Burkina Faso Sightseeing Places

By | July 5, 2020

Visa requirements

Passport: is generally required for travel in Burkina Faso, must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the duration of the stay when obtaining the visa.

Visa: Generally required, this must be applied for at an embassy of Burkina Faso before the start of the trip. At the airport in the capital, Ouagadougou, you can get a visa for one month for 10,000 francs CFA (about 15 euros), but the issue is only made on the following working day.

Transit: Transit travelers who continue to fly within 24 hours, can show valid documents for the onward journey and do not leave the transit room do not need a transit visa. This rule does not apply to South African nationals who require a transit visa.

Application: In person or by post to the consular department of the embassy or consulate.

Documents: Tourist Visa: – Passport (no copy), must be valid at least 6 months after the planned departure when applying – 2 completed, original visa applications (no copy, no fax) – 2 passport photos (no scans) – travel booking confirmation – proof of the visa fees paid (checks are not accepted).

Business Visa: additionally a company letter from the German company about the purpose and duration of the trip with a confirmation of the cost assumption

A postage-paid and addressed envelope and proof of payment (only postal money orders, checks are not accepted) should be attached to the application.

Costs of issuing a Visa: Tourist visa up to 3 months stay: single entry 70.00 euros, multiple entries 90 euros, up to 6 months stay: single entry 100.00 euros, multiple entries 120 euros.

Processing time: approximately one week by post.

Residence permit: applications to the government of Burkina Faso.

Vaccinations: Information on international vaccination certificates that are required for entry can be found in the Burkina Faso – Health chapter.

Entry with children:

German: German ID card (with enough space for an entry and exit stamp) own passport (children’s passport or electronic passport).

Austrians: own passport for children.
Swiss: own passport for children.

Children who are registered in their parents’ passport do not need a separate visa. Young people under the age of 18 traveling alone need a written consent from their parents or legal guardians.

Burkina Faso Sightseeing Places

Money

National currency: 1 CFA (C ommunauté F inancière d ‘ A frique) franc divided into 100 centimes.

Currency abbreviation: CFA Fr, XOF – ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG

Banknotes are in circulation worth 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 CFA Fr. Coins are available in nominal amounts of 500, 250, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 CFA Fr.

The CFA Franc (XOF) is issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO, State Bank of the West African States) and issued by the 8 members of the African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d ‘Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo used. The CFA Franc (XAF) issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (BEAC, State Bank of the Central African States) is not a legal tender in Burkina Faso. The CFA Franc is pegged to the euro at a fixed exchange rate.

Currency exchange: Foreign currencies can be changed at the airport, in exchange offices, banks and larger hotels. The most common in Burkina Faso are euros or dollars.

Exchange rate CFA Franc:

Currency converter at OANDA

Credit Cards: Visa cards are accepted in major hotels and banks in the capital.

Traveler’s checks: Should be issued in euros or US dollars and can only be exchanged in larger banks.

ATMs: Biciab offers the option to withdraw money with Visa cards, but the fees are high.

Foreign exchange regulations: No restrictions on the import of foreign currencies and the national currency. There is an obligation to declare. The export of the national currency has to be declared, the export of foreign currencies has to be declared from an amount equivalent to 500,000 CFA. It is very difficult to exchange CFAs outside of the West African currency zone.

Bank opening times: Mon – Fri 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Health and Diseases

According to the WHO, Burkina Faso is a yellow fever infection area. A valid yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all travelers, with the exception of children under the age of one.

The Federal Foreign Office’s health service also recommends vaccination protection against tetanus, diphtheria, especially poliomyelitis (polio) and hepatitis A, and for long-term stays of more than 4 weeks, additional hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid and meningococcal meningitis (including type A and W).

The standard vaccinations for children according to the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute should be up to date.

Yellow fever: In the past years, between 14 and 29 cases of yellow fever have been confirmed.

Malaria: Malaria is one of the most important diseases in Burkina Faso in terms of both disease rate and mortality. The transmission takes place through the bite of blood-sucking, nocturnal Anopheles mosquitoes. If left untreated, dangerous malaria tropica (approx. 90% of cases in Burkina Faso!) Is often fatal in non-immune Europeans. The disease can break out weeks to months after your stay. If fever occurs during this time, it is necessary to inform the attending doctor about staying in a malaria area.

There is a high risk of malaria across the country. Transmission in the south all year round, in the central and northern part of the country seasonally with the highest number of illnesses during the rainy season and subsequent transition phase and decrease in the dry season. Chemoprophylaxis (taking tablets) is recommended. For malaria prophylaxis, various prescription medicines (e.g. Malarone®, Doxycyclin, Lariam®) are only partially available in local pharmacies. It is advisable to take a sufficient supply with you. The choice of medication and its personal adaptation as well as side effects or incompatibilities with other medications should be discussed with a tropical medicine / travel medicine before taking it.

Because of the mosquito bound infection risks to all travelers are advised body covering clothing to wear (long pants, long-sleeved shirts), all day (dengue), and in the evenings and at night (malaria!) Insect repellent applied repeatedly to all the free parts of the body and, if necessary, under a mosquito net to sleep

HIV / AIDS:150,000 cases of HIV /AIDSinfections are reported for Burkina Faso in 2005. In 2005, 2% of the adult population and approximately 21% of prostitutes were HIV positive. Through heterosexual and homosexual contacts, drug use (dirty syringes or cannulas) and blood transfusions there is always a high risk. Condom use is always recommended, especially on the occasion of acquaintances.

Diarrhea and cholera: Cholera occurs again and again in epidemics. In 2005, 1050 diseases were reported.

Appropriate food and drinking water hygiene can prevent most diarrheal diseases and especially cholera.

Travel opportunities in the country

Airplane: Aéroport International Borgo, 5 km outside of Bobo Dioulasso, is the main airport for domestic air traffic. Air Burkina offers flights to Ouagadougou.

Rail: there are currently no passenger connections in the country.

Cars: The roads are often closed after heavy rains (June – October) and are only released again when the water has withdrawn enough. Frequent police checks can extend the journey time, but are always correct. Journeys should only be made during the day and on larger roads.

Buses are the most convenient way to travel in the country. The biggest companies are STMB and TGV. Early bookings guarantee the best seats (front) on the bus. Bus taxis and minibuses travel all over the country, even to smaller places that are not served by the buses. They are a little cheaper than buses. Taxi: In larger places of Burkina Faso there are shared taxis, the fares should be arranged in advance, as there are no taximeters outside of Ouagadougou. Cars with or without a driver can sometimes be rented in hotels. However, these are often in poor condition. Documents:If a national driver’s license can be presented, the authorities of Burkina Faso issue a temporary driving license. An international driver’s license is accepted without this procedure. Fully comprehensive insurance is recommended.

Attractions in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou there is an ethnology museum with a large collection about the Mossi people. In the Lycée Bogodogo there is the National Museum, the College de la Salle, the snake museum. Ouagadougou used to be the center of one of the Mossi kingdoms. The central market, the dyeing and the arts and crafts center are also worth a visit. The historic Mossi village of Pabre is close to a large dam in the north of the city.

Burkina Faso Landmarks

The beautiful surroundings of Banfora and the Banfora waterfalls just 5 km from the city are worth seeing.

Sabou is known for the crocodiles that can be seen up close here. The few wild animals that can still be found in Burkina Faso are best observed in the national parks: Pô National Park (in the north, on the border with Ghana), W National Park and Arli National Park (both on the border with Benin). With a little luck you can see antelopes, lions, monkeys, hippos and a variety of bird species. However, a permit for photography is required. In Tiébélé it is possible to see the interestingly decorated Gourounsi huts. The mosque by Bobo Dioulassois one of the main sights of all of Burkina Faso. Kotédougou is also known for its Sudanese-style mosque.