Arrival in Burkina Faso

Before travelling to Burkina Faso, travellers should have a valid passport or other recognised travel document, the appropriate visa or a valid visa exemption, and a health booklet (carnet de santé) in accordance with the International Health Regulations. Depending on nationality and purpose of travel, a return or onward ticket, a repatriation guarantee or an exemption from it, and a signed migration information form may also be required. For German passport holders, the document should remain valid for at least six months beyond the planned end of the stay when applying. The travel form (fiche de voyage) must be completed within the last 72 hours before departure; the QR code should be saved or captured as a screenshot. The e-Visa should be applied for through the official portal. A visa on arrival cannot be reliably planned. Transit visas are valid for a maximum of five days and cost 38,000 West African CFA francs (FCFA) under the researched fee schedule. Short-stay visas are valid for a maximum of 90 days. Examples include 66,000 FCFA for a single-entry tourist visa, 99,000 FCFA for a single-entry business visa and 132,500 FCFA for a multiple-entry business visa. Fees of 66,000 FCFA and 82,500 FCFA respectively are stated for study or vocational training. For stays exceeding 90 days, long-stay visas or a residence permit are required; the fee schedule lists 231,000 FCFA for business purposes, 126,500 FCFA for study or vocational training and 110,000 FCFA for family stays. Fees, requirements and processing times should be checked again in the official portal before applying because they may change and processing may take several weeks. At entry, an entry stamp is applied after the previously issued visa has been checked. The advance visa should be kept until departure. For tourist entry, a hotel reservation for at least three nights may be required. For a long-term stay, relevant documents include proof of the purpose of stay and either support in Burkina Faso or sufficient income, as well as health insurance. Members of the West African Economic Community (CEDEAO) generally do not need a residence permit, but they must carry a valid consular identity card. For other nationals, residence status depends on nationality and purpose. Anyone changing their actual place of residence within Burkina Faso must report this to the competent police migration service at least 72 hours before moving. A short-stay visa does not permit work without prior authorization from the minister responsible for labor (Autorisation du ministre chargé du travail). There is no nationally documented general contact point for all new arrivals. Formal services are concentrated mainly in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. The Centre for the Reception and Transit of Migrants of Bassinko (Centre d’accueil et de transit des migrants de Bassinko) in Ouagadougou has 80 places and provides information, support, voluntary return and transit assistance for migrants in need, returnees and people in transit. It is not a general reception centre for all new arrivals. Humanitarian assistance and support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) and partners are also available, depending on the case and capacity, including in Dori, Djibo, Ouahigouya, Fada and Kaya; access and occupancy should be checked directly. People seeking protection first register in person with the Permanent Secretariat of the National Commission for Refugees (Secrétariat permanent de la Commission nationale pour les réfugiés (SP-CONAREF)). The main office is in Ouagadougou; branch offices are located in Dori, Djibo, Ouahigouya and Bobo-Dioulasso. Online pre-registration is possible, the asylum procedure itself is free, and no one should be asked to pay for it. Registration may require identity and civil-status documents, information about education, work and family, entry and travel history, and any available evidence. All applying family members should be present. The procedure is generally individual; a collective procedure is currently mentioned for Malian nationals. Anyone unable to attend an appointment should inform the office immediately. Meetings of the responsible committee usually take place every three months; the decision may take varying amounts of time, and notification is issued approximately 60 days after the second interview and the committee meeting. Services from HCR and non-governmental organisations are free of charge. For children born in Burkina Faso, birth registration normally takes place within two months at the nearest local town hall (mairie), civil-status office, or a subordinate civil-status register in a health centre or village. After this period, a declaratory judgment from the competent civil court may be required. Refugee children must not be disadvantaged. The Burkinabè biometric identity card (CNIB) is applied for through the National Identification Office (Office national d’identification (ONI)) or a data collection centre (Centre de collecte des données (CCD)); production takes approximately seven to 30 days. A refugee identity card (Carte d’identité de réfugié (CIR)) requires an HCR certificate, a recommendation from the National Commission for Refugees (CONAREF) and biometric data submitted to ONI. Processing time varies; local operations are held, among other places, in Bobo-Dioulasso, Dori and Djibo. A yellow-fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for entry. Burkina Faso has a high malaria risk throughout the year; according to the research, more than 99 percent of cases are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Mosquito protection and medical travel advice are therefore part of preparation. Outside Ouagadougou, medical facilities are limited, and serious illnesses may require evacuation. According to HCR reports, the state provides free care for children from birth to five years of age, pregnant women, deliveries and family planning regardless of residence status; actual availability should be confirmed locally. For emergencies, the numbers are 17 for the police, 18 for the fire brigade and 16 for the gendarmerie. At the time of research, the German Federal Foreign Office had issued a partial travel warning, excluding Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. The N1 between Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso should be avoided; longer overland journeys involve a high risk, while travel by air is recommended. Outside the larger cities, there are significant terrorism and kidnapping risks. People should not travel on foot at night, should avoid crowds and demonstrations, and should not photograph military, police or airport facilities. Passports or residence documents should be shown during checks. Payment is made in FCFA. Cards work mainly in larger hotels, restaurants and shops; a cash reserve is therefore advisable. Responsibilities and practical access differ depending on the city, residence status and purpose. The official portals service-public.gov.bf, visaburkina.bf and fichedevoyage.gov.bf are the first points of contact for current procedural information.