Mali entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): Valid for the whole stay (until the day you leave)
Visa (FCDO): You need a visa to visit Mali. Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – Mali travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Mali, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Do I need a visa for Mali with a British passport?
In short: You need a visa to visit Mali.
Our one-line summary of the first FCDO sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. It applies to British citizen passport holders; read the full official text, which may add conditions.
You must have a visa to visit Mali. The application and payment process is now fully online via the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
An entry permit will be issued electronically once approved. There is no need to send documents to the Malian Embassy in Brussels, which covers the UK.
Official source: GOV.UK – Mali travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 10 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Mali, your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.
Official source: GOV.UK – Mali travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Mali
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 11 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 20 June 2025: “Updated information on the visa process and the security situation, including terrorist threats to international businesses ('Entry requirements' and 'Safety and security' pages).”
- 20 December 2023: “Information about terrorism risks and removal of information about COVID-19 entry requirements (‘Terrorism’ and ‘Entry requirements’ pages).”
- 8 August 2023: “Due to regional events there is disruption to air travel to and from Bamako and a risk of protests (‘Summary’, ‘Entry requirements’, and ‘Safety and security’ page).”
- 12 April 2022: “The 'Entry requirements' section has been updated relating to requirements for COVID tests for entry/exit into Mali for those who have received a complete COVID vaccine.”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Mali (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (Valid for the whole stay)
and 19 more destinations with the same rule: see all
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status