Lisbon-Capetown Nov 2022 Visas or not?

[Benthayer Gonbak]

39 minutes ago, blag said:

 

 

My list of vaccines includes the recommended vaccines for most people,  but Rabies, Cholera, Hep B, Meningococcal Disease, and TB  are advised for some travellers. 

 

Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Banjul, and other places adjacent the river in The Gambia have a high risk of Malaria.

 

Here is what is stated about Yellow Fever certification in the info for Angola:

 

• Under International Health Regulations, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over 9 months of age.
• According to World Health Organization (WHO), from 11 July 2016 (for all countries), the yellow fever certificate will be valid for the duration of the life of the person vaccinated. As a consequence, a valid certificate, presented by arriving travellers, cannot be rejected on the grounds that more than ten years have passed since the date vaccination became effective as stated on the certificate; and that boosters or revaccination cannot be required. 
• The yellow fever vaccine is not suitable for all travellers, there are specific undesirable effects associated with it. This vaccine is only available at registered yellow fever vaccination centres. Health professionals should carefully assess the risks and benefits of the vaccine, and seek specialist advice if necessary.

 

That explains why a waiver might have been needed before 2016 even with vaccinations.  Now the vaccination is good again! 
 

for what it is worth, a waiver is put on a yellow fever certificate so this reads like a waiver is acceptable. Time will tell.
 

we e been given Doxycycline  for Malaria prevention. So we are good there. 
 

i found it interesting that the Tetanus vax in the UK doesn’t include Pertussis, whooping cough.  Instead it includes polio. 
 

Thanks for the links. 

what’s missing is annual flu shots😇  for part of the cruise, winter, that could be important. 

 

Fingers crossed that Azamara makes an announcement soon. 

[Grand Cru]

Was reading about the yellow fever vaccine and it states that it’s not suitable for people over the age of 60, so will have to get an exemption certificate.

[blag]

1 minute ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

That explains why a waiver might have been needed before 2016 even with vaccinations.  Now the vaccination is good again! 
 

for what it is worth, a waiver is put on a yellow fever certificate so this reads like a waiver is acceptable. Time will tell.
 

we e been given Doxycycline  for Malaria prevention. So we are good there. 
 

i found it interesting that the Tetanus vax in the UK doesn’t include Pertussis, whooping cough.  Instead it includes polio. 
 

Thanks for the links. 

what’s missing is annual flu shots😇  for part of the cruise, winter, that could be important. 

 

Fingers crossed that Azamara makes an announcement soon. 

We're not on this cruise, but have an interest because we are doing the reverse in March 2023.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

On 7/28/2022 at 10:49 AM, blag said:

Here is what you will find if you commence the electronic application process for a visa for Angola (I have emphasised the inconvenient bits) :

Before you start the process of applying for the Visa, please take sometime to read carefully and note the following:
1. This site is a Visa online service, approved and certified by ministry of Interior authorities that are responsible of the Visa issuing in Angola.

2. This online service, represent only the collection of your application process digitally and the safe delivery to SME. The E-Visa will be sent to you by email provided all the data and documents are validated and visa request is approved by SME. It is not designed to substitute your physical presence at the consulate (which is mandatory at a subsequent phase), which means the Visa itself can only be granted after a visit to the consulate has taken place, including an interview and biometric data collection and Visa fee payment have all successfully done.

3. The service is designed to help people avoiding visits to the consulates to deliver the documents and the forms, only to go back again to submit the passport. It is ideal for those who live far away from the nearest consulate, where traveling will have costs both financially and in terms of time.

4. In some cases where the country of origin or residence does not have an Angolan consulate, using the service means the applicant will avoid the cost of traveling to the nearest country with an Angolan consulate and have to either stay there for the period during which the Visa is processed, or have to come back to his country for that period, only to go back again to collect the Visa.

5. Please before you advance make sure you read and agree to the terms and conditions , and the privacy policy of this service.

6. Please ensure that you read and understand the steps and requirement for this service

7. Please ensure that you read the technical explanations, the requirement and specifications needed before you start the process.

8. Not following the steps to the letter, and not meeting the technical specification precisely may result in the rejection of your application, which will mean more delays in your Visa processing.

I do not know whether this means there is a pre-approval process which allows one to collect and pay for one's visa on arrival. Imagine how long that would take for even a small ship like one of Azamara's! 

 

The red part was solved at the airport, after the electronic is done, at least for Ivory Coast.  It’s possible this can be done at the pier. 
 

when we went to India immigrations decided they weren’t going to just go through passports from the document officer but wanted a face to face with each passenger.  So, Azamara put them onboard a day or to early and set up a time for each group went to the Cabaret for a face to face meet.  We picked up our passports at one door, walked to the front, then turned the passport back in at the other door.  So Azamara is pretty good at solving changes that happen because of the country.  Our visa were single entry so it was agreed that both ports were basically one entry with travel between. A special card was given to us that we carried and showed at both terminals and turned in at the end of the second port.  

