Entry requirements · Burundi

Traveling to Burundi

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

Visa
E-visa before departure · 30 days
Yellow fever vaccine
Required
Safety
Areas to avoid

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, apply for an e-visa online before you leave: it allows a stay of 30 days.

Online application on migration.gov.bi required before departure, then the visa is issued on arrival (90 USD, 1 month).

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

Apply on the official site

Entry and visa

Visa depends on your nationality, apply online
  • Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or on the official website of the Burundian authorities (migration.gov.bi).
  • If you need a visa, you apply online at migration.gov.bi, with the requested documents in the specified format.
  • The single-entry visa is issued at the airport for 90 US dollars. It is valid for up to one month and can be extended in the country through the authorities. No processing time is given.
  • Our advice: apply one to two weeks before departure, even though the answer often comes faster. A rejected document or a blocked payment can hold everything up.
  • Print and bring the certificate you receive by email once your online application is approved.
  • A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required on entry, from the age of 9 months.
  • The land border with DR Congo is closed, except for the Gatumba crossing, which is open during the day. The border with Rwanda has been closed since January 2024. Flights are not affected.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Burundi, Entry and stay (updated September 15, 2026), Institut Pasteur, Burundi page

Health

Yellow fever mandatory, malaria on the rise
  • The yellow fever vaccine is mandatory to enter Burundi, from the age of 9 months and wherever you are coming from. Get it at least 10 days before departure 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 the age of 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow booklet (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center if in doubt.
  • Malaria is on the rise. It is present year round throughout the country, especially from December to May. Protect yourself from mosquitoes and talk to your doctor about preventive treatment. Any fever in the 3 months after you return means seeing a doctor without delay.
  • Current alerts: cholera rising in the northwest, measles rising, and an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda. Check your routine vaccines, including measles. Hepatitis A is recommended, and typhoid, rabies, hepatitis B, dengue and chikungunya are worth discussing depending on your trip.
  • Meningitis: Burundi is one of the 26 African countries covered by the WHO's enhanced meningitis surveillance. The vaccine is advised for long stays in close contact with the local population or during a reported outbreak (Institut Pasteur): talk to your doctor.
  • Drink only sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water. Avoid ice, raw vegetables, unpeeled fruit and fresh juice.
  • Hospitals are inadequate and emergency services almost nonexistent outside the capital. Insurance covering all medical costs and repatriation is essential.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Burundi, Health (updated August 11, 2026), France Diplomatie, Burundi, Latest news (updated September 17, 2026), Institut Pasteur, Burundi page, WHO, meningitis surveillance bulletin (2026, week 26)

Money

Burundian franc, bring cash
  • The currency is the Burundian franc (BIF). The rate given by France Diplomatie dates from 2021: check it when you leave.
  • Bank cards are generally not accepted. Bring enough cash for your whole stay.
  • Currency exchange and Western Union transfers are available in Bujumbura and the larger towns.
  • Be very careful when withdrawing money at a bank, and don't carry large sums or visible valuables.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of Burundi (updated May 11, 2026), France Diplomatie, Burundi, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, Burundi, Security (updated September 15, 2026)

Safety

Stay well away from the DR Congo border
  • According to the French foreign ministry (France Diplomatie), the following are strongly advised against: the entire border with DR Congo, the Uvira road (RN4) toward Gatumba beyond the Rusizi reserve, and the north of Kibira park along with the Rwandan border north of the RN10.
  • Advised against unless you have an essential reason: the center of the Kibira forest, the north of Mount Teza, the areas between Kibira and the Congolese border, and the border area with Rwanda.
  • The rest of the country is at heightened vigilance. In Bujumbura, don't get around on foot, especially at night, and after dark avoid Bwiza, Kanyosha, Musaga, Kamenge, Cibitoke, Ngagara and Rohero 2-INSS. An attack by Al-Shabab cannot be ruled out.
  • Don't drive at night: after 6 p.m., the roads are no longer patrolled. Avoid minibuses, and check your fuel before every journey, as shortages are frequent.
  • Avoid flights arriving in or leaving Bujumbura after 9 p.m. Don't swim in Lake Tanganyika near Bujumbura (crocodiles, hippos).
  • Useful numbers: police emergency 117, fire department 118.
  • Also check the travel advice from your own government, which may be stricter.
  • For French travelers: French Embassy, +33 5 24 09 23 97.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Burundi, Security (updated September 15, 2026, map dated March 5, 2026), France Diplomatie, Burundi, Useful contacts (updated September 15, 2026)

On the ground

French and Kirundi, type C/E plugs, calling code +257
  • The official languages are French and Kirundi. Gitega has been the capital since 2018, and Bujumbura remains the main city.
  • Plugs are type C and E, at 230 V and 50 Hz.
  • Burundi is on UTC+2 all year: the same time as Paris in summer, 1 hour ahead in winter. The country calling code is +257.
  • Bars and drinking establishments close at 9 p.m. throughout the country. Recreational drones are banned without written authorization.
  • Same-sex relationships are illegal. Drug use and possession are severely punished.
  • There is no direct flight from Paris to Bujumbura: connections go through Nairobi, Brussels, Kigali or Addis Ababa.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of Burundi, France Diplomatie, Burundi, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, Burundi, Security, France Diplomatie, Burundi, Useful contacts, WorldStandards, Burundi: plugs and voltage, timeanddate, Gitega time zone

When to go

Dry season from June to August
  • The climate is equatorial, with two rainy seasons, from February to May and from September to November, and two dry seasons, from June to August and from December to January.
  • During the rainy seasons, heavy rain is frequent and damages the roads. Find out about road conditions before you set off.
  • In Bujumbura, temperatures generally range between 17 °C and 31 °C all year. July is the driest month, and the long dry season, from June to August, is the most pleasant time to visit.
  • Malaria is present year round, peaking from December to May. Burundi is also exposed to meningitis outbreaks: see the Health section.
  • The national holiday is July 1.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of Burundi, France Diplomatie, Burundi, Security, WeatherSpark, climate in Bujumbura, France Diplomatie, Burundi, Health

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

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