Burkinabè passport: 100 countries you can visit without going to an embassy

A new episode of our series on African passports. Ebelle has already lost this bet four times, Djo seven times. This time it's her friend Aïcha, from Ouagadougou, who is sure of herself: with a Burkinabè passport, "you can't go anywhere". Travora's numbers, as of 1 October 2026, say something completely different:

Burkina Faso left ECOWAS: do you need a visa for Abidjan?

That's Ebelle's first objection, and it's wrong. Burkina Faso left ECOWAS on 29 January 2025, together with Mali and Niger, to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). But ECOWAS decided to keep recognising their citizens' passports and ID cards, and to maintain visa-free movement "until further notice". For its part, the AES lets ECOWAS citizens in without a visa.

The result, for a Burkinabè traveller: Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Senegal… remain visa-free, for a stay of up to 90 days.

What about Morocco?

Morocco too: visa-free, for up to 90 days. The electronic authorisation (AEVM) required during AFCON is no longer needed.

Visa-free countries, all the way to Asia and the Caribbean

"Nobody is waiting for us in Asia"? Wrong:

• Singapore: visa-free; you only need to fill in the SG Arrival Card (free) within 3 days before arrival;
• Hong Kong: visa-free for 14 days;
• and even Barbados, in the Caribbean, with an online immigration form to fill in before arrival.

In total: 30 visa-free countries.

Countries with visa on arrival

13 countries issue the visa directly at the airport, including:

• the Maldives: tourist visa on arrival, with the free online IMUGA declaration to complete within 96 hours before arrival;
• Madagascar: up to 60 days, extendable on site; an e-visa is also available.

Bring a return ticket, a hotel booking and proof that you can cover your expenses.

E-visa countries

The longest list: 57 countries, to apply for online from your phone. Among them:

The Asian archipelago, visa-free

That's the answer at the end of the video: the Philippines, more than 7,000 islands. Burkina Faso is on the official list of countries allowed in visa-free for 30 days, with a return or onward ticket. Before your flight, you must register for free on eTravel, the Philippine authorities' official site. Watch out for layovers: depending on your route, a transit country may require a visa.

What you still need to prepare

"Visa-free" doesn't mean "nothing required". Most of the time:

• a passport valid for 6 months after your return date;
• a return ticket;
• the online arrival card when the country has one (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines…);
• your yellow fever vaccination card.

And sunscreen.

Checking a specific country

Choose Burkina Faso as your departure country on Travora: the visa guide shows all three lists, and each destination has its own page (documents, length of stay, budget in CFA francs, season).

The other episodes: the Cameroonian passport, the Ivorian passport, the Togolese passport, the Senegalese passport and the Beninese passport. And to see how the West African neighbours rank: the ECOWAS Passport Cup.