A Burkina Faso visa is an official mark or stamp by the proper authorities on your passport that allows you to enter Burkina Faso.
It is an authorization for you to travel to the country and legitimately stay either temporarily or permanently. Getting a visa to Burkina Faso means that the Burkina Faso Consulate or Embassy in your home country decided that you are eligible and fulfil the entry conditions.
Why Should You Visit Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso is a former French colony, that gained independence as Upper Volta in 1960. The name Burkina Faso, which means “Land of Incorruptible People,” was adopted in 1984. The capital, Ouagadougou, is in the centre of the country and lies about 500 miles (800 km) from the Atlantic Ocean.
A fantastic reason to go to Burkina Faso is because there are few tourists, which means less struggle. Compared with its neighbours, Burkina attracts few tourists. Perhaps partly for that reason, Burkinabés are friendly but not aggressive, and do not stress their foreigners to buy whatever they are hawking. Burkina Faso also boasts of various beautiful lakes and interesting meals.
A popular snack in Burkina consists of fried caterpillars sold by roaming vendors who carry them in buckets or bowls on their heads. Crunchy and burnt, these insects look awesome hanging from your mouth for a photo to send back home.
Who Needs A Burkina Faso Visa?
For you to travel to Burkina Faso, you need to have a Burkinabè visa. But if you are a Citizen of any of these 18 countries, you can visit Burkina Faso without a visa. However, how long you can stay varies by nationality. See the table below for a further guide.
| No. | Nationality | Duration |
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 30 days |
| 2 | Togo | 30 days |
| 3 | Singapore | 30 days |
| 4 | Sierra Leone | 90 days |
| 5 | Senegal | 90 days |
| 6 | Nigeria | 90 days |
| 7 | Niger | 90 days |
| 8 | Mauritania | 90 days |
| 9 | Mali | 90 days |
| 10 | Liberia | 90 days |
| 11 | Guinea-Bissau | 90 days |
| 12 | Guinea | 90 days |
| 13 | Ghana | 90 days |
| 14 | Gambia | 90 days |
| 15 | Côte d’Ivoire | 90 days |
| 16 | Central African Republic | 90 days |
| 17 | Cape Verde | 90 days |
| 18 | Benin | 90 days |
In addition, visa on arrival – available for 52 nationalities is a different way to get into Burkina Faso without a visa. However, on arrival there is only an allowance for 30-day stay before the Visa must be gotten. It is important to note that the number of entries will have an impact on the visa fee on arrival.
Finally, there are people who are not qualified for exemption or a visa on arrival. So, all these nationalities must go to an embassy or a diplomatic mission of Burkina Faso in their nation and process their Visa.
What are the Burkina Faso Visa Types?
Burkina Faso like every modern country has various visa forms for different types of people and different needs. They are:
- Tourist Visa
- Business Visa
- Permanent Residence Visa.
Requirements For The Burkina Faso Visa Types
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
- Burkina Faso Visa Application
- Passport Photographs (2)
- Passport: Valid, Signed
- International Certificate of Vaccination
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
1. International Passport
You must provide your international passport, including one copy of the personal information page of your passport.
Your passport must:
- Be valid for the next six months
- Have at least one blank visa page (amendments and endorsement pages cannot be used to fulfill this requirement)
- Not be frayed, torn, separating, or altered in any other way
2. Photographs
You must provide two color, passport-type photographs that meets the following criteria:
- Be taken within the last three months and printed on high-quality photo paper
- Be taken against an all-white background
- Be two inches by two inches in measurement
- Provide the full-frontal view of your head with your face centered in the middle and displaying a neutral (non-smiling) expression
You may wear neither eyeglasses nor headwear except for religious purposes
Your photos should not be affixed to your application and it may not display evidence of adhesive tape or staples
3. International Certificate of Vaccination
Visitors will be required to show proof of yellow fever vaccination before entry into Burkina Faso.
4. Hotel Confirmation
You must provide a confirmation of your hotel accommodations. Your confirmation must:
- Include your intended dates of stay
- Display your full name
Steps To Apply For A Burkinabe Visa
The Burkinabè visa application process depends mostly on the visa type you need to apply for. To apply for a Burkinabè visa, you need to go through these simple steps:
- Go to the Burkinabe Government Embassy or Consul-General in your country.
- Fill in the visa application form remembering to put accurate information for the necessary personal details such as Name, Marital Status, Nationality, Date of Birth, Passport number. Also, departure date and arrival date would be requested. In addition, physical documents can be scanned or but preferably brought in hardcopy to the embassy. Such documents include:
- Your bank statement,
- travel &health insurance, and
- proof of accommodation.
- The Burkina Faso Embassy will then process your Burkinabe visa application for one or two weeks depending on the type of visa. They might ask for other documents, or for you to submit your fingerprints and have a face-to-face meeting.
- When you get your visa you can travel to Burkina Faso. At the point of entry, you will be asked for your passport and documents. The officials at the entry point will assess them and question you on what you are going to do in Burkina Faso.
- After you answer, they will make the decision whether to let you inside the country or not. The officials at the point of entry despite the existence of a valid visa have the authority not to allow you inside Burkina Faso if they sense that you will involve in criminal activities or not obey your visa restrictions.
How Can I Extend My Stay In Burkina Faso?
For you to extend your stay in Burkina Faso beyond the stipulated time in your Visa, it must be arranged by the Head Office of the National Police in Ouagadougou. Most times your request will be processed in 72 working hours. However, processing time may be reduced to 24 hours if the applicants pays the rush fee of $140 per visa.
Carefully complete the application forms because any missing or incomplete information may delay your Visa issuance.
FEES FOR BURKINA FASO VISA
- $105 for 3 months, one entry
- $135 for 3 months, multiple entries
- $145 for 6 months, one entry
- $175 for 6 months, multiple entries
- $190 for one year, one entry
- $220 for one year, multiple entries
Payment Options
Payment can only be made by money order or company check.
Frequently Asked Questions
WILL I GET A REFUND IF MY BURKINA FASO VISA IS REJECTED?
Please note, all fees paid in furtherance of your visa application are non-refundable
WHAT DOES THE BURKINA FASO VISA LOOK LIKE?
The Burkina Faso visa may vary from time to time but it may look like the image below.
COVID-19 GUIDELINES
All international travelers will need to present a negative COVID-19 test certificate dated no more than 5 days prior to departure to Burkina Faso. You will need to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Burkina Faso, at a location of your choice and at your own cost. Daily controls will be carried out by the Centre of Health Emergency Response Operations (CORUS), including temperature tests. COVID 19 tests will be carried out on the 1st, 8th and 14th day following arrival.
1 thought on “A Complete Guide To A Burkina Faso Visa”
I love the explantory write-up. It helped my enquiries on a Burkina Faso Visa. Good Job.