Burkina Faso
Western Africa
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. Burkina Faso is one of the friendliest countries in all of Africa. Until unrest began in the late 2010s that made travel to the country unsafe, it received only a few tourists per year, and was an excellent destination for anyone interested in seeing a beautiful West African country and exploring African culture and music. It offers a diverse traditional culture, history, tribal art and a variety of landscapes.
Guide content adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Burkina Faso". Source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Weather
Live29°C
Thunderstorm with slight hail · feels like 34°C
- 71%
- 8 km/h
- AQI 30
- SunThunderstorm23° / 32°
- MonOvercast23° / 31°
- TueMainly clear23° / 32°
- WedOvercast24° / 33°
Measured at the country centroid, not a specific city.
Money
LiveWest African CFA franc (XOF)
- $1 USD
- Fr567.9
- €1 EUR
- Fr656.2
Reference rates for 2026-08-08. Indicative — not the rate a bureau will give you.
What a trip to Burkina Faso costs
Visas, flights, beds, food and everything in between, priced for your party and your dates. Every line shows its own arithmetic, so you can disagree with the parts you know better than we do.
Your trip
8 days on the ground
Estimated cost
$2,387
$1,194 per person · $149 per person per day
- $100
Visa & entry
$50 × 2 — typical tourist visa or eVisa fee
- $1,194
Flights
$597 return × 2 · 4,559 km
- $430
Accommodation
$61/night × 7 nights × 1 room · Standard
- $208
Food & drink
$13/person/day × 8 days × 2
- $80
Local transport
$5/person/day × 8 days × 2
- $16
SIM & internet
$8 per person, once × 2
- $144
Attractions
$9/person/day × 8 days × 2
- $38
Travel insurance
$2/person/day × 8 days × 2
- Subtotal
- $2,210
- Miscellaneous (8%)
- $177
- Total
- $2,387
Budget at a glance
Per day
$298
Per person
$1,194
Family of 4
$4,774
7 days
$2,387
14 days
$3,296
30 days
$5,374
The 7, 14 and 30-day figures re-price the whole trip at that length — flights and visas do not repeat, so a month is far from four times a week.
A planning estimate, not a quote — ground costs are modelled from a cost tier for Burkina Faso, not scraped from live inventory. Your settings are saved to this device.
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK who choose to travel despite FCDO advice. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Burkina Faso’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Burkina Faso set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Embassy of Burkina Faso in Brussels.
Passport validity requirements
Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay and have 2 blank pages for entry stamps.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Dual nationals
When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual Citizenship.
Visa requirements
You must have a visa to enter Burkina Faso.
Applying for a visa
If you live in the UK, apply for a visa online or through the Embassy of Burkina Faso in Brussels. You cannot get a visa for Burkina Faso in the UK.
There are Burkinabe embassies in the West Africa region, including in Accra and Abidjan.
Vaccine requirements
To pass border control in Burkina Faso, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination, due to a risk of yellow fever transmission.
For more details about health entry requirements and recommended vaccinations see TravelHealthPro’s Burkina Faso guide.
Source: UK FCDO, published 2025-12-10 under the Open Government Licence.
Getting help
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.
Emergency services in Ouagadougou
Ambulance: 18
Fire: 18
Police: 17
Outside Ouagadougou, the emergency services are unlikely to respond.
Take local advice instead.
Contact your travel provider and insurer
Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.
Refunds and changes to travel
For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.
Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:
- where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
- how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim
Support from FCDO
FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:
- finding English-speaking lawyers and funeral directors in Burkina Faso
- dealing with a death in Burkina Faso
- being arrested or imprisoned in Burkina Faso
- getting help if you’re a victim of crime
- what to do if you’re in hospital
- if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack
Contacting FCDO
Help abroad
See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.
Help in the UK
You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.
Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
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