[Benthayer Gonbak]

17 minutes ago, Grand Cru said:

Was reading about the yellow fever vaccine and it states that it’s not suitable for people over the age of 60, so will have to get an exemption certificate.

Thats attested to on the Yellow Fever Certificate in the same space.  It’s pretty simple, or was when mine was done. I think they call it a waiver.   At least in the US!  
 

it was also in short supply for a while because the manufacture was moving or retooling or something similar.  

Edited August 12, 2022 by Benthayer Gonbak

[Benthayer Gonbak]

13 minutes ago, blag said:

We're not on this cruise, but have an interest because we are doing the reverse in March 2023.

Not a problem you’ll be answering for others later! 

[blag]

2 minutes ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

 

The red part was solved at the airport, after the electronic is done, at least for Ivory Coast.  It’s possible this can be done at the pier. 
 

when we went to India immigrations decided they weren’t going to just go through passports from the document officer but wanted a face to face with each passenger.  So, Azamara put them onboard a day or to early and set up a time for each group went to the Cabaret for a face to face meet.  We picked up our passports at one door, walked to the front, then turned the passport back in at the other door.  So Azamara is pretty good at solving changes that happen because of the country.  Our visa were single entry so it was agreed that both ports were basically one entry with travel between. A special card was given to us that we carried and showed at both terminals and turned in at the end of the second port.  

For the Azamara cruise that we went on which included at least two stops in India there were no such processes! But, we had arranged our own evisas! 

[Benthayer Gonbak]

1 minute ago, blag said:

For the Azamara cruise that we went on which included at least two stops in India there were no such processes! But, we had arranged our own evisas! 

We had hard visas stamps that we had to send off for.  The day we docked there had been a threat at the port, all the container ship were waiting out away from the dock.  We were let into a closed port.  We found this out afterwards although the container ships looked suspicious.   Azamara was less than 2 years old at the time. 

[blag]

30 minutes ago, Grand Cru said:

Was reading about the yellow fever vaccine and it states that it’s not suitable for people over the age of 60, so will have to get an exemption certificate.

Here's what the UK's health service Web site says about the Yellow Fever vaccine (I don't read this as a definite not recommended). I will be guided by the recommendations of the expert who will administer (or not) the vaccine.  They are very thorough! 

 

Side effects following yellow fever vaccine are usually mild and can consist of fever, headache, nausea, joint and muscle pain. Serious complications are rare and have an increased incidence in those:

• over 60 years of age
• who are immunosuppressed
• with a thymus disorder or have had their thymus removed (for any reason)
• who have a first degree relative who has had a serious complication to the vaccine

 

[Benthayer Gonbak]

8 hours ago, blag said:

Here's what the UK's health service Web site says about the Yellow Fever vaccine (I don't read this as a definite not recommended). I will be guided by the recommendations of the expert who will administer (or not) the vaccine.  They are very thorough! 

 

Side effects following yellow fever vaccine are usually mild and can consist of fever, headache, nausea, joint and muscle pain. Serious complications are rare and have an increased incidence in those:

• over 60 years of age
• who are immunosuppressed
• with a thymus disorder or have had their thymus removed (for any reason)
• who have a first degree relative who has had a serious complication to the vaccine

 

My travel expert, MD, indeed refused to give me a yellow fever inoculation based on age and itinerary.   For casual travelers that’s fairly normal.  If I were going to work in Angola for a couple of years the decision might be different. It’s not particularly a cheap shot either. 

[Baynanno1]

We had our Yellow Fever shots aged 70 and 75 with no ill effects, prior to travel to Brazil.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

54 minutes ago, Baynanno1 said:

We had our Yellow Fever shots aged 70 and 75 with no ill effects, prior to travel to Brazil.

 

Thats good to hear.  When we were to be in Uruguay and I think peru most of the yellow fever was rural and considered not worth the risks.  I found that slightly odd because I’ve normally had very little reactions to any vaccine, most of which used to be live virus.  I don’t even have a really pronounced smallpox scar!  I’m not sure anyone could find it, and I think I remember it being redone because of that.  
 

My SIL went with use to Buenos Aires and decided to get the Yellow Fever shot while her system could handle it better.  She had little to no reaction too. 
 

My primary care physician told me that there is risk to all vaccines and age was only one of the counter indications of them.  
 

our travel doctor last year gave us an almost lecture about how to avoid mosquito bites!  We already have most of the gear.  
 

see ya soon?