Mauritania travel guide for Canadians

Canadians need a visa before flying. Mauritania has not offered a visa on arrival since January 2025, so apply in advance through the official Mauritanian e-visa portal and carry the approval with your passport. Confirm the current rule, fee and permitted stay with the Mauritanian e-visa portal and with the Government of Canada's travel advice for Mauritania before you book anything non-refundable.

The parent country facts on this site say the e-visa must be obtained before you fly. Fee, processing time and maximum stay are not confirmed here — treat them as check and verify at the source. Carry a passport valid well beyond your return date and at least one blank page; the exact validity rule is set by Mauritanian immigration, not by this page.

Canada does not have a resident embassy in Mauritania. Consular help for Canadians in Mauritania is handled by the nearest accredited Canadian mission, which this site's parent country facts place outside the country — check the current list of Canadian offices and after-hours consular numbers on the Government of Canada travel advice page for Mauritania before you travel.

Register your trip with the Government of Canada before departure and save the consular emergency number offline. If you need a document notarised or replaced, ask the mission which office covers Mauritania at the time you need it; coverage can change.

Mauritania uses the ouguiya (MRU), quoted in the parent country facts at roughly 38–42 per US dollar (check). Prices below are planning ranges in Canadian dollars, not quotes, and every line should be re-checked against the cost of travel in Mauritania page and your own bookings.

The big variable is the guided Adrar leg: a licensed guide and driver is the main daily cost, and it is what makes the 4–5 night Atar, Chinguetti, Ouadane and Terjit loop work. Flights from Canada usually route through Casablanca or another European or North African hub; the parent facts put the first trip at 1–2 nights in Nouakchott plus 4–5 nights in the Adrar.

There is no non-stop service from Canada to Nouakchott. Expect at least one connection, commonly through Casablanca or a European hub, with total travel time well over half a day door to door. Use the flight-time planner to build the routing from your own city and to see the time change.

Mauritania runs on UTC+0 all year, per the parent country facts. Canada spans several zones, so the shift you feel depends on your departure city — check the planner rather than assuming a single number.

Mauritania uses Type C and E sockets at 220 V, 50 Hz, per the parent country facts. Canadian appliances run at 120 V, so a plug adapter alone is not enough for anything with a motor or heating element — check the device label for 100–240 V before you rely on it.

Bring a universal adapter plus a small power bank. Power can be intermittent outside Nouakchott, and charging opportunities on the Adrar loop are limited.

Tipping is expected by drivers and guides and is small in restaurants, according to the parent country facts. Budget a modest daily amount for a guide and driver on the Adrar loop and treat it as part of the trip cost rather than an extra.

Carry small ouguiya notes for tips and for the informal payments that come with some services. Amounts are a judgement call — check current practice locally or with your agency rather than fixing a number here.

The parent country facts list police on 17 and fire on 18, both marked check. Confirm these locally on arrival, and ask your hotel or agency for the numbers they actually use, including any medical line.

Save your country's consular emergency contact and your travel insurance assistance number before you leave the capital. Mobile coverage thins out on the Adrar and coastal routes, so keep the numbers written down as well as on your phone.