Do you need a visa to enter Benin?
It depends on your passport. According to the official platform evisa.bj, African nationals enter Benin without a visa for 90 days. Other nationalities apply online for an e-visa, valid 30 or 90 days, at least 7 days before entry and never more than 90 days in advance; the announced processing time runs from one hour to 96 hours. Do not count on a visa on arrival: apply before you leave. ONG Wa Afriki tells you what to do for your nationality as soon as your registration is confirmed. Checked against the official source on July 28, 2026.
What documents do I need to enter Benin?
Required documents: passport valid at least 6 months after your planned return date. E-visa obtained before departure, unless your nationality is exempt. International certificate of yellow fever vaccination (yellow card): MANDATORY, checked at the airport, entry can be refused without this document. Return ticket or proof of itinerary. Proof of accommodation: invitation letter from ONG Wa Afriki, provided to every After Vodundays participant. Travel insurance with medical repatriation.
How far in advance should I handle visa paperwork?
The announced processing time for the e-visa runs from one hour to 96 hours: apply at least 2 weeks before departure to leave margin in case of an issue. Yellow fever vaccination must be done at least 10 days before entering Benin (the vaccine takes 10 days to become effective). If you are not yet vaccinated, start the process immediately after registering.
Do diaspora nationals (Haitian, Brazilian, American passports) have specific procedures?
Haitian passport: e-visa available, standard processing. Brazilian passport: e-visa available. American passport: e-visa available. French passport: e-visa available. Canadian passport: e-visa available. British passport: e-visa available. Dual nationality with an ECOWAS (West African) passport: use that passport, no visa required for most member countries.
Can you extend your stay once in Benin?
Yes. The Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST) in Cotonou handles visa extensions. For a 30-day e-visa, an additional 30-day extension is generally granted on request (fee: around 30,000 FCFA). ONG Wa Afriki can point participants who wish to stay after the program toward the exact procedure.
Are there entry restrictions linked to other African destinations visited?
Benin does not impose entry restrictions based on stamps from neighboring African countries. Exception: if you are arriving from a yellow-fever-risk zone (many African and South American countries), the yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory, but that is required universally for every visitor to Benin regardless.
Which visas do I need for the Togo and Ghana option?
Everything is settled before you leave. Flight ticket: you arrive in Cotonou on January 4 and leave from Accra on the evening of the 14th. Book a multi-city ticket, not a Cotonou round trip. Benin: the e-visa is requested on evisa.bj. A single entry is enough, since you leave from Accra. Togo: for non-African passports, the e-visa is mandatory and is requested on voyage.gouv.tg at least 5 days before arrival; visa on arrival is suspended. Nationals of African Union states are exempt from a visa for up to 30 days, provided they file their travel declaration on voyage.gouv.tg at least 24 hours before arrival. Ghana: visa on arrival has been abolished since May 25, 2026. The e-visa is requested before departure on evisa.immigration.gov.gh, allow 72 to 96 hours for processing. ECOWAS and AES nationals enter without a visa; other African Union nationals apply for an electronic travel authorization, free of charge. Yellow fever: the vaccination certificate is required in all three countries.
Official sources
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