Guerguerat Voyage Tips and guide

Guerguerat (Arabic: الكركرات) is the southernmost settlement in the Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara (Aousserd Province in the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region). It serves as the only official and vital border crossing between Morocco (Western Sahara) and Mauritania, acting as a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa.

The border crossing at Guerguerat is considered a challenging stage for overlanders. The experience is defined by extensive bureaucracy, harsh wind conditions, and various organizational hurdles.

As the Moroccan border post usually closes around 18:00; strict time management is essential. Travellers should note that during winter months, there is often a one-hour time difference between Morocco and Mauritania, which can serve as a helpful buffer if arriving late.

Clearing the Moroccan side requires passing through three different checkpoints (Passport Control, Vehicle Registration, and Customs). Due to the strong winds in this vegetation-free border region, a pragmatic "workaround" has emerged: the "stone-on-passport system".

At the open-air counters, travel documents are collected in a pile and secured with a heavy stone against the wind. Newcomers slide their passport into the bottom of the pile. The person at the front of the queue is responsible for lifting the stone for the officer when needed.

Process:

1. Visa/document check
2. Passport control and stamping
3. Vehicle inspection (issuance of a "gate pass")
4. Customs clearance for the vehicle
5. Final exit control into No Man's Land

After leaving Morocco, you enter a roughly 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi)-wide buffer zone. While parts of it have been paved, the section directly before the Mauritanian post remains a sandy, bumpy, and unmaintained off-road track. Deep ruts, soft sand, and potholes make this section a technical challenge, especially for motorcyclists and heavily loaded expedition vehicles.

The Mauritanian side requires patience. Due to the often confusing sequence of counters, travellers arriving late often use local helpers ("Fixers") to coordinate the process for a small fee (approx. 200 dirhams).

Stations:

1. Passport control and police registration
2. Customs ("Passavant") for temporary vehicle import
3. Visa issuance and payment (cash in euros or dirham required)
4. Applying the visa sticker
5. Border exit and mandatory local car insurance. The international "Green Card" (Carte Brune) is usually not valid here.

In Mauritania, as well as on the approach to the border, there are numerous checkpoints by police and military. To speed up the process, experienced travellers use so-called fiches. These are data sheets containing all relevant personal and vehicle information. Instead of waiting for officers to manually record your details, you hand over a completed fiche, reducing the stop to a few seconds.

• To prepare these, you can use online tools such as this Fiche Generator for West Africa.
• It is recommended to carry 20 to 40 copies for the entire region.

On the route from Dakhla towards Guerguerat, there are many speed checks. Most importantly: at stop signs, the Moroccan police strictly enforce a complete standstill of the vehicle (wheels must stop moving entirely).

• Landmine danger: North of Nouadhibou, there is an acute danger to life from landmines off the paved roads. Under no circumstances should you leave the tracks, even if no warning signs are visible. Standard navigation maps often do not mark these areas correctly.
• Weather: Strong winds and sandstorms can drastically reduce visibility and significantly increase fuel consumption due to high air resistance.
• Money: A sufficient reserve of cash (euros or dirham) is mandatory. ATMs in the border region or in Nouadhibou are unreliable, frequently out of service, or may not accept foreign credit cards.