It is vital to make sure you have appropriate Burkina Faso insurance before you travel. Political upheaval and terrorist attacks have made this landlocked West African country less safe for foreign visitors and specialist insurance for Burkina Faso is vital.

Official risk ratings

Accident and Evacuation
Kidnapping and Ransom
Political Risk

Potential problems in Burkina Faso what risks might you encounter?

After years of relative stability, a brief military coup in 2015 followed by a change in political leadership, plus terrorist insurgency from the North, has made the country a riskier place to operate. Terrorist attacks on the French Embassy and restaurants and hotels popular with foreigners have resulted in casualties in recent years. 

Although the capital, Ouagadougou, may feel relatively safe when you arrive, it is the northern areas where troubles are rife – which is where most of our clients are involved in mining, power and infrastructure projects,.

To protect your people properly you must have personal accident cover and international health insurance with options for terrorism and political violence. Malaria, dengue fever and meningitis are common and road traffic accidents on poor roads are another risk.

Kidnap is also a real risk for foreign nationals. Burkina Faso contributes to the UN peacekeeping initiative in Mali (MINUSMA) and is therefore considered a legitimate target by Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQ-M) and its associated groups. 

We would highly recommend kidnap insurance that can provide you with security briefings before you go and professional support should the worse happen. (See We’ve Taken Your People for how the professionals work in a real life kidnap scenario.)

We can also help to provide tailored protection for assets, property or equipment, including Political Risk against loses caused by unforeseen government action in the future.