Traveling to Burkina Faso with your dog

✅ Entry requirements

🗓 In what order, and when

Some steps only count once the previous one is done — check each deadline against the official reference above.

1. Prior import authorization (live animals)Burkina Faso subjects the importation of animals and animal by-products to a non-automatic licence (Autorisation Spéciale d'Importation, ASI) issued by the SP-GUCI after the technical opinion of the Direction Générale des Services Vétérinaires (DGSV). Whether and how this applies to a single personal pet is not published in detail — confirm with the DGSV before travel.
2. Identification (microchip)The USDA/DGSV veterinary certificate identifies the animal by microchip number and/or name (box 21); the vet verifies any microchip that is present. An ISO 11784/11785 microchip is strongly recommended but is not published as a stand-alone obligation for entry.
3. Rabies vaccinationThe dog must be currently vaccinated against rabies; the certificate records the vaccine, date, batch number and end date of validity. Where the shot is a primary vaccination or a lapsed booster, a waiting period (generally about 21 days) applies before the vaccination is effective — the certificate itself does not state a fixed delay, so confirm with your vet and the DGSV.
4. Rabies antibody testThe official USDA/DGSV veterinary certificate does not require a rabies antibody test for entry to Burkina Faso; a current rabies vaccination is what is certified.
5. International veterinary health certificateAn original international veterinary certificate covering identification, rabies vaccination and clinical health accompanies the dog. The USDA model for Burkina Faso is bilingual French/English and is valid for 30 days after issuance; from the US it is issued by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed (ink-signed and embossed) by APHIS. French-language certificates are acceptable.
6. Clinical examination & health statementsThe dog is inspected and certified free of infectious or contagious disease (including rabies), and certified to originate from an area not quarantined for rabies and not to have been exposed to rabies.
7. Parasite / tapeworm treatmentThe USDA/DGSV certificate treats other vaccinations, treatments and tests as optional entries (box 7). No mandatory internal or external parasite treatment is published for entry to Burkina Faso.
8. Border / airport veterinary check & customsBurkina Faso is landlocked, so a personal pet arrives by air (Ouagadougou international airport) or a land border. The veterinary services (DGSV) control imported animals; present your dog and its documents on arrival. The exact steps and fees for a personal pet are not published in detail.
9. Minimum age / puppiesA puppy must be old enough to be validly vaccinated against rabies (generally about 3 months / 12 weeks) and to meet the certificate's rabies statement. The DGSV does not publish a separate stand-alone minimum age.

🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Burkina Faso depends on your documents and on the conditions the DGSV sets. Burkina Faso is landlocked, so entry is by air or a land border.

• Your dog is presented to the veterinary services (DGSV), in practice at Ouagadougou's international airport or at a land-border control post.
• Carry the originals: the international veterinary health certificate, the rabies vaccination record, and any import authorization confirmed by the DGSV.
• Documents must be consistent — the identification, vaccination and health statements must match across the certificate and the vaccination record; the certificate must still be within its 30-day validity.
• If documents are missing, invalid or inconsistent, the animal may be refused, returned or held under veterinary control at the owner's expense.
• Exact arrival steps and fees for a personal pet are not published in detail; ask the DGSV when it confirms your requirements.