Burundi online visa (eVisa)

The Commissariat Général des Migrations is one of the general commissariats of the National Police of Burundi, under the direct authority of the Inspector General of Police. It applies the government’s migration policy, controls the movements of foreigners, supervises entries and exits through land, lake and air borders, issues travel documents and visas, and runs the one-stop border posts. Its decentralised offices include the airport and port commissariats in Bujumbura and the border posts.

The online request system groups visas into two sets. For air arrivals: the airport entry visa, for a stay of one month, and the transit visa. For other stays: the stay visa (5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 days or 1, 2 or 3 months); the multiple-entry visa (1, 2 or 3 months, with separate EAC and CEPGL categories); the study visa; the establishment visa; the permanent resident visa; and the safe-conduct.

Citizens of East African Community countries receive a free EAC entry visa valid one to six months, and citizens of CEPGL countries a free entry visa valid one to three months, on presenting a passport or travel document copy, the entry stamp and a photo. Study visas are free for EAC students and cost USD 25 for students from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, valid one year.

The forms ask for personal information (name, sex, marital status, nationality, profession and contact details), other information about the trip and the type of accommodation: a hotel chosen from the CGM’s list, staying with a host, a guest house or a home address. For stay and multiple-entry visas the CGM lists a passport copy, a copy of the current visa and a passport photo, which shows that these visas are also used to extend a stay inside Burundi.

The CGM publishes these fees for the stay visa: USD 10 for 5 days, USD 20 for 10 days, USD 30 for 15 days, USD 40 for 20 days, USD 50 for 25 days, USD 70 for one month, USD 140 for two months and USD 210 for three months. The multiple-entry visa costs USD 90 for one month, USD 180 for two months and USD 270 for three months. Organisations with a framework agreement with the Government of Burundi can obtain these visas free of charge by presenting that agreement. The CGM does not publish a separate fee for the airport entry visa; the amount appears during the online application.

Fill in the online application with all required information; pay the visa fee online and wait for the confirmation email; then download or print the visa application certificate using the link in the email. On arrival, present the certificate at the point of entry. Applications can be tracked on the CGM website, and the same platform handles appointment requests and complaints, for example about a confirmation that did not arrive.

The CGM is at Avenue de l’OUA, Kigobe, Bujumbura, open Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 16:30, telephone +257 22 45 12 78, email contact@migration.gov.bi; technical support for the online platform is on +257 79 12 81 28. Regional CGM offices operate in Gitega, Ngozi, Kayanza, Mwaro, Rutana, Makamba, Kirundo and Ruyigi, besides Bujumbura airport.