Benin professional (work) visa

Decree No. 2026-049 defines the professional visa as the visa that lets its holder stay in Benin for a professional activity for up to 12 months. It sits between the tourist or visit visa, limited to 90 days, and the resident card for foreigners who settle. Foreigners who plan to live in Benin for the long term with a job move on to the ordinary resident card, which requires proof of employment, an income-generating activity or a promise of an employment contract.

The decree requires a copy of a passport or travel document valid for more than six months from the application date, proof of accommodation in Benin (hotel booking, invitation from a Beninese institution or company, or an accommodation certificate from a Beninese or resident host) and the receipt for the visa fee. Every applicant for a professional visa must also undergo the identification procedure and obtain the foreigner personal identification certificate (CIPE).

For a long-stay visa of 6 or 12 months, the DEI procedure is: check the documents for your category, send a letter of request to the Director of Emigration and Immigration, find out whether the request is accepted, pay the visa fee online if it is, bring the documents and payment receipt to the DEI, be enrolled and keep the enrolment receipt, then return three working days later to collect the visa. Applicants abroad apply to the Benin embassy or consulate, which has delegation to issue visas that cannot be obtained online.

The professional visa can be renewed for another stay of the same length. File the request before the visa expires, giving the reason, with the renewal fee receipt and a copy of your CIPE. Late filing risks an irregular stay, which carries a fine of at least twice the cost of the required title.

A refusal to issue or renew the visa is notified to the applicant. It cannot be appealed, and the person must leave Benin within three days of the notification.