Burkina Faso/France/Mali/Niger: Closure of Visa Centers and Suspensions of Visa Issuance
August 29, 2023

French visa application centers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have been temporarily closed and therefore French visas for these nationals who reside in these countries are not being accepted, processed, or issued. Reciprocally, Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Malian visa application centers in France are temporarily closed and therefore Malian visa applications for French nationals residing in France are not being accepted, processed, or issued. As a reminder, visas to enter Niger are not being issued for any nationality as the country’s borders are currently closed; however, given France’s current policy against issuing French visas to Niger nationals in Niger, French nationals can expect to be denied Niger visas even after the country’s borders are reopened. Separately, French nationals seeking to enter Burkina Faso can only obtain a visa using the government eVisa portal. It is not clear how long the above closures and suspensions will last.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to your Fragomen immigration professional.
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