Burkina Faso, which is situated in West Africa, remains hidden for many years. It is a landlocked country, and if we look at the geography, we will see that there are not so many landscapes, structures for sightseeing. Burkina Faso boasts about its friendliness; even the country's name means "land of the honest people". Although the country does not receive too many tourists, it is a unique place to experience life in West Africa. Furthermore, yes, the country indeed lacks mainstream appeal for tourists. Still, there are places worth seeing, such as wildlife. The country is home to 4 national parks. These national parks are not usual, and they have the most diverse natural wildlife. There are dwell big cats, elephants, hippos, monkeys, birds, etc. Another thing that can be interesting for travellers is the country's traditions and culture. In this context, the cities of Ouagadougou, the country's capital, and Bobo-Dioolasso, the second biggest city in the country, are worth checking. You will find cultural examples like local music in these cities, which demonstrates life in Burkina Faso. By the way, the country was a colony of France for a long time. Therefore, the influence of France here remains intact. One of the most spoken languages in Burkina Faso is French as well. For today's article, we will look at the visa process to Burkina Faso. To be more precise, we will elaborate on Burkina Faso visa on arrival. Here you will find details of visa on arrival of Burkina Faso. Also, we will go through the procedures of visa application for Burkina Faso. Before that, we will look at Burkina Faso visa policy to identify the essentials of visas for Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso Visa Policy
According to the country's visa policy, countries regarding their visa status towards Burkina Faso can either be Burkina Faso visa free countries or visa-required countries. What countries require a visa to visit Burkina Faso? The list is too long to show, but we can demonstrate visa-free countries, and with that, you can figure out what countries require a visa to visit Burkina Faso. These visa-free countries are Benin, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Togo, United Arab Emirates. If you are from a visa-required country, you will need to acquire a visa to Burkina Faso. There are two ways to apply for a visa to Burkina Faso. One is a traditional way, which is applying through foreign representative bodies of Burkina Faso such as embassies, consulates, etc. The second is called VOA (visa on arrival), which we are interested in. However, not all people can take advantage of a visa on arrival. People from a limited number of countries are eligible. Which are they? You can find them on our website. It is not that hard to find. The only thing you need to do is click on the "Services" section and choose Burkina Faso from the list of countries. Scroll down a bit, and there you will find the lists of Burkina Faso visa free countries. Since we acknowledged the essentials of the visa policy of Burkina Faso, now we can move on to details of the visa on arrival and its procedures.
Burkina Faso Visa On Arrival
You might ask what is visa on arrival if you have not tried it yet. It is another way of getting a visa for a country. However, unlike the traditional way, you acquire the visa upon arrival at an airport or border crossing. It is not the only difference as Burkina Faso visa on arrival cost, and required documents vary depending on your situation. Normally, when you apply for a visa to Burkina Faso, you present the following: • Burkina Faso visa application form duly completed. • Two photos of you which should correspond to the size of 3.5x4.5 and be colored. • Your passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months, and copies of the main pages of the passport. Your passport should possess two blank pages for the visa. • Copy of your national ID card. • If you apply from a country that is not the country you are a citizen of, then a copy of your visa or your residence permit is needed. • You should prove your accommodation during your travel. You can prove it with a booking of the hotel you will accommodate. • You should be vaccinated against yellow fever and present your yellow fever certificate. For visa application for Burkina Faso on arrival, fewer documents are asked in most cases. They are given on the list below: • A passport with validity with a minimum of 6 months is needed. In the passport, there should be two available pages for the processing of a visa. • Two photos of you whose face should take up 70-80% of the whole photo are needed. It should be taken recently, and the background should be light-coloured, preferably white. Your eye line should directly meet the camera straight. You should avoid clothes that colours are the same as the background's colour. The tricky thing about visas on arrival is that some additional documents can be asked, depending on the nature of your travel. If you did not bring that document, then say goodbye to your planned trip to Burkina Faso. You will be deported on the first flight.
How to Apply for a Visa to Burkina Faso?
We already mentioned ways to apply for a visa to Burkina Faso. One is to apply it through embassies, consulates of Burkina Faso. In this case, you first find the local embassy of Burkina Faso. If there is none in your country, you can apply for the nearest one. There you make an appointment for the visa. Once it is the date, you go there, present your documents, fill out Burkina Faso visa application form and then pay the fee. In most cases, your visa will be processed within three days. What about a visa on arrival, though? Well, the process of applying for a visa on arrival is pretty straightforward. You book a flight, then reach the destination. On the plane, you will be given a form in which you will note details of your accommodation and contacts. At the airport, you will approach the immigration office to get your visa. It might sound more convenient, but there are some downsides to applying for a visa on arrival. First of all, it is a bit risky. Forgetting to bring additional documents can cancel your all plans in Burkina Faso. Therefore, for the sake of peace of mind, it is advised to get a visa before your travel. Furthermore, you will spend some time at the airport waiting for your visa to get processed, which is not the thing you might want after flying for hours.
Burkina Faso Visa on Arrival Cost
Another unpleasant thing about a visa on arrival to Burkina Faso is the cost of the visa. That is, to get a visa on arrival, you will need some additional amount. To get a short-term visa from an embassy, you usually pay around 40-105 USD for a single entry. With multiple entries, the prices rise around 50-135 USD. However, getting a visa on arrival costs 175 USD for a single entry. In the case of multiple entries, the price is 225 USD. However, not all people need to pay the fee for a visa on arrival. Some specific groups are exempt from paying the fee. To be more precise, they are holders of diplomatic, official, service, or special passports. To summarize, Burkina Faso is a great place for intrepid travellers who are sick of travelling to common places and seek unique places. Visa on arrival is one way to ensure your travel. However, it is always better to be well equipped and get a visa well before boarding a plane. However, in some cases, a visa on arrival might come handier, especially if there is no embassy and consulate of Burkina Faso in your country or neighbouring countries. After all, no one wants to get all the distance and spend so much time and money to get a visa. To benefit from a visa on arrival, you better be prepared. Make sure you got not only the required documents but also documents that can be asked of you. If you do not want to tire yourself with such things, you can easily contact Pickvisa and get your work done.
