Traveling to Benin

What to do before you leave, checked against official sources.

Country

Passport

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, apply for an e-visa online before you leave: it allows a stay of 90 days.

E-visa on evisa.bj (30 or 90 days), at least 7 days before entry.

Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even if the answer often comes sooner.

Entry and visa

Visa depends on your nationality, e-visa via evisa.bj

Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or on the official evisa.bj portal.
If you need a visa, apply online at evisa.bj. The e-visa arrives by email as a barcode.
You choose a length of 30 or 90 days. Prices shown on the official portal, to be checked when you apply: €50 (30 days, single entry), €75 (30 days, multiple entries), €100 (90 days, multiple entries).
Processing takes from one hour to 96 hours. Apply at least 7 days and no more than 90 days before entry. No refunds are possible.
Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even though the answer can come within a few hours. A rejected document or a blocked payment can delay everything.
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.
Also bring a return ticket and a vaccination card proving yellow fever vaccination.

Yellow fever required, malaria everywhere

The yellow fever vaccine is required to enter Benin, from 9 months of age and wherever you are coming from. Get it at least 10 days before you leave, at an approved center.
Reminder: since 2016, a single dose is valid for life for most adults, and so is the certificate (WHO). A second dose is recommended before a new trip if you were vaccinated before age 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow card (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center for advice if you are unsure.
Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date. Hepatitis A is recommended. Hepatitis B, meningitis, rabies and typhoid are worth discussing depending on your trip.
Malaria circulates year-round throughout the country, in a high-resistance zone. See a doctor about preventive treatment and protect yourself from mosquitoes.
Any fever during your trip or within 3 months of returning means you should see a doctor without delay.
Drink only sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water.
Insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is essential.

CFA franc, Visa rather than Mastercard

The currency is the CFA franc (XOF), issued by the BCEAO, at a fixed rate with the euro: €1 = 655.957 CFA francs.
Visa cards are often accepted in some hotels and supermarkets. Mastercard rarely is.
You can withdraw cash with a Visa card at BOA and SGBE bank ATMs.
Bring a Visa card if you can, and keep cash for everything else.

Avoid the north, heightened vigilance in the south

According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France Diplomatie), travel is strongly advised against along the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, in the Pendjari and W parks and their surroundings, in Banikoara, along the northwestern border with Togo and along the northeastern border with Nigeria as far as Nikki.
Travel is advised against except for essential reasons in central Atakora (Tanguiéta, Natitingou, Boukoumbé, Kouandé) and in a strip from Kandi to Tchaourou, Nikki included.
The rest of the country is under heightened vigilance. In Cotonou, avoid the port districts and the streets along the railway tracks at night. The beaches are dangerous by day and by night, and theft is frequent at Dantokpa market.
Road accidents are a major cause of death. Avoid traveling by road at night and avoid motorcycle taxis. Swimming is advised against all year.
Useful numbers: police 117, emergencies 166 (free).
Also check your own government's travel advice, which may be stricter.
For French travelers: French consular section, +33 3 73 88 01 68.

French and Fon, type C/E plugs, UTC+1

French is the official language. Fon and Yoruba are also widely spoken.
Type C and E plugs, 220 V and 50 Hz.
Benin is on UTC+1 all year: same time as Paris in winter, 1 hour behind in summer.
The country calling code is +229.
Traffic drives on the right. An international driving permit is required, as is local insurance to drive.

Vodun Days in Ouidah, January 2 to 9, 2027

In the south, the climate is subequatorial with two rainy seasons: from March to July and from September to October.
In the north, the climate is tropical with one rainy season from May to October.
The rains sometimes cause severe flooding that disrupts transportation.
The Vodun Days in Ouidah grow to a full week in 2027, from January 2 to 9. January 7 and 8, 2027 are public holidays, the 8th being the National Day of Traditional Religions (2nd Friday of January).
The national holiday (Independence Day) is on August 1.

Rules can change without notice: before you leave, always check with the embassy of Benin and your own government's travel advice.