Burundi is a country in Africa bordering Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda and Tanzania. Burundi has been independent from Belgium since 1962. The capital of Burundi is Bujumbura. A number of major cities in Burundi are: Gitega, Bururi and Ngozi. See watchtutorials for south Africa the rainbow nation.
Burundi has a violent past. Between 1993 and 1999, ethnic violence in Burundi between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes caused hundreds of thousands of refugees and claimed the lives of at least 250,000. Many weapons are still circulating within Burundi’s borders. Burundi is also known for poverty. About 68% of the population lives below the poverty line. There is little tourism in Burundi. The tourists who do come are often adventurers who come for the mountains and rainforests.
Where is Burundi?
Travel information of Burundi
Official name: Republic of Burundi
Continent: Africa
Area: 27,834 km²
Capital: Bujumbura
Country code: BI, BDI
Population: 11,865,821 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 2,684 m (Mount Heha)
Distance (Amsterdam – Bujumbura): 6,591 km
Flight time: approximately 9 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Burundi is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow and red. Due to this status, a partially negative travel advice
is in effect for Burundi.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in Burundi that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Burundi, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
At the moment there are no travel organizations that offer travel to Burundi. If you want to put together your own trip or are looking for separate travel components such as hotels, airline tickets and a rental car, please visit our travel offer page.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Burundi?
Weather and climate
Burundi has a tropical climate. The temperature averages between 25 and 35 degrees throughout the year.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Burundi can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Burundi can be found at Climate info.
Best time
June, July and August are the best months to travel to Burundi. In these months you have the most pleasant temperatures and the least chance of prolonged rain showers.
Language
Kirundi is the official language in Burundi. In addition, French, English and Swahili are also spoken.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months when applying for a visa.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the embassy of Burundi in Brussels.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Burundi: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Burundi in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Burundi, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
In addition, there are one or more vaccinations that are recommended.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Burundi. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Burundi, payments are made with the Burundian franc (BIF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Burundi can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Burundi are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -35% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (58% cheaper), food (10% cheaper), imported beer in catering (12% more expensive), cigarettes (39% cheaper) and public transport (80% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Burundi it is customary to tip, especially in tourist areas. Good service is about 10% tip.
Time difference
During our summer time there is no time difference.
During our winter time it is 1 hour later in Burundi.
Burundi has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Burundi can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Burundi you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Burundi.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Burundi.
Electricity
In Burundi you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity in Burundi can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: In the capital Bujumbura 257223777
– Fire brigade: Local numbers
– Ambulance: Local numbers
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news regarding Burundi can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Burundi can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Burundi end in.bi.
Burundi official website: burundi.gov.bi.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Burundi is 00257 or +257.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Burundi? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in Burundi’s Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Burundi.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Burundi.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Burundi can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On TripAdvisor you can find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Burundi, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report about Burundi?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Burundi. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Burundi can be found on Protected Planet.
Burundi is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Burundi? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or do business with Burundi, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Burundi, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, current sanctions, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Burundi.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 1.0.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Not allowed. Prison sentence up to 10 years.
Did you know that…
…68.0% of Burundi’s population lives below the poverty line?
…there are many wild animal species in Burundi (including hippopotamus, elephant and leopard)?
…Burundi became independent from Belgium in 1962?
…Group jogging is prohibited in Burundi?
