Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Burundi means choosing a country that is both fascinating and demanding. Fascinating for the beauty of its hills, the warmth of its people, life on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and a tight-knit expatriate community driven by NGOs, UN agencies, and a few international companies. Demanding because the security, political, economic, and health context requires a high level of daily preparation and vigilance.
Official travel advisories from several countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia) recommend reconsidering any travel or stay plans in Burundi due to a high risk of crime, political violence, regional tensions, and fragile medical and transport infrastructure. However, local actors and some tour operators indicate that for well-prepared, guided, and properly informed travelers, the situation on the ground can be significantly calmer than these warnings suggest.
For an expatriate, the challenge is therefore to approach Burundi with lucidity, without naivety but without sterile dramatization, by implementing personal, professional, and family security strategies. This guide offers a structured analysis of the main risks and practical advice for managing them, to help you build an expatriation experience that is as serene as possible.
Understanding the Political and Security Context
The security framework of Burundi cannot be separated from its recent political trajectory. The country is emerging from a long civil war and remains marked by the 2015 crisis, triggered by the contested candidacy of former President Pierre Nkurunziza for a third term, deemed unconstitutional by the East African Court of Justice. The subsequent repression, thousands forced into exile, and persistent impunity continue to weigh on the political climate.
Percentage of votes won by the CNDD‑FDD in the 2025 legislative elections, allowing it to sweep all seats.
In this landscape, civic space is largely closed. The authorities show strong hostility towards independent media and civil society, several journalists are detained, and the judiciary lacks independence. State structures are fragile, the culture of obedience to authority is strong, and the population’s distrust of institutions is profound.
For an expatriate, this means two things: on the one hand, the risk of being caught up in tensions or repression that do not directly target them but affect them indirectly; on the other hand, the importance of avoiding any involvement—even perceived—in local political life, demonstrations, or sensitive debates.
Risk Mapping: Where Should Vigilance Be at Its Maximum?
Government travel advisories provide a very precise geography of high-risk areas. Again, these are not just theoretical advice: these restrictions also apply to the diplomats and embassy staff of these countries, which gives an idea of the expected level of caution.
The table below summarizes some particularly sensitive areas cited by several official sources:
| Area / Route | Risk Level Described by Western States | Main Reasons for Warning |
|---|---|---|
| Cibitoke, Bubanza | “Do Not Travel” / Avoid all travel | Armed group activity, incursions from eastern DRC, banditry, attacks on civilians |
| Kibira National Park | “Do Not Travel” | Presence of rebel groups, risk of ambushes, absence of emergency services |
| West of the former Bujumbura Rural (RN5, Rusizi, Gatumba) | Avoid all travel | Armed clashes, spillover from conflict in DRC, sporadic attacks |
| Bujumbura City | Avoid all but essential travel | Urban crime, political volatility, grenade attacks |
| Former Central Market (Bujumbura) | Off-limits to employees of certain embassies | High risk of violent crime, including grenade attacks |
The border with Rwanda has been officially closed since January 2024, following tensions and attacks attributed to armed groups. Along the border with the DRC, insecurity in eastern Congo and the movement of militias create a volatile environment. Organizations like Red‑Tabara have already carried out deadly attacks near the border, notably on the RN5 road or in localities close to Bujumbura.
Living in Burundi involves accepting that some trips, roads, or tourist areas (like Kibira National Park) will sometimes be off-limits or strictly regulated. It is essential to plan your journeys by checking access and security conditions in advance.
Everyday Crime: A Structural Risk to Integrate
Security analyses converge on one point: crime is high in Burundi, particularly in Bujumbura, classified as a high-risk area for Western interests. Official figures are hard to come by, but field reports are consistent: the rising cost of living, inflation (estimated around 40% in 2025), and fuel shortages exacerbate pressure on households, contributing to a notable increase in offenses, both minor and major.
Crime in Bujumbura manifests through a variety of violent acts, including armed assaults, burglaries, carjackings, and home invasions, even in affluent, secure neighborhoods. Snatch-and-grab thefts of phones or handbags are frequent. A particularly notable phenomenon is the use of explosives: grenade attacks are described as common, illustrated by two explosions in May 2024 targeting crowded places in the city center, including a bus stop.
