Mauritania Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Mauritania.
Public hospitals exist but are under-resourced; expatriates and most travelers rely on private clinics in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.
Centre Hospitalier National in Nouakchott handles trauma and obstetrics; Clinique Chiva and Clinique SOS Médecins provide faster outpatient care and dental repair.
Pharmacies Nationale and Pharmacie du Nord in Nouakchott stock antimalarials, rehydration salts, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Bring prescription glasses as optical options are scarce.
Proof of international medical cover is demanded at Nouakchott airport if evacuation is requested.
- ✓ Pack a sealed thermometer and ORS sachets. Desert heat and salty fish dishes rapidly dehydrate visitors.
- ✓ Request itemised receipts from private clinics to speed insurance reimbursement.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpockets operate around Nouakchott's Marché Capitale and Nouadhibou's port gate, slipping phones from trouser pockets in crowded alleys perfumed with grilled mackerel.
Sun overhead bakes sand to blistering levels. Lips crack, skin tingles, and dizziness sets in after two hours without shade.
Flat tires hiss on gravel tracks, and radiators boil under hoods, leaving travelers stranded amid swirling dust devils.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
At Terjit oasis, unofficial guides appear beside date palms, quote a low fee, then demand triple once you reach the waterfall.
Street exchangers near Nouakchott's Saudi Mosque count ouguiya notes quickly, palming 5 000 bills behind the sweet smell of incense.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Stick to sealed Nouakchott-Nouadhibou and Nouakchott-Rosso highways after sunset. Unpaved pistes to Chinguetti become corrugated and treacherous.
- • Keep headlights on during daylight to counter glare from white dunes. Police rarely stop lit vehicles.
- • Store passport in a zip-lock bag to block fine Saharan dust. Carry colour copies for routine checkpoints.
- • Withdraw cash only from BNCI ATMs inside bank lobbies. Outdoor machines may retain cards during power cuts.
- • Choose cafés where fishermen grill sea bream over glowing charcoal. Avoid raw vegetables rinsed in tap water.
- • Order bottled water sealed with a click-cap; in desert camps, accept sweet mint tea boiled vigorously over camel-dung fires.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Women visitors move safely in daylight. Yet should expect persistent invitations for tea from male shopkeepers and occasional stares.
- → Sit in family sections at Nouakchott restaurants to dine undisturbed. Wave staff over rather than walking to counter alone.
- → When taking shared taxis, book the front passenger seat to avoid squeezed thigh-to-thigh contact in back rows.
Same-sex relations are illegal with penalties up to three years imprisonment under Article 308 of the penal code.
- → Book twin rooms instead of doubles if travelling with a same-sex partner. Hotels rarely question separate beds.
- → Avoid nightlife discussions about relationships. Focus conversation on Mauritania food, weather, and desert excursions.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Remote desert distances and helicopter evacuation costs make complete coverage essential.
Ready to plan your trip to Mauritania?
Now that you've got the research covered, here's where to go next.