Burundi
Warnings and insuranceSummary
The
For security reasons, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises providesagainst adviceall abouttravel risksto:
CibitokeandBubanzaprovincesareasBujumburatoRuralhelpprovinceBritishwestnationalsofmaketheinformedRusizidecisions.riverFindtowardsoutthemoreDemocraticaboutRepublicFCDOoftravelCongoadvice.Areas
border,wherewiththeexceptionoftheRusiziDeltaNatureReservetheroadnorthofBujumburaairporttowardsCibitokethemainroadrunningwestfromKayanzathroughtheKibiraNationalPark
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to:
RusiziDeltaNatureReserveBujumburarural,abovetheIsaleroad
YourBefore travelyou insurancetravel, couldcheck bethe invalidated‘Entry ifrequirements’ section for Burundi’s current entry restrictions and requirements. Due to COVID-19, these may change with little warning. Monitor this advice for the latest updates and stay in contact with your travel provider.
If you plan to pass through another country on your journey, check the travel againstadvice FCDOfor advice.the country you’re transiting.
Cibitoke
It is more important than ever to get travel insurance and Bubanzacheck provinces
it provides appropriate cover. See the FCDO’s advisesguidance againston allforeign travel toinsurance.
Overnight Cibitokeon and2 BubanzaSeptember, provinces,armed duerebels toattacked the presencenorthern part of aBujumbura rebelInternational groupairport. inTwo civilians were killed during the Kibiraexchange Nationalof Parkfire. andThe possibleRed-TABARA armedgroup incursionshas fromclaimed responsibility for the attack.
The security situation near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Kayanza(DRC) Province
FCDOand advisesRwanda againstremains allunstable, traveland onthere thehave mainbeen roadarmed runningattacks. westIf fromyou’re Kayanzatravelling throughnear the Kibiraborder Nationalwith ParkDRC towardsor CibitokeRwanda, Province,you dueshould exercise caution and keep up to date with developments on the presencecurrent ofsituation, aincluding rebelvia grouplocal media and possiblethis armedtravel incursionsadvice. See fromLocal DRC.travel
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Since NdadayeApril International2022, AirportBurundi tohas Cibitoke
FCDObeen advisesfacing againstthe allfirst travelever onRift theValley RN5Fever road(RVF) northoutbreak ofin Melchiorthe Ndadayecountry, Internationala Airportdisease inwhich Bujumburaprimarily towardsaffects Cibitoke.
Bujumburalivestock. RuralIn Province
FCDOresponse, advisesthe againstgovernment allhas travelprohibited tothe areasslaughter of Bujumburacattle, Ruralgoats Provinceand westsheep. To date, there are no report of humans contracting the Rusizidisease riverin towardsBurundi, thethough borderhuman withinfection DRC,remains excepta forpossibility, thethrough Rusizimosquito Nationalbites Park.or Thisfor ispeople duein todirect possiblecontact armedwith incursionsinfected fromanimals. See DRC.Health
FCDOBurundi advisesis againstcurrently allsuffering butfrom essentialsevere travelfuel toshortages across the areacountry. You shouldn’t take accessibility of Bujumburafuel Ruralfor abovetravel in the Isalecountry road.
Rusizifor Nationalgranted. Park
FCDOWhere advisesfuel againstis allavailable, butthere essentialcan traveloften tobe thelong Rusiziqueues. See NationalRoad Park.travel
FindThere outare morelimited aboutfacilities whyup FCDOcountry adviseswith againstlittle French spoken, and limited infrastructure. Make sure you’re as well prepared and self-sufficient as possible. See Road travel.
Before
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FollowThere’s anda contacthigh FCDOrisk travelof onstreet Twitter,crime. FacebookThere have been incidents of armed burglary, sometimes targeting foreign exchange offices and Instagrambanks. See Crime.
Terrorist Youattacks canin alsoBurundi signcan’t upbe ruled out. Al Shabaab has made public threats against Burundi because of its support to getthe emailAfrican notificationsUnion whenpeacekeeping thismission advicein isSomalia. See updated.Terrorism.
Travel insurance
IfA youlong chooserunning tocholera travel,epidemic researchin yourBurundi destinations(including Bujumbura) has caused several fatalities. You should take necessary precautions and getseek appropriateurgent travelmedical insurance.attention Insuranceif you become unwell. See Health
Visitors should coverbe youraware itinerary,of plannedconfirmed activitiescases andin expensesOctober of Ebola in anBeni, emergency.North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the same province as a previous outbreak. No cases have been reported in Burundi. See Health
Update history
2025-04-04 23:44
Information relating to Rusizi National Park (Warnings and insurance page).
2025-04-04 23:03
Latest update on the Rusizi National Park (Warnings and insurance page)
2025-02-19 16:39
New information on risks associated with the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-12-13 16:10
Updated information on visa requirements and flooding (‘Entry requirements’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2024-08-14 15:28
New information on health risks (‘Health’ page).
2024-06-07 14:44
Updated assessment that terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Burundi (‘Safety and security’ page).
2024-05-24 12:51
New information on the risk of violence in public spaces in Bujumbura (‘Regional Risks’ page).
2024-05-13 16:49
Information about the risks of violence in public spaces in Burundi (‘Safety and security’ page).
2024-04-19 13:36
Burundi is experiencing severe flooding and heavy rainfall, especially near Lake Tanganyika (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-01-26 14:32
This travel advice has been rewritten to make it easier to read and understand.
2024-01-12 16:57
Information about the border between Burundi and Rwanda being closed (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2023-09-04 13:52
Information about an attack on Bujumbura International airport (‘Summary’ page).
2023-08-17 09:27
All passengers entering or leaving Burundi via Bujumbura Airport must register online before travelling. See ‘Registration’ section for more details (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2023-07-20 17:02
The FCDO no longer advises against all but essential travel to Ruvubu National Park, the BN2 road from Bujumbura Gitega and large parts of Bujumbura rural. Check current advice for areas where the FCDO still advises against all travel (‘Summary’ page).
2023-06-22 11:35
Information about the global terrorism risks to British nationals abroad on all FCDO travel advice pages.
2023-01-11 12:11
Updated information on COVID-19 entry requirements for Burundi (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2022-08-24 09:55
Updated information on no longer requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test for arriving passengers, arriving passengers will be tested at Bujumbura airport and are required to show the code from their COVID-19 arrival test booking (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2022-08-09 15:27
Updated information on fuel shortages and Rift Valley Fever (‘Summary’,’Safety and security’ and ‘Health’ pages)
2022-07-25 12:19
The FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to Ruvubu National Park, Rusizi Delta Nature Reserve, Bujumbura rural and the RN2 road from Bujumbura to rural Gitega
2022-02-17 09:55
The FCDO no longer advises against all but essential travel to Burundi based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks