🇧🇯 Is Benin safe to visit?
Daily safety index from official government advisories, plus the consular map of Benin: 11 diplomatic missions from 10 countries, local emergency numbers and language essentials.
Updated Nov 14, 2026 · Composite index recalculated daily from official government advisories.
What official sources say
Levels are normalized to Telcomia's 1–4 scale. Always read the full official advisory at the source.
What to know before traveling to Benin
Drawn from the linked official advisories — always check the full text at the source.
Trip essentials
- Travelling against UK government advice may invalidate your travel insurance
- Ensure your insurance covers your full itinerary, planned activities and emergency expenses
- Visa required: Beninese authorities only issue visas electronically; apply at least 48h in advance as validity starts from issue date
- Passport must be valid for at least 6 months at time of travel
- Honorary Consulates of Benin in Madrid and Barcelona do not process visas; contact the Consulate General in Paris
- Emergency line of Spanish Consulate General in Lagos (competent for Benin): +234 (0) 80 33 60 16 58, 24h
Risk areas and situations
- Do not travel to Parc du W National Park or the Mékrou and Djona hunting zones: terrorism and kidnapping risk
- Parc du W shares open borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, increasing cross-border security threats
- Do not travel to the area between Parc du W and the Niger border, or to Pendjari National Park and its hunting grounds
- All areas within 5km of the Burkina Faso border are subject to an all-travel advisory
- The entire northern half of Benin is under a do-not-travel advisory
- Border areas with Burkina Faso and Niger have seen repeated terrorist attacks in recent years
Health
- Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all travellers over 1 year old; international vaccination card must be shown at entry
- Travellers who have transited through an airport in a yellow-fever-risk country must also present proof of vaccination
Emergency numbers in Benin
Embassies and consulates in Benin
11 diplomatic missions from 10 countries, across 2 cities.
| Nationality | Missions | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 2 | Cotonou, Libreville |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇨🇳 China | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇫🇷 France | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 1 | Cotonou |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 1 | Cotonou |
The full directory — addresses, phone numbers and locations on the map — is available in the Telcomia app.
Local language
The main local language in Benin is French. The Telcomia app includes 16 emergency phrases in French, with audio, ready to play when you need them.
See the 16 emergency phrases in FrenchTraveling to Benin?
Stay connected from the moment you land: prepaid eSIM data plans for Benin, delivered instantly, with the Telcomia safety layer included.
Frequently asked questions
Is Benin safe to visit right now?
The Telcomia Safety Index for Benin is 2.5/4 (High risk, level 3 of 4) as of Nov 14, 2026. It is a composite of official advisories from Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, recalculated daily.
What is the emergency number in Benin?
The general emergency number in Benin is 117. Save it before you travel — with a Telcomia eSIM you can call for help without hunting for Wi-Fi.
How many embassies are there in Benin?
Telcomia tracks 11 diplomatic missions from 10 countries in Benin, across 2 cities. The full directory with addresses and phone numbers is in the Telcomia app.
Informational only
This page is general information, not a substitute for official government travel advice. Conditions can change quickly — always check your own government's latest advisory before and during your trip.
Advisory levels summarize official sources: Spain's MAEC, the UK FCDO (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0) and the U.S. Department of State (public domain). Follow the links above for the full official text.