritania comes with extremely limited medical facilities, especially outside of Nouadhibou and Nouakchott. Emergency services take too long to respond to critical situations and, in some cases, they may not even be able to provide the victims/ injured with on-site treatment.

If you are taken to a clinic in the two aforementioned cities, you will probably be charged for medical care - in either US dollars or Euros. Keep in mind that foreign insurance cards may not be accepted.

The bright side is that there are no viruses, diseases, or outbreaks that you should worry about while visiting Mauritania. The only thing you have to do is to keep yourself hydrated - high fluid intake, including enough salts.

As always, you should travel only with proper travel health insurance and with enough funds to cover the costs of any medicine, treatment, or emergency evacuation that you may be subject to. It is important that you always have some cash on you in case of an emergency.

List of Vaccines You Need in Mauritania

Because medical facilities are limited in this part of the continent, you must take extra caution before embarking on a journey to Mauritania. Pay a visit to your medical care provider and do not forget to be equipped with the right health assurance. What is also vital in order to stay safe in Mauritania is to have the right vaccination. Diseases such as Malaria, Meningococcus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A&B, Yellow fever and Filiariasis are common in Mauritania and therefore you should make sure the risk of encountering them is low by taking the right precautions.

Most Dangerous Areas in Mauritania

As a whole, Mauritania as a country poses many dangers to its visitors, as you could see above. Nevertheless, there are places which are more dangerous than others and therefore, in order to stay safe in Mauritania , you should know what areas to avoid and what risks do they come with:

  • The area near the Western Sahara- due to the fact that it’s heavily mined;
  • Borders between Algeria and Mali- notorious for terrorist groups and banditry;
  • Nouakchott and Atar- where many kidnaps and violent attacks have been registered;
  • Northern provinces of Mauritania- Tiris Zemmour, Tagant, Adrar, Hodh el Chargui- due to the terrorist attacks registered here.

Concluding Remarks: Is Mauritania Safe to Visit?

Due to the poverty, slavery and poor facilities Mauritania is characterized by, this country tends to pose many risks to each visitor. It can be a challenge and it should be visited with extra caution taken during your stay in Mauritania. With this Mauritania safety travel guide in your pocket, your trip could be enjoyable and trouble-free. All you need to do is make sure you keep a high level of vigilance and follow the few Mauritania safety tips we presented:

  • Keep an eye on your travel partners;
  • Avoid staying in public places very much;
  • Leave valuable objects such as phones and jewelry at the accommodation;
  • Do not forget to close windows and doors to your accommodation or car;
  • Be skeptical about the people you have just met;
  • Avoid isolated areas and roads as much as possible;
  • Do not walk at night, especially alone;
  • Take the right measures in what concerns your health assurance, vaccines and guides.

With these Mauritania safety tips in your mind, your journey to this African country will for sure be trouble-free and enjoyable. Be responsible and think twice whether this country will prove to be a nice experience for you and your travel comrades. The decision is only yours.

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Mauritanian Flag

Last verified: Tuesday, 26. March 2024 at 08:29 AM

Mauritania Travel Advisory

  • Western Africa
  • Mauritania Travel Advice

Please reconsider your need to travel to Mauritania

Local situation: 3.8 / 5.

Please reconsider your need to travel to Mauritania. We detected travel advisories from 6 sources for this specific country.

Regional Situation: 3.8 / 5

Mauritania shares a land border with 4 neighbouring states. For this region of countries (including Mauritania), the Advisory Index is 3.8 (average value over all countries). All countries have some reported advisories: Mali (4.6), Senegal (3.6), Algeria with 3 and Western Sahara with 0 (of 5).

Current informationen on Covid-19 in Mauritania

There are currently no officially reported cases of infections with SARS-CoV-2 (or Coronavirus) in Mauritania. As reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control this morning (~8:30am CET).

There are currently no officially reported deaths related to this disease in Mauritania.

Source: www.ecdc.europa.eu

Advice scoring history for Mauritania

Chart of the risk level over that last 200 days. This is the daily calculated travel risk for Mauritania.

Chart of the number of sources over that last 200 days. This is the daily number of advisory sources (of any rating) that have been active on that day.

Note: Changes happening on the 28th/29th of July 2019 are related to a change in the software and number of sources processed.

Rating Details (single travel warnings)

These are the individual advisories published by other countries about the destination Mauritania from a travellers perspective. The scoring of all messages combined is the foundation for the current rating 3.8 out of 5.0 .

Warning Level Icon

This is the general advisory usually covering the country as a whole.

Advisory issued by: New Zealand

Flag of New Zealand

Avoid non-essential travel elsewhere in Mauritania, including the Nouakchott to Nouadhibou corridor, due to the threat of kidnapping, terrorism and the unpredictable security situation (level 3 of 4).

