Visas For The Loop

The Five-Country Visa
For travelers inside one of the five countries (Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire) it is possible to get a 5 country, single entry visa valid for all of those countries for two months. NB: Ghana is NOT one of the five countries and requires a separate visa (see below).

To purchase your five-country visa in Niger, you need to go to DST in Niamey. DST is open Monday-Friday normal business hours, and from 9am-1pm on Saturdays. It is closed Sundays. To get there, tell the taxi that it is ‘en face mandoeuvre’ or, if that doesn’t work, ‘wurin neman aiki.’ You go in through the blue door into the outer courtyard, turn right, and it is the first door on your right.

The visa process claims to be a two-day affair, but if you get there early it may be possible to get yours the same day. Don’t plan on it, though. You will need:


 * 25,000 F cfa
 * 2 passport photos

The Ghana Visa
Ghana is, unfortunately, not party to the five-country visa. Nor can you pick it up in Niamey, Niger; you need to pick it up in Togo, Benin, or Burkina Faso.

Getting a Ghana Visa in Burkina Faso
The Ghanaian Embassy is located in the north-east portion of Ouagadougou’s city center, close to the parliament. The sign is a little hard to see from the road, but the taxi should know where it is, approximately.

The number for the Ghanaian Embassy in Burkina is +266 5030 7635

The visa process is an overnight affair, so plan accordingly. You will need:


 * 15,000F cfa
 * 4 passport photos (preferably identical)