Document checklist
Saint Helena → Burundi: Short-stay tourist
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
8 itemsIdentity
Complete CGM's visa application
RequiredFill in the application (online at migration.gov.bi, or the equivalent in person) with your personal details: full name, sex, marital status, date and place of birth, nationality, profession, contact details, passport (or other accepted travel document) number, and its dates of issue and expiry.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Copy of your passport
RequiredA copy of your passport's data page, uploaded with the application. Applicants using the free East African Community or CEPGL channel instead submit a copy of the passport plus a copy of their entry stamp.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Passport-style photo
RequiredA recent passport photo, uploaded as part of the online application (.png, .jpg or .jpeg).
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Valid passport
RequiredAn ordinary passport or other accepted travel document, valid for your trip. None of Burundi's official pages state a minimum remaining validity (e.g. a set number of months beyond your stay), confirm this directly with CGM or your nearest Burundian embassy rather than assuming a figure.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Financial
Visa fee
RequiredCGM's own fee schedule: transit visa 40 USD (or the Euro equivalent) for 3 days; single-entry (1 month) or multiple-entry visa 90 USD for 1 month, 180 USD for 2 months, or 270 USD for 3 months (or the Euro equivalent), free if you qualify for the East African Community or CEPGL channel. The Tourism Board's own site states a lower figure, 70 USD/month, for a plain (non-multiple) entry visa; the two official sources disagree, so confirm the current fee with CGM directly before you pay.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Purpose of travel
Work out which entry-visa channel applies to you
RequiredEvery foreign tourist needs an entry visa to enter Burundi, there's no visa-free nationality, but the cost differs by nationality. Nationals of East African Community countries (Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan) and, separately, nationals of CEPGL countries (DR Congo, Rwanda) get a free entry visa valid for 1–6 months (EAC) or 1–3 months (CEPGL), issued at the Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM) or at any border point, it doesn't allow you to work. Everyone else pays for a single-entry (1 month) or multiple-entry (1–3 months, renewable up to twice) visa. Either way, you can apply online in advance through CGM's portal (migration.gov.bi), in person at CGM, at Bujumbura's Melchior Ndadaye International Airport, or at land borders.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Accommodation
Where you're staying in Burundi
RequiredState how you'll be accommodated, a named hotel, a stay with a host, a guesthouse, or a private residence, and its address, as part of the application.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Travel
Travel details
RequiredYour airline, arrival date, and the purpose of your trip (select "Tourisme" or another listed reason) as part of the application.
Source: Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police
Why applications on this route get refused
Uploaded photo or passport copy didn't meet the file requirements
CGM's online application only accepts a passport photo and passport copy in specific formats (.png/.jpg/.jpeg, or .pdf for the passport copy) and size limits, and marks both as required.
How to avoid it: Check your files match the accepted formats and size limit before submitting, and make sure every required field is filled in rather than left blank.
Applied under the wrong visa category or channel
The application requires you to pick a specific category (e.g. single-entry, multiple-entry, EAC, or CEPGL) up front, and the required documents and price depend on that choice, picking the wrong one for your nationality or travel plans (for example, not using the free EAC/CEPGL channel when you qualify for it, or choosing single-entry when you need multiple entries) means paying for or receiving the wrong document.
How to avoid it: Confirm which category matches your nationality and travel plans, including whether you qualify for the free East African Community or CEPGL channel, before you apply.
Stayed in Burundi past your entry visa's validity without a stay visa
CGM's rules describe a separate "visa de séjour" (stay visa) that a traveller whose entry visa has expired must obtain to remain lawfully, it is not automatic.
How to avoid it: Track your entry visa's validity window and apply for a stay visa at CGM before it runs out if you need to remain in Burundi longer.
Sources
- Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police · checked 27 Sept 2026
- Commissariat Général des Migrations (CGM), Burundi National Police · checked 27 Sept 2026
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi · checked 27 Sept 2026
- Burundi National Tourism Board · checked 27 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Burundi application fee.
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