Source: https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/mauritania

safe travel nz mauritania

This is a regional information covering specific areas of Mauritania.

Issued by: New Zealand government

Info: If you are planning international travel at this time, please read our COVID-19 related travel advice here, alongside our destination specific travel advice below.

safe travel nz mauritania

Info: Do not travel to the eastern and northern regions of Mauritania, or to Mauritania’s border areas with Algeria, Mali and Western Sahara due to the risk of military activities, the actions of extremist groups, and the risk of armed banditry and kidnapping. Anyone entering the border area could be considered a legitimate military target. Land mines are also present along the border with Western Sahara (level 4 of 4). Do not travel to the provinces of Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Assaba, and Guidimaka due to the risk of armed banditry and kidnapping (level 4 of 4).

Warning Level Icon

Advisory issued by: Germany

Flag of Germany

Mauretanien: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (Teilreisewarnung). The German government advises againt travelling this country.

Source: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/mauretaniensicherheit/219190

Advisory issued by: Canada

Flag of Canada

The Canadian goverment suggests: Avoid non-essential travel (with regional advisories).

Source: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/mauritania

Advisory issued by: Australia

Flag of Australia

We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to Mauritania. Higher levels apply in some areas. Protests and demonstrations occur from time to time. Avoid political gatherings and demonstrations and follow the advice of local authorities. We advise: Reconsider your need to travel to Mauritania overall due to the threat of terrorism and kidnapping and ...

Source: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/mauritania

Advisory issued by: United States

Flag of United States

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Reconsider travel to Mauritania due to crime and terrorism.  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do Not Travel To: Areas designated as off limits by the Mauritanian military due to crime and terrorism. Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as mugging, armed robbery, ...

Source: http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mauritania-travel-advisory.html

Individual rating changes for Mauritania

This is the recent history of individual changes of travel advices that affected the total asessment of Mauritania. Most recent events first.

Changes from August 7th 2020

The total rating for Mauritania changed from 3.7 to 4.0 . Here are the influencing details:

Flag of United States

The United States government increased their existing warning for Mauritania to 4.0 (of 5.0) from the previous rating of 2.0 (by +2.0).

Changes from March 18th 2020

The total rating for Mauritania changed from 3.6 to 3.7 . Here are the influencing details:

Flag of Australia

The Australian government increased their existing warning for Mauritania to 5.0 (of 5.0) from the previous rating of 4.0 (by +1.0).

Changes from December 27th 2019

The total rating for Mauritania changed from 3.9 to 3.6 . Here are the influencing details:

The United States government decreased their existing warning for Mauritania to 2.0 (of 5.0) from the previous rating of 4.0 (by -2.0).

Changes from December 19th 2019

The total rating for Mauritania changed from 3.7 to 3.9 . Here are the influencing details:

The Australian government increased their existing warning for Mauritania to 4.0 (of 5.0) from the previous rating of 3.0 (by +1.0).

Changes from December 3rd 2019

The total rating for Mauritania changed from 3.9 to 3.7 . Here are the influencing details:

The Australian government decreased their existing warning for Mauritania to 3.0 (of 5.0) from the previous rating of 4.0 (by -1.0).

Changes from September 25th 2019

The total rating for Mauritania changed from 0.0 to 0.0 . Here are the influencing details:

The Australian government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 4.0.

The United States government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 4.0.

Flag of Germany

The German government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 3.0.

Flag of Austria

The Austrian government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 5.0.

Flag of Canada

The Canadian government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 3.0.

Flag of New Zealand

The New Zealand government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 4.0.

Flag of Ireland

The Irish government issued a new warning for Mauritania with a rating of 4.0.

About Mauritania

Mauritania with its capital Nouakchott is a country in Africa (Western Africa), slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico (1,030,700 km²). The country is located Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara. The climate can be described as desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty. The landscape is mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills. With a population of about 3.36 million citizens.

Mauritanian flag

Flag of Mauritania

Introduction Video

Basic Statistics and Facts

Environmental problems and natural hazzards.

These are problems Mauritania is facing. Environmental issues refer to damages of the nature due to industry and society. Natural hazzards refer to potential dangers originating in nature.

Environmental problems

  • and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification
  • deforestation
  • limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal
  • locust infestation
  • overgrazing
  • which is the only perennial river

Natural hazzards

  • hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April
  • periodic droughts

Top Industries and Agricultural Products

These are the main product industries and agricultural products of Mauritania. This list indicates what this country is good at producing.

  • fish processing
  • oil production

Agriculture products

Mauritanian Imports and Exports

These are the main product categories of imports and exports to and from Mauritania.

Export products

  • fish products

Import products

  • capital goods
  • consumer goods
  • petroleum products

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current travel advisory for mauritania.

Mauritania is currently rated at 3,8 out of a possible 5.0. Collected from 6 official sources. Please reconsider your need to travel to Mauritania.

Is it safe to travel Mauritania in 2024?

The score is rather high ( 3,8 ) and you should avoid all non-essential travel to Mauritania. Maybe pick another location.

How many travel advisories do you know for Mauritania?

We currently evaluate 11 official sources each morning. Today, we know of active advisories from 6 individual sources for Mauritania.

What is the current Corona virus situation in Mauritania?

There are currently no officially reported cases of infections with SARS-CoV-2 (or Coronavirus) in Mauritania. As reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control this morning (~8:30am CET). There are currently no officially reported deaths related to this disease in Mauritania.

What is the size of Mauritania?

Mauritania has a size of 1,030,700 km² or 397,955 mi² which is slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico.

Common Frequently Asked Questions

For non-country specific questions, please check our global F.A.Q.

Travel safety map for Mauritania and bordering countries.

Risk level icon

If you want to embed Mauritania travel warning information into your website or application, check out these tools.

  • Is Mauritania safe to travel?
  • What's the safety situation in Mauritania?
  • Are there security warnings for Mauritania?

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2020-03-10: Integrated data from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (COVID-19/ SARS-CoV-2/ Coronavirus).

2019-09-01: Added timeline charts for risk level and number of advisories.

2019-07-29: Added two more sources (Finland and Denmark). Affects country ratings.

2019-07-15: South-Sudan was missing and was added today.

2019-05-18: Performance improvements for API users.

2019-03-23: Introduced professional API with more data.

2019-02-13: Added three more sources (Cyprus, Ireland and Malta). Affects country ratings.

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safe travel nz mauritania

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Warnings and insurance

safe travel nz mauritania

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice.

Areas where FCDO advises against travel 

Eastern mauritania.

FCDO advises against all travel to areas east of a line drawn between but excluding the towns of Kankossa, Tichit and Ghallaouia and then west to the Western Sahara border (except for the town of Zouerat in Tiris Zemmour).

Mauritania-Western Sahara border

FCDO advises against all travel to areas within 25km of the Western Sahara border (except the section of the Nouakchott-Nouadhibou road within 25km of the Western Sahara border and the city of Nouadhibou).

FCDO advises against all travel to the rest of the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula.

Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh el Gharbi, Assaba and Guidimaka provinces

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to areas of the provinces of Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh el Gharbi, Assaba and Guidimaka west of a line drawn between the towns of Ghallaouia, Tichit and Kankossa.  

Nouakchott-Nouadhibou road

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the section of the Nouakchott-Nouadhibou road within 25km of the Western Sahara border and the city of Nouadhibou.

Zouerat in Tiris Zemmour Province

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the town of Zouerat in Tiris Zemmour Province. 

Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel .

UK government support

The British Embassy in Nouakchott cannot provide consular services in person. British nationals in Mauritania should contact the British Embassy in Dakar, Senegal , for support.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide and any specific travel advice that applies to you:

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Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance . Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice .

Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated.

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Safe travel matters

Log on to SafeTravel before you take off.

SafeTravel is the official source of travel advice for New Zealanders, with advisories for specific destinations. Checking SafeTravel helps you avoid travel blackspots.

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While you are overseas, make sure you respect cultural norms and obey local laws.

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Address Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 195 Lambton Quay Private Bag 18 901 Wellington 6160 New Zealand

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COMMENTS

  1. Mauritania

    Bandits are active across Mauritania, particularly in remote areas. New Zealanders are advised to avoid travelling alone, after dark, and to isolated areas and to avoid displaying or wearing items that appear valuable, such as mobile devices and jewellery. When travelling by car, keep doors locked and windows up at all times and hide valuables ...

  2. Is Mauritania Safe for Travel RIGHT NOW? (2024 Safety Rating)

    Written by Travel Safe Team. Safety Index: 35. * Based on Research & Crime Data. User Sentiment: 70. * Rated 70 / 100 based on 16 user reviews. Mauritania is a country located in northwest Africa, sharing its borders with Algeria, Senegal, and Mali, along with the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Mauritania is a country whose main ...

  3. Mauritania Travel Restrictions

    Find continuously updated travel restrictions for Mauritania such as border, vaccination, COVID-19 testing, and quarantine requirements.

  4. Home

    While cases in New Zealand are rare because endemic measles has been eliminated here, the disease is regularly brought into the country through international travel. There are currently significant measles outbreaks overseas including in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

  5. Is Travel to Mauritania Safe? 5 Important Things to Know

    2. Crime. Poverty and terrorist activities have lead to increasing crime levels in Mauritania. Violent crime including robbery, rape and assault are on the increase. Also, armed bandits are a major risk across Mauritania. Bandits pose a threat in beach areas, deserted areas and along the road between Mali and Mauritania.

