Cameroon visa: e-visa, fees, documents and exemptions

Who needs a visa?

The rule is a visa for everyone, with a few exemptions granted by agreement. A notice from the Embassy of Cameroon in Egypt, consulted in October 2026, lists nationals of Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Chad as visa-exempt, together with holders of diplomatic, service or special passports from countries that have signed a visa waiver agreement with Cameroon. Wikipedia, which compiles Cameroon's visa policy, adds Gabon and Equatorial Guinea (under CEMAC free movement, since 3 November 2017) and Mali, for stays of up to 90 days. No consolidated official list is published on evisacam.cm: if in doubt, ask the relevant Cameroonian embassy or consulate.

All other travellers must get a visa before travelling: French, UK, US and Canadian travel advice all confirm this for their citizens.

The evisacam e-visa, step by step

The evisacam portal was launched on 30 April 2023 by the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella. According to Business in Cameroon, it is run by the Beninese company Impact Palmarès under a ten-year build-operate-transfer contract signed in April 2022, which gives it 30% of the fee for each visa. The portal's official FAQ describes four steps.

• Create an account on evisacam.cm with a valid email address (no more than 70 characters) and fill in the online form.
• Pay the fee online, by bank card or mobile payment. The application only becomes valid once paid; the receipt is sent by email.
• Wait for the competent embassy or consulate to process it: 72 hours as standard, 24 hours express. If approved, an online visa authorisation with a QR code is emailed to you.
• Complete biometric enrolment (photo, fingerprints, signature) and have the visa printed: at the border post on arrival, or at the consulate if you live in a city that has one. Enrolment is required for every application, even if you have been enrolled before.

The portal recommends applying at least 10 days before your planned entry and does not accept applications more than six months ahead. Some categories require extra checks (civil status, employment) that can lengthen processing. The UK Foreign Office notes that some applicants run into technical problems with the site and advises applying in good time.

Visa types, lengths of stay and 2026 fees

The fee schedule comes from the 2023 finance law. According to Business in Cameroon (May 2023), the standard fee did not change at that point, but the express fee went up: 150,000 CFA francs for a short stay and 200,000 CFA francs for a long stay. Each visa may be single or multiple entry; the sticker shows both its validity and the authorised length of stay, neither of which may be exceeded.

Tourism, business, transit: which visa?

The portal does not offer separate 'tourist' or 'business' visas: it divides ordinary visas into transit, short stay and long stay, plus diplomatic, service and courtesy visas. Tourists and business travellers both apply for a short-stay visa; only the supporting evidence differs (hotel booking or accommodation certificate, or a mission letter for a work trip). The US State Department notes that anyone travelling to Cameroon for medical treatment needs the appropriate medical visa.

A short-stay visa does not allow you to work. According to a February 2023 circular from the employment minister, only a long-stay visa permits paid work, and a foreign employee must also have their contract approved: these rules are set out on the work permit page.

For transit, Wikipedia states that no visa is needed if you continue on the same aircraft or the first connecting flight within 24 hours without leaving the airport. Otherwise, the portal says that, unless exempt, you need a transit visa (up to 30 days).

Supporting documents

List taken from the official evisacam.cm FAQ (October 2026). An international vaccination certificate is required for every category; it must show yellow fever vaccination (see the health and vaccinations page).

Visa on arrival: is it possible?

Not in the usual sense: you cannot turn up without having applied and buy a visa at the counter. The portal is explicit that you must apply online. What happens on arrival is biometric enrolment and printing of the visa, for travellers whose application has already been approved, particularly those living in a country with no Cameroonian mission. The UK Foreign Office puts it simply: you cannot get a visa on arrival at Yaoundé or Douala airport.

By road or sea the rule is stricter, according to the Foreign Office: the e-visa cannot be used at land and sea borders, and you must obtain a physical visa from the nearest Cameroonian embassy or high commission before you arrive.

Extending your stay

The portal reminds visitors that they must leave Cameroon no later than the day the visa expires and must never exceed the authorised length of stay; both are checked at departure. It describes no extension procedure, although it does offer an 'exit visa' application. An expatriates' forum thread (expat.com, 2020) says that regularisation requests are handled by the border police service of the General Delegation for National Security (DGSN) in Yaoundé, and that a tourist visa cannot be renewed: this is one person's account, not an official rule. For questions about your immigration status once in the country, the Foreign Office refers travellers to the DGSN (+237 222 21 28 84).

To settle for the long term, you need a long-stay visa followed by a residence card issued by the DGSN: see the work permit page.

Cameroonians who have taken another nationality

A Cameroonian who has become French, British, American or Canadian travels as a foreigner and must apply for a visa on evisacam.cm. The US State Department points out that Cameroon does not recognise dual nationality and that US citizens must enter and leave on their US passport bearing a valid Cameroonian visa, or risk being refused entry or detained. Nationality rules, the cost of visas for the diaspora and the steps for settling back are covered on the page about returning from the diaspora.

On arrival: what you will be asked for

• A passport valid for at least six months: from the date of arrival according to the UK Foreign Office, from the planned return date according to France Diplomatie. The US State Department asks for one blank page per stamp.
• The visa or visa authorisation with its QR code, plus a return or onward ticket.
• Your international vaccination certificate showing yellow fever. According to the US State Department, travellers who cannot produce it are vaccinated at the airport at their own expense.
• An entry stamp: the UK Foreign Office advises making sure the border officer actually stamps your passport.
• A customs declaration for cash: France Diplomatie puts the threshold at more than 1 million CFA francs (€1,524.49) on entry and exit; the US State Department mentions a declaration on departure from 3 million CFA francs. Check the exact threshold with customs.

Once in the country, carry identification at all times: a certified copy of your passport showing the visa is enough, according to the Foreign Office, and the police can detain anyone without ID. Roadside checks are covered on the safety page.

Frequently asked questions