Yaounde NoteBook

Number plates of cars issued according to regions in Cameroon

Number plates of cars issued according to regions in Cameroon.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • If you want to fast track the process in traditional African way, you are required to pay an additional 140,000 Cameroon Francs (Sh35,000) to get it in a month or at least two weeks.

Car number plates issued according to regions

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Cameroon has 10 regions formerly known as provinces. The abbreviations for this regions are normally written on the number plates of vehicles so that any car can be correctly identified by authorities based on the region it was first registered. 

For instance, cars registered in Douala have the abbreviations LT for Littoral while those from Bamenda in the North West region have the initials ND to mean Nord West.

Those from Buea region which is in the South West of Cameroon have SW as the initials preceding the numbers.

A car bearing the initials CA on the number plate belongs to the government or parastatals. CA is the short form of Core Administrative. Those from the central region that is the capital city Yaoundé have the initials CE.

Many foreigners in Bastos

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The Bastos area in the capital Yaounde is the equivalent of Muthaiga or Runda in Nairobi. 

Most embassies and consulates are located in this area and it’s common to find many Europeans and foreigners relaxing in food joints after work. 

One of the most popular food joints is called Istanbul. It has a wide range of European cuisines on the menu and the prices are also quite high. 

A plate of full roasted chicken costs 12,000 Cameroon Francs (Sh3,000) and it’s often served with French fries, rice or boiled plantain.

Cameroonian passport expensive

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Getting a Cameroon passport is no child’s play. It’s an expensive process that normally takes close to two months before you get the document.

You have to pay 110,000 Cameroon Francs (Sh 27,500) to the government which is a compulsory fee.  After that you check on the online application platform to book an appointment during which your bio data is taken at the immigration office. The earliest available slot for the appointment can be a month or two away depending on the number of pending applications which makes the wait longer.

If you want to fast track the process in traditional African way, you are required to pay an additional 140,000 Cameroon Francs (Sh35,000) to get it in a month or at least two weeks.