How to Apply for a Gabon Visa in Charlotte

Tourists have begun returning to the African nation of Gabon as the country once again welcomes visitors following the COVID pandemic.  Located on the equator bordering Central Africa’s Atlantic coast, Gabon allows travelers to explore the broad savannahs, dense rainforests, mountain ranges, thundering waterfalls, and coastal plains of the Congo basin.  The nation is home to some of the most diverse flora and fauna in the world, including gorillas, chimpanzees, hippos, elephants, humpback whales, and more than 400 species of trees.   

While Gabon is not a common destination for the average American tourists, the country has been in the news recently because Charlotte-based Bank of America announced a deal to refinance $500 million of the Gabonese Republic’s debt in exchange for environmental conservation efforts taking place there.  This is the first such “debt-for-nature” transaction in Africa to protect a country’s oceans.  Gabon is also the first country in Africa to get paid by international organizations for protecting its forests. 

90% of Gabon is covered in dense forests, creating an excellent opportunity for the exportation of timber to industrialized countries that require this commodity to manufacture building materials, furniture, paper products and other consumer goods.  However, Gabon also has an opportunity to protect these forests and use the unharvested land as a product that can be sold as “carbon credits” to wealthier nations (these forests help absorb carbon and therefore have value in the marketplace for those countries needing to offset their “carbon footprint” by purchasing carbon credits).  This mechanism for trading carbon has been developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Gabonese Republic gained its independence from French rule in 1960.  The country’s population of more than 2.3 million includes 40 ethnic groups.  While most of the indigenous people speak Bantu languages like Fang, French remains the official government language and is spoken by some 80 percent of the residents.  About 70 percent of Gabon’s residents practice Christianity, with 10 percent practicing Islam and the others various indigenous religions.  

Libreville, Gabon’s capital and largest city, is a port on the Komo River at the Gulf of Guinea.  The opulent Presidential Palace (Palais Présidentiel), built on the waterfront in the 1970s, has become a popular attraction.  Other tourist-friendly sites for Charlotte area visitors include churches such as Notre-dame de Lourdes, the cathedrals of St. Michael and St. Marie, and the carved wooden columns at L'Eglise St-Michel Libreville.  Another destination is the national museum, Musee National des Arts et Traditions du Gabon.  Nightlife includes music at nightclubs, late-night restaurants, hotel casinos, and the Casino Croisette.  Shoppers can acquire traditional African crafts from two large markets, Akebe-Plaine, Nkembo, and Mon-Bouet (Mount Bouet).  Nearby Lopé National Park is the largest in Gabon, where forest safaris visit the habitats of chimps, forest elephants, and 350 species of birds.

Lopé – one of the 13 national parks created in 2002 across Gabon that preserve 10 percent of its natural environment – is also one of the country’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  The other is Ivindo National Park, a 740,000-acre habitat for such threated mammals as the gorilla, chimpanzee, forest elephant, and leopard.  As mentioned, more than 90 percent of Gabon is covered by forests, providing numerous opportunities for wildlife safaris, hiking, mountain trekking, and fishing in lakes, rivers, and coastal estuaries.

Tropical beaches along the Atlantic Ocean also provide venues for snorkeling, scuba diving, and simply relaxing under the palm trees. “Mostly the wild coast of Gabon is scattered with sand of snow-white, yellow and orange shades, the water is clear and warm, and the waves are calm and quiet,” according to travel website 1001beach (https://1001beach.com/en/africa/gabon).  Pointe-Denis (accessible by boat from nearby Libreville) is a well-developed beach resort at the mouth of the Como River that is renowned for local seafood.  Lycée Leon MBA Beach, also near Libreville, features jet skis, oceanfront bars, and restaurants.  The 100-kilometer beach at Loango borders a jungle nature reserve filled with wild animals.  From quiet Coco Beach, you can take a ferry from the small resort across the Muni River to Equatorial Guinea.  The dark sands of Pongara Beach in Pongara National Park – home to a vibrant coral reef – is also bordered by forests with plentiful monkeys and numerous bird species.

