April 1, 2015
United States Embassy Bujumbura, Burundi
Message for U.S. Citizens
The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens residing in Burundi that visitors to Burundi are no longer able to obtain a Burundian visa upon arrival at port of entry. Visas must be obtained prior to travel from a Burundian diplomatic mission overseas. Travelers arriving from countries that have no Burundian diplomatic representation must present a request in writing in advance to the “Commissaire Général” at the Burundian immigration office in Bujumbura for an “Autorisation d’Entrée” authorizing issuance of a visa at port-of-entry upon arrival. Travelers should bring a copy of this letter with them when traveling to Burundi. This requirement does not apply to holders of diplomatic or official passports or citizens of the East African Community and the Great Lakes Economic Community. Contact information for the Burundian immigration office is as follows:
Police de l’Air, des Frontières et des Etrangers
Boulevard Mwambutsa
Bujumbura, Burundi
+257 22 25 7900
U.S. Embassy Bujumbura strongly recommends that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Burundi enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy to contact you in an emergency. If you do not have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Regularly monitor the State Department’s website where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings including the Travel Warning for Burundi, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Burundi. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website.
Contact the U.S. Embassy for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebookto have travel information at your fingertips.
The U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura is located on the corner of Avenue des Etats-Unis and Avenue du Cinquantenaire, and is open from 7:30 to 17:15 Monday through Thursday and 7:30 to 12:30 on Friday. The telephone number is +257-22-20-7000. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance, the emergency number for the U.S. Embassy is +257-22-20-7318, or +257-79-93-88-41.
