Burkina Faso

If you’re travelling to Burkina Faso our travel advice and updates give you practical tips and useful information.

Get travel and medical insurance

Before travelling, the Department strongly recommends that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance which will cover all overseas medical costs, including medical repatriation/evacuation, repatriation of remains and legal costs. You should check any exclusions and, in particular, that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.

Overview
Safety and security
Local laws and customs
Health
Additional Information

Overview

We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Burkina Faso.

Latest alert

Citizens should be aware that political instability continues in Burkina Faso, that the situation is tense and liable to change at short notice. The Department advises citizens to exercise extreme caution if in the country, stay indoors, be aware of their surroundings and monitor local media for updates. There is the strong potential for the security situation to deteriorate without warning.

There is also an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including places where foreigners gather. There is a credible risk that terrorist groups may cross the northern borders from neighbouring countries to carry out kidnap attacks.

Emergency assistance

Because there is no Irish Embassy or Consulate in Burkina Faso, we’re limited in the help we can offer you in an emergency. The best help is often close at hand so if you have problems, try talking to your local contacts, tour operator representative or hotel management.

If there is an emergency, or if you need help and advice, you can contact our Consular Assistance Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin on +353 1 408 2000.

Other EU embassies

You can also try contacting the Embassies, Consulates of other EU countries for emergency consular assistance, advice and support.

Our tips for safe travels

Purchase comprehensive travel insurance which covers all your intended activities
Add an alert for your destination within the Travelwise App.
Register your details with us so that we can contact you quickly in an emergency, such as a natural disaster or a family emergency
Follow us on twitter @dfatravelwise for the latest travel updates
Read our Topical ‘Know Before You Go’ guide

Safety and security

Practical advice

Get advice locally about areas of risk and security concerns
Take common-sense precautions about safety and security
Know who to contact in case of an emergency

Local laws and customs

Remember, the local laws apply to you as a visitor and it is your responsibility to follow them. Be sensitive to local customs, traditions and practices as your behavior may be seen as improper, hostile or may even be illegal.

Health

Get travel and medical insurance

Vaccinations

Check what vaccinations you may need for your trip at least eight weeks before you travel. We can’t advise you on vaccinations, but you can get information about vaccinations from your local GP or an International Health and Travel Centre.

Evidence of vaccination (in the form of a certificate) can be a requirement for entry to some countries.

Medication

Make sure you bring enough medication for your entire trip and for any unexpected delays. You may wish to also bring copies of your prescription in case you lose your medication.

Additional Information

Passports

It’s advisable to take a number of photocopies of your passport with you when travelling to Burkina Faso and you should carry a photocopy of your passport at all times during your stay.

If your passport is lost or stolen while you’re abroad, we can help.

What we can do:

Issue you a replacement passport that will let you finish your trip, or;
Issue you with an emergency travel document to get you home.

We’ll do our best to help you as quickly as possible but this can take some time. Your location and circumstances may limit the help we can give you. As Ireland does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Burkina Faso there may be additional complications in processing and application for a new passport.

You should contact the nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate to find out what you need to do to apply for a passport. They will also be able to advise you on the fees which apply.

More advice

Ireland doesn’t have an Embassy or Consulate in Burkina Faso so we can’t verify detailed travel advice to ensure that it’s accurate, appropriate and up to date. However, we encourage you to conduct your own research and to read these links to travel advice from other foreign ministries: