Burkina Faso - Country Information

Film Commissions

General Information

Location: West Africa
Local Time: GMT
Capital City: Ouagadougou
Population: 13.4 million
Area: 274,200 square km, 105,869 square miles.
Language(s): French, many local languages
Dialling Code: 226
Emergency: Police: 17. Fire: 18. Ambulance: 30 66 43/44/45
Directory Enquiries:
TV Standard:
Driving: Driving is on the right. International Driving Licence required
Electricity: 220V AC 50Hz

Business & Currency

Currency: CFA Franc (XOF 1 = 100 Centimes)
Notes: XOF: 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000
Coins: XOF: 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250

Opening Hours
Bank: 0730-1130 & 1530-1630 Mon-Fri
Office: 0700-1230 & 1500-1730 Mon-Fri
Shops: 0800-1300 & 1600-1900 Mon-Sat, 0800-1200 Sun

Public Holidays
2008
Jan 1 New Years Day, Jan 3 Anniversary of 1966 Uprising, Jan 10 New Year, Mar 8 Womens Day, Mar 20 Mouloud, Mar 24 Easter Monday, May 1 Labour Day, May 17 Ascension, Aug 4 Revolution Day, Aug 5 Independence Day, Aug 15 Assumption, Oct 2 End of Ramadam, Nov 1 All Saints Day, Dec 9 Feast of the Sacrifice, Dec 11 Proclamation of the Republic, Dec 25 Christmas Day
* Dates may vary according to the lunar calendar

Business/Social Hints: Business is conducted in French, very few executives speak English. Many traditions and customs regulate social life and visitors should be perceptive to unfamiliar local conventions. On social occasions dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated

Tipping: 10-15% service charge is normally added to bill. Tips are customary for taxis & porters

Health

Compulsory vaccinations: Yellow fever certificate required by all. Exempt infants under 1 year.

Recommended immunisations: Cholera*, diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B*, malaria, meningitis*, polio, TB*, tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies
* recommended in some circumstances, travellers making 3 or more visits per year, stays of more than 3 months in a rural area, high-risk occupational groups & backpackers staying more than 1 month.

Risks: Malaria exists all year throughout the country. Rabies.

Airports

Passport & Visa

The following details relate to holders of adult normal passports (requirements for children may be different), if any other type of passport or travel document is held, entry requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy or consulate

Passports

Required, but NOT by the following:
1) Holders of National Identity Cards issued to nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal & Togo

Passport Validity: Passports must be valid 6 months after date of departure

Passport Notes:

Visas

The following DO NOT require a visa:
1) Nationals of Burkina Faso
2) Stays up to 90 days
2) Nationals of Benin, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone & Togo
3) Holders of (SAR China) Passports for a max stay of 14 days

Air Transit

Required by all except those as noted above and:
1) Persons in direct transit

Climate

Burkina Faso has a tropical climate with a lengthy dry season & one main rainy season between May-Sep. There is a relatively cool dry season from Nov-Feb, when desert winds counterbalance the humidity. Rainfall is very unevenly distributed & falls increasingly from the south-west (1,300mm) to the north (300mm)

Clothing

Light clothes throughout the year, plus rainwear for rainy season

Charts for Ouagadougou

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max Temp (C) 33 37 39 39 38 36 33 31 32 35 36 35 Min Temp (C) 16 20 23 26 26 24 23 22 23 23 22 17 Humidity am (%) 42 38 39 51 65 73 78 81 79 72 58 46 Humidity pm (%) 19 19 20 28 40 49 62 67 60 44 30 23 Rainfall (mm) 0 3 13 15 84 122 203 277 145 33 0 0

Temperature (C) Rainfall (mm) Humidity (%)

Representative

Embassy
Embassy of Burkina Faso
16 Place Guy d'Arezzo
Brussels, 1180
Belgium
tel: +32 2 345.99.12
fax: +32 2 345.06.12
e-mail: ambassade.burkina@skynet.be
website: www.ambassadeduburkina.be