Requirements for Obtaining a Gabon Visa

Citizens of the United States and most other countries are required to obtain a visa to visit Gabon. (Visa-exempt countries are listed at https://evisa.dgdi.ga/).The main requirements are having a passport with at least six months of validity remaining, plus proof of vaccination against yellow fever.  The Gabonese Republic does not currently have any COVID-19 vaccination, testing or quarantine requirements. (For current travel advisories and related information from the U.S. State Department, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Gabon.html.)

U.S.-based travelers can obtain a conventional paper tourist visa from the Gabon embassy in Washington, D.C. or the consulate in New York.  An electronic visa is also available from the government’s e-Visa website.  The basic requirements for either visa are:

  • Passport valid at least six months beyond your date of entry to Gabon. Your passport must be in good physical condition and have at least one blank page.
  • A recent color, passport-style photograph.
  • Yellow fever documentation (“yellow card”).
  • Proof of air travel arrangements (copy of e-ticket or travel agency itinerary) with entry and exit dates for all travelers in your party.
  • Proof of hotel or private accommodation for all travelers.
  • Completed visa application form.
  • Payment of application and processing fees.

 

While each type of visa functions in the same manner once you enter Gabon, there are a few differences such as fees, turnaround times, and application methods.

Obtaining a Gabon Visa from Charlotte (e-Visa)

While some travelers from the Charlotte area find the quickest way to visit Gabon is with the tourist electronic visa (e-Visa), others have experienced difficulties and delays with that process – particularly during the pandemic. “Access to the online application site can be spotty,” the U.S. State Department noted, “and there have been reports of difficulty in paying the fee required on arrival, due to the lack of access to local funds or ATMs at the security check point in the airport.”

The online application form and other details about the E-visa are available at https://evisa.dgdi.ga/#/.  You will need to fill out the application, as well as upload a copy of your photograph.  The turnaround time is typically 72 hours for the e-Visas.  Fees (which can only be paid at the airport) are:

  • Single entry, valid for one to three months single entry: €70 + €15 file processing fee (which totals about $85 U.S. dollars).
  • Multiple entries, valid for up to six months: €185 + €15 processing fee (about $200).

The e-Visa is only valid for entry at Libreville International Airport.  Upon arrival, you must present your passport and your printed government confirmation to receive your visa sticker.  E-Visas of one or two months can be extended to three months by visiting the Directorate General of Documentation and Immigration (DGDI) in Libreville.  However, the three- or six-month e-Visas cannot be extended.

Obtaining a Conventional Visa from the Gabon Consulate or Embassy

Visitors from Charlotte can also obtain a traditional tourist visa from the Gabon consulate in New York City (on 122 E 42nd Street #519) or the embassy in Washington, D.C.  General requirements and an application form are available at https://www.gabonembassyusa.org/en/visa-consular/visa.  As noted above, many experts recommend obtaining a traditional visa because of issues with the e-Visa website and in-person payments.  When you visit the Gabonese government office, you must provide:

  • Two completed application forms (a signed original application form plus a copy).
  • Your passport.
  • Proof of travel arrangements (as outlined above).
  • Copy of your yellow fever vaccination card.
  • A processing fee of $160 (not payable by personal check).

The turnaround times are typically three to five business days for the conventional visa.  The short-term tourist visa is valid for 90 days after entry.  If you need to stay longer, you will need to obtain a residence permit or another type of visa.

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

Visa Supply can help you complete your application for any of these visas and answer your questions about visiting Gabon.  We also provide courier service to deliver your application and pick up your visa from the embassy in Washington or the consulate in New York.  Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the government of Gabon.  Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans. 

If you live in Charlotte or anywhere in the state of North Carolina and have difficulty applying for a Gabon visa, or require assistance with any part of the visa process, please give our office a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment with our company.  We are a private agency in Atlanta providing Gabon visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents. 

We provide the following Gabon visa services for our customers in Charlotte:

  • Gabon Tourist Visa
  • Gabon Business Visa
  • Gabon Diplomat & Official Visa
  • Gabon Hotel Accommodations