Benin Visa Policy

Visa policy for Benin

The visa policy for Benin determines who may enter the West African country without a visa and which foreign citizens need a visa for entry to the Republic of Benin.

At present, there are up to 60 nationalities who do not need a visa for Benin, among them all citizens of African countries, who are granted freedom of movement to the Republic for a period of up to 90 days under reciprocal visa exemption agreements.

Additionally, travelers from a number of Southeast Asian territories, Haiti, and Israel are also permitted a visa-free short stay in Benin, which differs from 14 up to 90 days depending on their nationality.

All other foreigners need one of the different visa types for Benin, regardless of the intended duration of stay or the purpose of the travel.

Passport holders from over 140 countries worldwide are now able to apply for an e-Visa for Benin online through a simple electronic visa application, eliminating the need to visit an embassy or consulate in person to submit documents or wait in long lines at immigration control for a visa on arrival to be issued.

An electronic visa for Benin may be issued for either a single entry or multiple entries to the Republic, and permit a stay of either 30 or 90 days depending on the individual needs of the traveler. It permits a stay in the West African country for either tourism, transit, or business purposes.

To visit the Republic for other purposes and longer stays, e-Visa nationalities are required to apply for a Benin visa from the nearest diplomatic government office of the country. Additionally, around 45 nationalities around the globe require an embassy visa for Benin no matter the period of stay or motive for the visit.

There is not currently a Benin visa ban in place for any foreign citizens.

Further information about the Benin immigration policy can be found below.

Tourist Visa Policy for Benin

While current Benin visa laws permit over 55 countries to enjoy a short visa-free stay for tourism in the Republic, up to 200 nationalities need a tourist visa to visit Benin regardless of the duration of stay.

Of these nationalities, up to 140 can easily apply for a tourist e-Visa for Benin online and eliminate the need to travel to an embassy of the Republic of Benin in person to submit an application.

An electronic Benin visa for tourism can be obtained by completing a simple form online with basic personal and passport information. Once approved, usually within a few business days, the traveler receives their Benin e-Visa sent via email.

An approved online tourist visa for Benin may be issued as either a single or multiple entry e-Visa and permit a stay of either 30 or 90 days for tourism depending on the preference of the applicant.

To travel to the Republic for longer stays for tourism, these citizens will need to apply for a visa for Benin from an embassy or consulate. Additionally, travelers from over 45 countries require an embassy tourist visa to travel to Benin no matter the length of their intended stay.

These different tourist visa types for Benin are explored in greater detail below.

EVISA

Benin visa rules and regulations identify over 140 nationalities who are able to apply for a Benin electronic visa and avoid the need to undergo the lengthy process of applying for a visa from an embassy well in advance.

The e-Visa program was implemented by the Beninese government to facilitate the process of obtaining either a tourist, business, or transit visa for Benin. This electronic visa application can be completed in a matter of minutes by supplying basic passport data and personal information.

In order to apply for an online visa for Benin, the applicant is simply required to have a passport with at least 6 month’s validity containing at least one blank page to receive an entry stamp from border officials on arrival in the Republic.

It is also necessary to have a valid debit or credit card to pay a small e-Visa processing fee, and a current email address to which the electronic visa will be sent upon approval. Once the applicant has received the approved Benin e-Visa in their inbox, they must print a copy to present upon arrival at Beninese border checkpoints alongside their passport.

An e-Visa for Benin may be issued as either a multiple entry visa that permits a total stay of either 30 or 90 days or as a single entry visa that allows a total stay of 30 days. To visit the country for longer purposes, it will be necessary to apply for a visa for Benin from an embassy.

Discover a full list of Benin e-Visa nationalities in the list below.

Afghanistan
Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Myanmar
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
North Korea
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Cyprus
Romania
Russian Federation
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen

Benin e-visa Info

Apply Online

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

Travel visa restrictions for Benin identify up to 50 countries that need to obtain a work visa, student visa, business visa, tourist visa, resident visa, or other visa option from an embassy or consulate of Benin in advance of travel, irrespective of the amount of time the traveler wishes to spend in the Republic.

The period of stay that an embassy visitors visa for Benin allows the holder to spend in the country, and the validity of the document, differs and depends on the visa type that the traveler requires according to the purpose of the trip.

In order to apply for an embassy visa for Benin, it is first necessary to make an appointment at a diplomatic government office of the Republic. This should be the nearest Benin embassy or consulate to the applicant.

It will also be necessary to bring a completed Benin embassy visa application form and a variety of supporting documentation to the consular appointment. The documents required will differ depending on the visa option the individual needs.

Before the application can be processed, it will also be necessary to pay a mandatory Benin consular visa fee. As it may take several weeks for the visa to be approved, applicants are advised to make an embassy appointment well in advance of their intended travel dates.

Find below a complete list of nationalities that require an embassy or consulate visa for Benin.

Aland Islands
American Samoa
Anguilla
Antarctica
Aruba
Bermuda
Bonaire
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Cook Islands
Curacao
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gibraltar
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Martinique
Mayotte
Montserrat
New Caledonia
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Reunion
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Tokelau
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States Virgin Islands
Wallis and Futuna

Get Embassy Info

Visa Not Required

Benin immigration policy states that travelers from all other African countries do not need a visa for Benin due to reciprocal visa exception agreements.

Due to a freedom of movement protocol established in 1979, all member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) can travel to Benin without a visa simply by presenting a valid passport or national ID card at Beninese immigration control.

This agreement was later extended to all states and territories in Africa, whose citizens are now granted freedom of movement to Benin for a visa-free stay of up to 3 months (90 days).

Additional visa-exempt nationalities for Benin include citizens of Indonesia and Macau, who are also granted a visa-free stay of up to 90 days, and nationals of Hong Kong and Singapore, who may visit the Republic for up to 14 days without a visa. These travelers must only present a valid passport at Beninese immigration checkpoints to gain entry to Benin.

Nevertheless, in order to visit the Republic of Benin for longer periods of stay, it will be necessary for these same citizens to apply for an embassy visa from the nearest Beninese diplomatic government office in advance.

Check if your nationality is visa-exempt for Benin in the list below.