What the Burundi visa rules mean for DR Congo travellers
DR Congo passport holders can get a visa on arrival in Burundi. There is nothing to apply for in advance — the visa is issued at the airport or land border after you pay the fee. Bring cash in a major currency, a passport valid for at least six months, a return ticket and the address of your first night's accommodation, and expect a queue at busy airports.
The main option is the EAC visa, which costs Free.
Documents to prepare
Whatever your visa status, Burundi applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:
- Passport validity: Canada's travel advice says your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Burundi and have at least one blank page. The UK's says 6 months from the date you arrive, with one blank…
- Vaccinations: Yellow fever: The UK government says that to enter Burundi you must have a certificate proving you have had a yellow fever vaccination, due to a risk of yellow fever transmission.
- Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for Burundi. The UK's travel advice says to check that you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation.
- Return or onward ticket: Canada's travel advice says visitors entering Burundi must have a return ticket, or an onward ticket if they are in transit.
Burundi entry rules compared
Burundi does not grant visa-free entry to any passport, offers a visa on arrival to 176, issues eVisas to 19 and requires an embassy visa from 3. DR Congo citizens are treated the same way as Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana and Burkina Faso. Overall the DR Congo passport ranks #177 in the world with 17 visa-free destinations.
More travel options
Planning a longer trip in Africa? With a DR Congo passport you can also visit 7 countries in the region without a visa, including Benin, Kenya, Mauritius, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
In the other direction, Burundi citizens need evisa to visit DR Congo.