The Nouakchott Airport is tiny. It is not going to win any awards for amenities or shopping and dining opportunities. But it’s relatively new (it opened in 2016), and the modest size makes it easy to navigate.

In this post we will cover which airlines fly to NKC, the visa on arrival process, the cost of transport to and from the airport, and long layover possibilities.

Who flies to Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport?

The following airlines all fly to to NKC:

• Air Algerie
• Air France
• Air Senegal 
• Binter
• Iberia
• Royal Air Maroc
• Tunisair
• Turkish

If you are coming from North America, Asia or Oceania, you will likely have to connect through a city in either Europe or Africa (North Africa will have the greatest number of connections). On our Mauritania tours, we find that most people find the cheapest fares with Turkish or Royal Air Maroc.

Connecting flights

In the off chance that you have a connecting flight at this airport (perhaps to neighboring Senegal?), there is a duty free shop, a cafe and a lounge. It’s slim pickings beyond that. We asked about spending the night in the normal seating area and did not receive a clear answer. Everything is quite relaxed at this airport, but you would certainly stand out if you were setting up camp for the night. We wouldn’t count on it as part of our plan.

Is there free wi-fi in the Nouakchott airport?

Yes, there is free wi-fi that supposedly works for an hour of uninterrupted surfing. It cut out far sooner than that for us but we were able to at least send out a few messages and contact our local partners on the ground.

How Does the Visa on Arrival Work?

Anyone can get the visa on arrival regardless of nationality. You do not need to do anything in advance. There is no pre-registration or forms to fill out, online or otherwise.

Before you get to the immigration counter, you will be directed to the visa on arrival office. In the first office they will take down your information and give you a ticket. You will then proceed to the second office where you will pay for the visa and receive the sticker in your passport.

It’s important to note that the visa costs either 55 euro or $60 USD. You can also pay in ouguiya, the local currency in Mauritania, but you are unlikely to show up with this currency and there is no place to change money before you go through immigration. It’s important to have the correct currency and exact change. They do not give change (in any currency), so if you give them a $100 dollar bill, you will be being $100 for the visa.

The whole thing takes about ten minutes (if there is not a queue). Afterwards, you will fill out an arrival form and then make your way through immigration.

Getting local currency at the airport

At the beginning of 2024, Mauritania changed its currency. The new ouguiya notes are valued at ten times the previous currency. Keep this in mind when people are rattling off amounts as they may still be including an extra decimal point.

There are several ATMs in the airport, although none of them were working on our last visit. There is also a exchange bureau where you can get about what you would expect at an airport exchange bureau.

How much does it cost to get to Nouakchott from the airport?

There are plenty of taxis waiting outside the airport, but it is not the typical feeding frenzy. Negotiation is required, but the bargaining is relaxed. One thousand ouguiyal, which is about 24 euro, seems to be an uncontroversial amount to get from the airport to Nouakchott in a taxi. Considering the airport is 25 kilometers north of the city, we don’t think there is anything extortionate about that price tag.