Benin's e-Visa portal says Africans can visit Benin without a visa for 90 days, and lets any foreigner apply online for an e-Visa. Canada's travel advice says you must obtain your visa before arriving. Benin's Ministry of Health says no vaccination card checks, including for yellow fever, are carried out at points of entry, and that yellow fever vaccination remains recommended for all travellers.
Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works
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Visas & entry authorisations
e-Visa — 30 days
Fee
50 EUR
Processing
—
Validity
30 days
Entries
single
EUR 50 single entry or EUR 75 multiple entry when you apply yourself; EUR 60 or EUR 85 when you apply at the embassy. The e-Visa portal says processing can last from one hour to 96 hours.
When to apply: The e-Visa portal recommends applying at least 7 days before the date of entry, and an application cannot be made more than 90 days before it.
e-Visa — 90 days, multiple entry
Fee
100 EUR
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Entries
multiple
EUR 100 when you apply yourself; EUR 110 when you apply at the embassy. The e-Visa portal says processing can last from one hour to 96 hours.
When to apply: The e-Visa portal recommends applying at least 7 days before the date of entry, and an application cannot be made more than 90 days before it.
Entry requirements
Passport validity
The UK government tells British nationals their passport must be valid for the duration of their stay, and the US State Department says it must be valid at the time of entry. No Beninese official source we could read states a validity rule.
Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (yellow card)) — Benin's Ministry of Health says, in a notice posted on 16 September 2026, that no vaccination card checks, including checks for yellow fever vaccination, are carried out at airports, ports and land borders. It says yellow fever vaccination remains recommended for all travellers, and that Benin reserves the right to modify this measure in a public health emergency of international concern.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: evisa.bj (opens in a new tab) · cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) says proof of yellow fever vaccination required for all travellers aged 9 months or over. We follow the source above: it ranks higher (law, then the authority running the procedure, then the destination's ministry, then international compilations, then other governments' advice).
Travel insurance
Not officially stated
No official source we could read states whether travel insurance is required to enter Benin. The UK Foreign Office advises checking before you travel that you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation.
Canada's travel advice says Benin has a cash-based economy: credit cards are generally accepted in major hotels but rarely in restaurants and other shops, and ATMs compatible with foreign cards are available in banks and some large hotels but are rare outside the major cities.
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK Foreign Office says street crime, including theft and mugging, is common in Cotonou, and warns of the risk of carjacking both in Cotonou and on roads outside towns and cities. It advises against all travel to the Parc du W National Park and its hunting zones, the area between the Parc du W and the border with Niger, the Pendjari National Park and adjacent hunting grounds, and other areas within 5 km of the border with Burkina Faso, citing a risk of terrorist attacks and kidnapping; and against all but essential travel to the rest of the Alibori and Atacora departments and to the area between the RNIE 2 highway from Tchaourou to Malanville and the Benin-Nigeria border.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy Aug 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Aug 5, 2026
Power plugs
C, E · 220V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 117 · Fire: 118
Languages
French, Fon, Yoruba
Time zone
UTC+1
International Driving Permit
Benin is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says you'll need both the correct version of the international driving permit and your UK driving licence with you in the car, and Canada's travel advice says Canadians must carry an international driving permit to drive in Benin. No official source we could read states for how long a foreign licence may be used.
No official source we could read gives a best time to visit. Canada's travel advice says that in the south there are two rainy seasons, from April to mid-July and from mid-September to October, and that in the north the rainy season extends from June to September; the harmattan, a hot, dusty, sand-laden wind, blows from the Sahara from December to March.
Tips & warnings
The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the Parc du W National Park and the Pendjari National Park and nearby areas, citing a risk of terrorist attacks and kidnapping, and says foreigners have been kidnapped by groups originating in bordering countries including Niger and Burkina Faso.
Canada's travel advice says some fraudulent websites claim to offer Benin visas, and tells travellers to use only Benin's official website for their entry visa.
Benin's Ministry of Health says that no vaccination card checks, including checks for yellow fever vaccination, are carried out at airports, ports and land borders, in a notice posted on 16 September 2026, and that yellow fever vaccination remains recommended for all travellers.
Canada's travel advice says credit cards are generally accepted in major hotels but rarely in restaurants and other shops, and that ATMs compatible with foreign cards are rare outside the major cities.
Canada's travel advice says most motorcycle taxis (zemijahns) are unregistered and are sometimes the target of violent crime, particularly at night, and advises using only official car taxis.
Visa requirements by nationality
Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
Benin's e-Visa portal says Africans can visit Benin without a visa for 90 days, and that any foreigner wishing to visit can apply for an e-Visa online. The UK government tells British nationals they must have a visa to enter or travel through Benin, the US State Department says US citizens need a tourist visa, and Canada's travel advice says you must obtain your visa before arriving in Benin.
How much does the Benin eVisa cost?
Benin's e-Visa portal lists EUR 50 for a 30-day single-entry e-Visa, EUR 75 for a 30-day multiple-entry e-Visa and EUR 100 for a 90-day multiple-entry e-Visa when you apply yourself, and EUR 60, 85 and 110 when you apply at the embassy. It says processing can last from one hour to 96 hours.
Is the yellow fever vaccine mandatory for Benin?
Not at the border, according to Benin's Ministry of Health: in a notice posted on 16 September 2026 it says no vaccination card checks, including checks for yellow fever vaccination, are carried out at airports, ports and land borders. It says yellow fever vaccination remains recommended for all travellers and that Benin reserves the right to modify this measure in a public health emergency of international concern.
Can I get a visa on arrival in Benin?
Canada's travel advice says you must obtain your visa before arriving in Benin and that you can apply online through the Benin government website. The UK Foreign Office tells British nationals to apply for a Benin visa online at least 7 days before their arrival date, and says they will get the visa when they arrive at Cotonou airport.
Is Benin safe to visit?
The UK Foreign Office says street crime, including theft and mugging, is common in Cotonou. It advises against all travel to the Parc du W National Park and its hunting zones, the area between the Parc du W and the border with Niger, the Pendjari National Park and adjacent hunting grounds, and other areas within 5 km of the border with Burkina Faso, and against all but essential travel to the rest of the Alibori and Atacora departments and to the area between the RNIE 2 highway from Tchaourou to Malanville and the Benin-Nigeria border.
Sources & verification
Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources: