Burkina Faso to waive visa fees for African travelers

(BURKINA FASO) Burkina Faso has scrapped visa fees for all African travellers, a sweeping move approved by the Council of Ministers on September 11, 2025, and effective in policy terms as of September 12, 2025. The decision means citizens of any African country will no longer pay to obtain a visa to enter Burkina Faso, though they must still apply for a visa. Officials say the change supports a Pan-African vision, promotes tourism, and encourages trade within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

How the waiver works (and what stays the same)

• Visa fees are waived, not the visa process itself. African nationals must continue to apply for a visa online through the country’s official electronic visa portal.
• Applications will be reviewed as before, and if approved, the visa will be issued at no cost once the system reflects the fee change.
• As of September 12, 2025, the portal still appears to request payment during application, suggesting a short gap between the political approval and the full technical rollout.
• Authorities have not released a public activation date. Travellers should expect brief transitional quirks while the government updates the payment steps.

Security Minister and Police Commissioner Mahamadou Sana framed the policy as part of Burkina Faso’s Pan-African path under President Ibrahim Traoré. The government wants to make travel within Africa easier while lifting the country’s profile abroad.

Officials link the move to goals long discussed by regional blocs and the African Union: freer movement of people and goods, simpler travel for business, and an appeal to cultural tourism that brings money into local communities.

Background and context

• Burkina Faso launched an electronic visa system in 2023 to speed processing and reduce paperwork.
• The 2025 supplementary finance law accounts for the removal of visa fees for African nationals, positioning the measure as a stimulant for visitor numbers, hotel occupancy, restaurant activity, cultural events, and small business sales.
• By cutting the cost barrier, the government expects more trips for family visits, conferences, trade fairs, and cross-border workshops.

Regional trends:
– Rwanda and Kenya have recently eased visa requirements to attract more African travellers.
– Ghana has also trialed friendlier entry measures to make intra-African trips less expensive and less complicated.
– Burkina Faso’s step sits within this regional arc and is tied to AfCFTA ambitions—smoother movement that supports supply chains, services trade, and investment ties within Africa.

ECOWAS and regional migration context

• Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formally withdrew from ECOWAS on January 29, 2025.
• A six-month grace period kept visa-free travel within ECOWAS active until July 29, 2025.
• Since then, governments have not announced new ECOWAS-specific migration measures; current entry practices may still mirror earlier open-border routines in much of West Africa.
• For now, many West African citizens continue to benefit from visa-free entry to Burkina Faso, though authorities have flagged the possibility of revisions as new frameworks take shape.

Security considerations

• Parts of Burkina Faso have faced frequent attacks; analysts estimate roughly 40% of the territory is under the control or influence of jihadist groups.
• The government has strengthened partnerships (including with Russia) to build capacity.
• Officials argue a friendlier visa policy can coexist with robust screening because waiving the fee does not remove the visa application requirement. Every applicant will continue to be assessed, and border checks remain in place.

Expected economic and social impacts

• According to VisaVerge.com, removing visa fees could lower the cost of intra-African trips and change traveller behaviour—especially for students, small traders, and diaspora families.
• A reduced price at the border can encourage repeated short trips, generating steady demand for:
  • buses and domestic air routes
  • guesthouses and tour guides
  • cultural venues and local transport operators
• Tourism and culture: fewer cost barriers can draw visitors to festivals, museums, and sites that highlight Burkina Faso’s arts and history. Word of mouth and social media can magnify these effects.
• Business benefits: meetings, small trade missions, and trade-show attendance could increase. For example:
  • A fashion cooperative could more easily bring designers to cross-border showcases.
  • Agribusiness firms could host more site visits from regional buyers, tightening supply links that AfCFTA seeks to encourage.

Practical guidance for travellers

• African travellers must still apply for a visa: the waiver removes payment but not the need for approval.
• Use the official portal: apply only through the official electronic visa portal to avoid scams.
• Watch for system updates: the fee removal will appear inside the online flow once activated. Plan ahead if your trip is soon.
• Documents required: valid passport, travel dates, and any requested supporting papers remain necessary.
• West African nationals: many still enter visa-free today, but this may change later due to the ECOWAS withdrawal.
• Officials have not issued a retroactive refund plan; applicants may wish to pause and check for the update if travel dates allow.

What authorities and service providers are doing

• Tourism and travel professionals in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso are preparing for a gradual rise in bookings from African travellers once the online process reflects the cost change.
  • Hotel managers see fee waivers as a strong marketing message for group travel.
  • Regional airlines and bus companies are monitoring demand to routes linked to Abidjan, Accra, Lomé, Bamako, and Niamey.
• Embassies and consulates will need updated instructions for applicants.
• Border officers will need harmonized rules once the change fully takes effect.
• The Ministry of Security is expected to finalize technical steps to remove payment prompts and to issue public guidance clarifying timing.

Security voices urge caution: any increase in arrivals must be matched with strong vetting and a responsive consular process for flagged cases. The government maintains that the fee decision does not reduce checks; the e-visa workflow still collects travel plans, passport details, and supporting documents.

Policy changes overview (quick reference)

1. What changed: As approved on September 11, 2025, visa fees are waived for all African nationals applying to enter Burkina Faso.
2. What did not change: The visa requirement still applies—this is not a visa-free entry regime.
3. Application path: Apply through the country’s official e-visa portal. The application is reviewed, and once approved a visa is issued at no cost when the system update takes effect.
4. Implementation status: As of September 12, 2025, the portal still shows payment stages; no firm go-live time has been announced.
5. Relation to ECOWAS: Visa-free entry for many West African nationals is still operative in practice but could be revised following the ECOWAS exit. No new, binding regime has been announced.

Key takeaways and next steps for applicants

• The government’s message: visa fees waived for African nationals; visa applications still required; more technical details coming soon.
• Travellers should:
  • Rely on official channels for confirmation.
  • Save copies of confirmations and bring printouts for border inspection during the rollout phase.
  • Consider delaying non-urgent applications until the portal shows the fee deactivation, if possible.

Apply or check status at the official electronic visa portal: Burkina Faso e-Visa Portal.