  6. SafeTravel

    Safe travel matters. Log on before you take off At SafeTravel.govt.nz you can register your details and travel plans. If you register with SafeTravel, we're able to relay important information and account for your safety and wellbeing, as part of New Zealand's consular response to an overseas emergency. Your information is protected by the ...

  7. SafeTravel

    Safe travel matters. Log on to SafeTravel before you take off SafeTravel is the official source of travel advice for New Zealanders, with advisories for specific destinations. ... New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere. 195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18 901, Wellington 6160, New Zealand. Phone +64 4 439 8000.

  8. Traveling to Mauritania from New Zealand in 2024: Passport, Visa

    Is it safe to travel to Mauritania? Mauritania has a current risk level of 3.8 (out of 5). We highly recommend to reconsider your need to travel to Mauritania. The safety index is based on travel advisories from independent 6 sources. Safety index is provided by www.travel-advisory.info: 02/07/2024.

  9. Mauritania Travel Advisory

    Read the entire Travel Advisory. Areas designated as off limits by the Mauritanian military due to crime and terrorism. Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as mugging, armed robbery, and assault, are common. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious crimes. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting ...

  10. Travel Safety Mauritania

    Is Mauritania safe? Safety tips, travel advisories, travel safety updates for Mauritania. Free travel blogs, travel safety advice and language guides to keep you travelling safely in Mauritania. ... NZBN 9429050505340), and is underwritten in Australia and New Zealand by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 83 169 311 193, NZBN ...

  11. Is Mauritania safe in 2024?

    Before telling you about my trip to Mauritania, know that I backpacked all around on my own, without a guide.I traveled by local transportation across sand dunes, hitchhiked a few times, and also rode the Iron Ore Train.. In 3 weeks of independent travel in a country where moving around by public transportation can be slow, I believe I saw a fair amount of the country, including the off-the ...

  12. Africa

    Destinations in Africa where we advise against all travel. Algeria. Do not travel within 50 kilometres of the border regions with Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Tunisia due to a heightened threat from terrorism and kidnapping (level 4 of 4). Burkina Faso.

  13. We have reviewed our travel advisory...

    We have reviewed our travel advisory for Mauritania. We now advise against all travel within 25km of the border with Western Sahara and against all tourist and other non-essential travel to the...

  14. Tips and how to travel to Mauritania in 2024

    Against the Compass has the following scheduled expedition to Mauritania, which includes riding on top of the Iron Ore Train: Nov 16th to 23rd, 2024 - SOLD OUT. Nov 26th to Dec 3rd, 2024 - APPLY NOW. Jan 11th to 18th, 2025 - APPLY NOW. Jan 21st to 28th, 2025 - APPLY NOW.

  15. SafeTravel

    Safe travel matters. SafeTravel is the official source of travel advice for New Zealanders, with advisories for specific destinations. Checking SafeTravel helps you avoid travel blackspots. ... New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere. 195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18 901, Wellington 6160, New Zealand. Phone +64 4 439 8000.

  16. Is Mauritania safe to visit? Mauritania Safety Travel Tips

    Avoid isolated areas and roads as much as possible; Do not walk at night, especially alone; Take the right measures in what concerns your health assurance, vaccines and guides. With these Mauritania safety tips in your mind, your journey to this African country will for sure be trouble-free and enjoyable.

  17. Home

    Need Travel Advice? What country/territory are you looking for?

  18. Mauritania Travel Advisory

    Advisory issued by: New Zealand. Avoid non-essential travel elsewhere in Mauritania, including the Nouakchott to Nouadhibou corridor, due to the threat of kidnapping, terrorism and the unpredictable security situation (level 3 of 4). Danger level: 0 - Travel is usually safe.

  19. Mauritania travel advice

    FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and ...

  20. SafeTravel

    Safe travel matters. SafeTravel is the official source of travel advice for New Zealanders, with advisories for specific destinations. Checking SafeTravel helps you avoid travel blackspots. On SafeTravel you can also register your details and travel plans. If a crisis occurs overseas, MFAT will contact New Zealanders who have enrolled to check ...

  21. SafeTravel Registration : Contact

    Wellington 6160. New Zealand. Ministry Telephone: +64 4 439 8000. 24/7 Consular emergency call: 0800 30 10 30 or +64 99 20 20 20. Fax: +64 4 439 8515. Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am to 5:00pm, NZ Time. Email. Please use the form below for feedback or questions about registration, our site, or website technical problems. Family name: *.

  22. Mauritius

    Register/update your travel plans Top of page. Before you go. COVID-19; Quick checklist and tips; Disability information; Dual Citizenship; Going to Australia? ... New Zealand embassy locator; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 195 Lambton Quay Private Bag 18 901 Wellington 5045 New Zealand. New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade.