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Togo visa on arrival at the Benin border: how does it work?
Togo has not issued visas on arrival since April 12, 2024. If your passport needs a visa, apply for the e-visa on voyage.gouv.tg before you leave Benin. ECOWAS citizens and African passports are exempt, but must register online. Do it one to two weeks ahead.
No, there is no longer a Togo visa on arrival at the Benin border: Togo has not issued visas on arrival since April 12, 2024. If your passport requires a visa, apply for the e-visa on the official portal voyage.gouv.tg before you leave Benin, and print it. ECOWAS citizens, and since May 18, 2026 all African passports for 30 days, enter without a visa, but they must register online.
So it all depends on your nationality. Start the process one to two weeks before you leave, and check your own case with our Togo visa tool.
Can you still get a Togo visa on arrival at the border?
No. The French foreign ministry states it plainly on its Togo page, updated September 15, 2026. Since April 12, 2024, the express visa has been suspended, and it is no longer possible to get a visa on arrival. The official Togolese portal also states that visas on arrival and express visas are suspended until further notice.
The British government says the same: “You cannot get a visa on arrival.” It adds, on its Benin page, that you cannot get an entry visa for Togo in Benin. So there is no point counting on the Togolese embassy in Cotonou for a last-minute visa.
It will therefore no longer be possible to apply for a visa at the last minute or to get one on arrival.
On forums, you will still read stories of 7-day visas bought at the Hillacondji border post. They date from before 2024. One traveler, for example, described paying 15,000 CFA francs in October 2017. Those days are over.
Is the e-visa accepted at the land border?
The official sources make no distinction between air and road when it comes to ending the Togo visa on arrival. The portal's FAQ states that the prices shown online are the same at land borders. But some pages of the portal date from its launch and still say they mainly target arrivals by air.
Our advice is simple. Arrive at the border post with your e-visa already approved and printed. If you have doubts about a particular case, write to the Togolese embassy in your country of residence before you leave.
Who needs a visa to enter Togo?
The visa depends on the country that issued your passport, not on where you live. The Togolese portal puts it this way: your nationality is that of the document you travel with.
| Your passport | Visa for Togo | What to do before the border |
|---|---|---|
| ECOWAS countries (Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire…) | No | Online immigration formalities on voyage.gouv.tg |
| Other African countries, since May 18, 2026 | No, up to 30 days | Online registration at least 24 hours before arrival |
| France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, United States, United Kingdom and most other countries | Yes | E-visa on voyage.gouv.tg, approved before you leave |
This table sums up the official sources as of October 2026. The lists change: check your passport on our Togo entry requirements page and on the official portal before you buy your tickets.
ECOWAS citizens
The 1979 ECOWAS protocol gives citizens of the Community the right to enter another member state without a visa, with a valid travel document and a vaccination certificate. The stay can last up to 90 days. The Togolese portal reminds these travelers that they still have to complete their immigration formalities online.
Other African passports
Since May 18, 2026, citizens of African Union countries can enter Togo without a visa for up to 30 days. According to KOACI, the measure applies at land, air and sea borders. Registering in advance is still mandatory, at least 24 hours before arrival. It gives you a travel slip to show at the border post.
How to apply for the Togo e-visa from Benin
You can only apply online, on voyage.gouv.tg. You need to create an account with a working email address, because the visa is sent by email. You pay by Visa or Mastercard, or with Flooz and TMoney.
The portal asks for the online form, a scanned copy of the first three pages of your passport and a recent passport photo. A hotel booking or a letter confirming your accommodation is recommended for a tourist visa.
| Tourist visa | Entries | Price (voyage.gouv.tg, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 days | Single | 25,000 CFA francs |
| 1 to 15 days | Multiple | 35,000 CFA francs |
| 16 to 30 days | Multiple | 45,000 CFA francs |
| 31 to 90 days | Multiple | 65,000 CFA francs |
The fees are not refunded if your application is refused. Processing takes five working days at most. The portal asks you to apply at least five days before arrival, and even recommends six working days. You cannot apply more than 90 days before entry.
Our advice
Submit your e-visa application one to two weeks before you cross the border. On a forum, travelers describe applications rejected several times before being accepted: leave yourself time to fix a document.
If you plan to visit Lomé and then return to Benin, think about the other direction too. You will need a multiple-entry Beninese e-visa, applied for on evisa.bj. Our Benin entry requirements page gives the rule for your passport.
The documents to carry at the border post
Prepare a folder with everything on paper. In July 2026, an American traveler wrote on the blog The Restless Road that officers demanded a printed copy of his e-visa. He had to look for a printer in a nearby village, and the crossing took at least an hour.
- Your passport. France Diplomatie asks for at least six months of validity after your planned return date. The Togolese portal and the British government mention three months: go with six months, the more cautious rule.
- The approved and printed e-visa, or the registration slip if you are exempt from the visa.
- The yellow card. The yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter Togo as well as Benin, according to France Diplomatie, the British government and the Government of Canada.
- The address of your accommodation in Lomé and a phone number, which you may be asked for on the entry form.
For yellow fever, a single dose protects you for life, according to the WHO since 2016. A second dose is only needed if you were vaccinated before age 2, during a pregnancy, or if you have HIV or a weakened immune system. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before you leave.
Crossing at Hillacondji and Sanvee Condji, step by step
On the coastal road, you cross the border at Hillacondji, in the municipality of Grand-Popo, on the Benin side. Opposite, on the Togo side, is Sanvee Condji, near Aného. The two countries share a joint border post there.
1. Leaving Benin
First you show your passport to the Beninese police, who record your exit. Since 2026, Benin has used the MIDAS system at Hillacondji, which scans documents and records each crossing, with support from the International Organization for Migration. If you entered Benin with an e-visa, keep a printed copy of that one too.
2. Entering Togo
On the Togolese side, the officer checks your passport, your e-visa or registration slip, then your yellow card. You may be asked to fill in a form with your contact details, and sometimes those of your relatives. With an e-visa, according to travelers on Tripadvisor, the officer stamps your entry without sticking a visa label in your passport.
Border post opening hours
We found no official source for the opening hours of the Hillacondji border post. Cross during the day. France Diplomatie advises against driving at night in Togo as well as in Benin, and the early morning hours are said to be calmer.
Money, touts and pitfalls at the crossing
Good news: Togo and Benin use the same currency, the CFA franc (XOF), issued by the BCEAO. So you have nothing to exchange when you go from one country to the other. The street money changers at the border are only useful for euros, naira or cedis, and street exchange remains risky.
The pitfalls described by travelers on the Tripadvisor forum are always the same.
- The driver who pushes you to pay. One traveler says a driver kept insisting he give money to a soldier, even though nobody had asked him for any. He paid nothing, and several others say they paid nothing either.
- The rigged exchange. A driver took a passenger to change money at the market, at a poor rate, and took his commission.
- Extra charges on arrival. Unexpected fees of 1,000 CFA francs came up at the last stop. Agree on the price before you get in.
- Fake online intermediaries. Type the address voyage.gouv.tg yourself. France Diplomatie reports a rise in scams in Togo.
Watch out
The e-visa and the registration are paid for online, on the official portal. If someone asks you for money at the border post for a “visa” or a “regularization,” ask for an official receipt. Do not hand your passport to a tout.
Cotonou to Lomé by road: the journey
Cotonou and Lomé are about 150 km apart on the coastal road. Rome2rio counts 152 km. Hillacondji is around a hundred kilometers from Cotonou, by way of Ouidah and Grand-Popo.
| Option | What to know |
|---|---|
| Shared taxi (bush taxi) | Leaves when full, usually in the morning. Travelers mention 2 to 3 hours, border included |
| Intercity bus | Several companies link Cotonou and Lomé. Book the day before and check the arrival time |
| Car with driver | The most flexible way to stop in Ouidah or Grand-Popo. Ask about the extra charge for Togo |
| Plane | Avoids the land border, but the e-visa is still mandatory if your passport requires one |
For a car with driver, read our guide to a car with driver in Cotonou. Several rental companies listed there charge a separate rate for trips to Togo.
Expect roadworks too. In September 2026, Benin launched, with the African Development Bank, a project to widen the Ouidah-Hillacondji road into a dual carriageway over 58.5 km. The construction schedule had not yet been published.
Safety: yes to the coast, no to the north
The Cotonou-Lomé road runs along the coast. The French foreign ministry places this part of Togo and Benin in its heightened vigilance zone (yellow). It advises against driving at night, against motorcycle taxis and, in Lomé, against the beach and the seafront after sunset.
Watch out
The north is another matter. France Diplomatie advises strongly against the tri-border areas with Burkina Faso, the Sinkassé and Mandouri crossings, and Benin's northwestern border with Togo. It advises against the Savanes region of Togo unless you have a compelling reason, and foreigners need written authorization to go there.
In Benin, the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger and the Pendjari and W parks are also strongly advised against. To go from Benin to Togo, stick to the coastal post at Hillacondji. Also check the travel advice of your own government.
Our method for a stress-free crossing
- Check your case on Togo entry requirements and on voyage.gouv.tg.
- One to two weeks ahead, apply for the e-visa or complete your registration.
- Print everything: the Togolese e-visa, the Beninese e-visa, your hotel booking.
- Leave Cotonou in the morning, so you cross the border in daylight.
- Keep CFA francs in small bills for the journey.
Our advice
Photograph your passport, your e-visas and your yellow card before you leave, and keep the files offline on your phone. If a sheet is missing at the border post, you will have to find somewhere to reprint it: having the file at hand saves time.
If you are planning your stay in Benin before heading to Lomé, our guide on where to stay in Cotonou will help you choose a practical neighborhood for an early start. Our Togo page covers health, money and safety on the ground.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Togo visa on arrival cost?
Nothing, since it is no longer issued at the border. The tourist e-visa costs from 25,000 CFA francs (1 to 15 days, single entry) to 65,000 CFA francs (31 to 90 days), according to the official portal in October 2026.
Can I apply for the e-visa the day before crossing?
It is risky. The portal asks for at least five days before arrival and states up to five working days of processing. Without an approved visa, you risk being turned back at the border post.
I am from Benin. Do I need to do anything?
No visa, thanks to ECOWAS free movement. The Togolese portal still asks you to complete the online immigration formalities before crossing.
Can I extend my stay once in Togo?
According to France Diplomatie, a 48-hour or 7-day visa can be extended up to one month in Lomé, at the passport and foreigners' office. The portal does not yet offer online extensions.