I booked a hunt in Cameroon forest area for next year. I have plenty of time to get the permits but would like to get an idea of contacts before hand. I have contacted the Cameroon embassy here in the states and they don't answer the phone, or e-mails. For those who have done this in the States do you have any suggestions? I have a contact in Paris who will do it but that will cost around $700. Thanks for any help.

I am heading off to Cameroon at the end of the month, to do your own VISA and gun permit with the Cameroon Embassy here in the UK is a real PITA, I use Mathias Michel of Iles et Voyages who goes personally to the Cameroon Embassy in Brussels on your behalf. I highly rate his service as well as this he also offers a meet and greet service to make sure everything goes through smoothly at the other end and to assist with hotels and connecting flights.

Talk to Travel with Guns. It is a fairly involved process to get the gun permit. The Embassy in the US is not where you apply for the permit. The permit and visa application (if you are applying for the gun permit simultaneously) are made in Brussels. Your passport and permit application are sent to Paris and then couriered to Brussels. And yes, the total all in cost for one rifle and the visa is roughly $800. If you just want a visa, that can be done here in the US using a service like G3 but my understanding is that the Cameroon Embassy in the US does not issue gun permits.

You might contact safarilawyer who posts here. He went twice last year.

He went to Auburn though.

Dont expect to get them until the last minute.

quote:

Originally posted by Cumbrian:
I am heading off to Cameroon at the end of the month, to do your own VISA and gun permit with the Cameroon Embassy here in the UK is a real PITA, I use Mathias Michel of Iles et Voyages who goes personally to the Cameroon Embassy in Brussels on your behalf. I highly rate his service as well as this he also offers a meet and greet service to make sure everything goes through smoothly at the other end and to assist with hotels and connecting flights.

This for sure.

I went last year and that's what I did.

You have to send your actual passport to Paris which is a little unnerving but it went very smooth and no worries.

I did this as well.

I got my visa using a visa processing company in DC.Cant recall the name but a google search should pull it up. IIRC it cost about $75 for the service and they hand carry the application( available on the internet) to the embassy. You must send them your passport for the visa application. Don't know about the rifle permit as I used Cam's rifle for my unguided hunt. The whole process took about 6 weeks.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
You might contact safarilawyer who posts here. He went twice last year.

He went to Auburn though.

Funny that we saw someone wearing an Auburn hat in the Paris airport and exchanged a "War Eagle".

A friend asked if we saw any Alabama hats and I replied, "No. But we didn't go to Wal-Mart."

Bama15, you have a PM.

It's my understanding that the only embassy that does the firearms permits is Brussels.

I had Gracy deal with that, and everything worked out, but it takes a couple of months to complete it.

They wanted photos, etc. for the permits and then you courier it over.

Yep Cameroon is a nightmare country to try and import your hunting firearms into. My first hunt I just rented firearms and it greatly simplified the travel. Going as well as coming home. It does put you in the position of hunting premier game animals with someone else's guns and their idiosyncrasies to the negative.

This trip Mike and I are bringing guns with us. What a complicated mess. Oh well, the things we do to hunt Africa...

Just got back from Cameroon today. Arjun Reddy put me in contact with Iles and Voyages for the visa and gun permit process; Travel With Guns uses them as well. I'd make sure someone like a meet and greet or PH guides you through the airport process, and I'd give rifle rental very serious thought. All of the customs and police seemed more interested in the ammo though.

Yep. If you think JNB has a lot of hucksters and scammers, wait till you pitch up in Yaoundé!!!

It is much more involved than anything I've dealt with going to Zim or Namibia. I talked to Travel with Guns and think I am going to hand it all over to them and let them take care of it. I can take all the info to DSC next year and hand it off to them and be done with it. Sending your passport off like that is unnerving, but if that's what you have to do.

Randy,

I would as you've suggested let your travel agent handle it. I went to Cameroon in '07 on fairly short notice and had no issues at all. I worked with Adam Clements at the time and the office and Gracy Travel handled everything. The outfitter had a meet and greet person meet us in the baggage area at Douala airport. He took our passports, baggage tags and returned in about 20 minutes with all our kit. He then whisked us into a late model SUV and we were on the way to our hotel. The whole thing was very easy.

Mark

We will be using Travel With Guns to handle paperwork for June in Cameroon.