Do you know which country is known as a miniature version of Africa? As you can guess from the name of today's topic, it is Cameroon. Cameroon got this name because of its geological, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Today, more than 230 languages are spoken in the country. When it comes to geological richness, it has beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. Shortly, travel to Cameroon means combining Africa travel. Thousands of people visit Cameroon per year, and the number of these people increases yearly. Considering the demand, we decided to talk about the Cameroon tourist visa application process. In this blog, you will find answers to most of your questions.
- How to get a Cameroon visa?
- How long is the validity of the visa?
- How much is the Cameroon embassy visa fee?
- What are other visa types?
- How long is the Cameroon tourist visa processing time?
- Who needs a visa to visit Cameroon?
The visa policy
Foreigners who want to travel to Cameroon need to apply for a visa. Depending on the purpose of the visit, you will have several choices. In general, we can divide them into three categories:
- Short-term Visa. You can apply for a short stay if you plan a trip for a maximum of 90 days. It can be tourism, visiting family members, business, work for a short time, etc.
- Transit Visa. Even if you travel to another country and need to transit through Cameroon, you must apply for a visa. It is only for travels by air.
- Long-term Visa. People who want to stay more than 90 days must apply for a long-term visa (even visa-exempt nationalities). The main reasons for long-stay are education and work.
Tourist visa
A tourist visa is one of the subcategories of a short-term stay. It allows you to join various tourism activities, discover the country, visit sightseeing places, etc. You will have 90 days to achieve all of your dreams. If you are good at planning, all of that period will be full of adventure and fun, because there are many things to do and see. The main activities you should add to your list are trying local cuisine, cultural tours, historical tours, flora and fauna tours, and savanna tours. Which places to visit in Cameroon? Some most-visited locations of the country are Limbe, Waza National Park, Bamenda, Kribi, Korup National Park, Dja Faunal Reserve, Mefou National Park, Garoua, etc.
Furthermore, do not forget to try delicious cuisine during vacation. You will see the Portuguese, French, and British influence in cuisine. The most popular meals are Eru, Koki, Accra Banana, Ekwang, Ndole, Born House Planti, Puff Puff and Beans, etc.
How to get a Cameroon visa?
You will undergo a standard paper-based visa application process. Can I apply for a Cameroon tourist visa online? Cameroon tourist visa online is not available for now. You can apply for a tourist visa in visa application centres, embassies, or consulates, whichever is responsible for applications in your country of residency. I can not find any of them in my country, what can I do? In that case, you should apply to the embassy or consulate to your location. Each applicant will follow the steps below:
1. Arranging an appointment. You will choose a day and hour for the meeting.
2. Collecting documents. After handling the first step, you can begin to collect the required documents. To decrease the chance of failure, pay attention to this part.
3. Paying the fee. You will pay the charge for the visa and maybe some extra fees.
4. Attending the interview. During the interview, you will need to answer some questions to prove that your aim of visiting is tourism. Also, you may need to show some documents. So, take all the necessary ones on you.
5. Waiting for processing time.
Cameroon visa free countries
Do I need a tourist visa to visit Cameroon? Your nationality will assist us in answering this question. You can check it via the Cameroon visa free countries list. Actually, the list is quite short in comparison with most countries. There are just seven countries on the list, and they are the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, and Nigeria. It means tourists from other continents need a visa to visit this wondrous land. Maybe new countries will be added to the list in the future. Let's wait and see.
Required documents for a tourist visa
One of the most crucial steps of the Cameroon tourist visa application process is documentation. Generally, countries have strict rules in the documentation, and it is understandable they can't let everyone visit the country. False and missing documents are the main reason for visa rejections. So, be sure that you have all the needed documents. Preparing a checklist and putting marks after getting each paper will be enough to avoid failure risk. If you are not able to provide any of them for some reason, don't try to give a fake one. Just get in touch with the embassy and inform them about the situation. You will need the following documents:
- Cameroon visa application form. Firstly, all applicants must fill the Cameroon visa application form. You will give some basic details in the application form. Also, you will sign and date it.
- Photos. You will provide two biometric photographs with a white background. You should not wear white dresses, smile (natural face), and have glasses while taking the picture.
- Passport and the copy; Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the return date, and you need to provide a copy of your passport.
- National Identity card's and resident permit or visa's copy; applicants whose country of residency and citizenship are different will need it.
- Flight ticket reservation
- Evidence of accommodation. The document that you will provide depending on where you plan to stay. For example, if there is someone who invited you, you will give details (name, surname, address, ID, and more) of that person. On the other hand, applicants who intend to stay in a hotel, hostel, or rental apartment, must show a reservation with all details address, name, zip code, and so on).
- Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate. As you know, vaccination is one of the steps of Africa travel. You will need to present a copy of your Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate.
- Financial subsistence. You should have enough money to cover all expenses during the trip. You can prove it in several ways: bank statements, payslips, cash, bank card, etc.
- Travel Insurance. Should cover all of your planned stay time
- For kids; If your kids travel alone or with one of the parents, children must have a permission report from one of the parents. Other required documents are birth certificate, evidence of adoption, custody decree if parents are divorced, death certificate of the parent, etc.
The visa fee
One of the requirements of visa application is paying the Cameroon embassy visa fee. How much does the tourist visa cost? Depending on the country, visa charges may vary. However, the average price changes between 75-150 USD. It is almost the same for all short-term visas. Only the Cameroon diplomatic and official visa is out of charge.
The visa interview
The visa interview is an essential part of the visa application process. It is to prove that you fit all tourist standards of the country. You will need to answer some questions and provide documents for that. Which documents will I need? Probably, they will ask for your ID card, passport, and so on. It will be better to take all documents on you for all circumstances. What about questions; what kind of questions will they ask? Firstly, they will begin with personal details, and after that, you will need to answer some detailed questions. For example, the purpose of the visit, how long you plan to stay, do you have relatives in Cameroon, do you have enough financial means, etc. Do not worry about this part, be relaxed during the interview. Self-confidence is always important. What can I do before the interview? You can practice at home and search for some information about Cameroon. Showing your general knowledge about the country will bring additional points.
Cameroon tourist visa processing time
Finally, we reached the last part of the visa application process. It is the only step where you are not supposed to do anything. The only thing that you should do is waiting. Actually, it is harder and annoying for a group of people. However, there is nothing to do. It is a routine visa application procedure. How long will I wait for processing? The average tourist visa processing time takes 3-25 working days. You should take into consideration that, depending on the country, it may change. There can be various reasons for long processing time, such as workload, national holidays, etc. You may ask for the estimated result day from the embassy.
In conclusion, Cameroon is worth visiting, and if you have such a desire, I hope this information will help you.