A point often misunderstood by newcomers is the involvement of minors in some opportunistic crimes, like pickpocketing. At night, the risk increases significantly, and most embassies outright prohibit their staff from walking in the city after dark.
Summary of the most marked trends identified in the analysis.
Growing integration of artificial intelligence in business processes for automation and predictive analysis.
Mainstreaming of flexible work models combining in-office and remote work.
Increased focus on eco-friendly IT practices and energy optimization.
Strengthening of regulations and infrastructure for local data control.
Use of data to offer tailored, real-time interactions.
Evolution towards risk-based and threat intelligence-driven security models.
| Type of Crime | Reported Frequency | Important Observations |
|---|---|---|
| Pickpocketing | Frequent | Sometimes committed by children, in markets and crowded places |
| Phone/bag snatch-and-grab | Very frequent | Targets visible smartphones or easy-to-grab bags especially |
| Burglaries and home invasions | Regular, even in affluent areas | Affect expatriates too, despite 24/7 guards |
| Armed assaults (firearms or knives) | Present | Street muggings, robberies, sometimes with physical violence |
| Carjackings | Reported | Target vehicles deemed valuable, especially at night |
| Grenade attacks | Described as “common” | Can be criminal or political in origin; crowded areas particularly exposed |
The police forces, poorly equipped in resources and training, have very limited investigative capacity. They are also locally perceived as largely corrupt. For a victim, this often means filing a report will mainly have administrative or insurance value, with little chance of leading to an arrest.
However, expatriates are not systematically targeted as such. They are targeted mainly because they are perceived as wealthier or carrying valuable items. The priority objective is therefore to reduce one’s “signature” of apparent wealth and adopt constant habits of caution.
Political Violence, Militias, and Terrorist Threat
The line between common crime and political violence is sometimes blurred. In recent years, the country has experienced forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and acts of torture targeting mainly real or perceived opponents, civil society activists, or journalists. The youth wing of the ruling party, the Imbonerakure, is regularly accused by NGOs of acting as a para‑state militia involved in intimidation or violence.
For expatriates, targeted violence is rare, except for certain exposed profiles (activists, local journalists, etc.). The main risk is being inadvertently at the site of a political incident, a localized armed attack, or an explosion.
Western intelligence services assess the terrorist threat as real, even if it is not central to travel advisories as in other countries. Regional groups active in the Great Lakes and beyond have already mentioned Western and Burundian interests as potential targets, even if few attacks claimed explicitly in Burundi appear in recent reports. The most cited vulnerable locations are those frequented by foreigners: official buildings, hotels, bars, restaurants, shopping centers, airports, tourist sites, places of worship.
In practice, this implies paying attention to one’s immediate surroundings, avoiding large crowds as much as possible, and keeping in mind that a lively place is not synonymous with absolute safety.
Police, Checkpoints, and Controls: How to Manage Relations with Law Enforcement
Police and military presence is very visible in Burundi: armed patrols, checkpoints, roadblocks, vehicle searches, and sometimes house searches. These controls have become normalized, notably under the pretext of combating weapons and armed groups.
In theory, a house search must be conducted during the day with the presentation of ID. In practice, residents, including foreigners, report surprise visits sometimes without a warrant, vehicle searches at checkpoints (especially at night), and requests for unofficial “contributions” or “fees,” which may be accompanied by threats or, more rarely, violence.
For an expatriate, the goal is to reduce as much as possible the number of unnecessary interactions with law enforcement, while managing those that do occur with calm and respect. Carrying identification (generally a copy of the passport) is essential, as is the ability to contact one’s embassy or organization in a tense situation.
Recommendations from many embassies emphasize a few simple gestures: remain polite, avoid confrontation, show papers without argument, never photograph or film law enforcement, and, if the search is considered abusive, report it later to your diplomatic representation rather than engage in a standoff on the spot.
Daily Life in Bujumbura: Where to Live, How to Get Around, What to Avoid
Despite the alert level in official advisories, Bujumbura remains the heart of expatriate life. This is where embassies, major NGOs, UN agencies, international companies, and most foreign schools are concentrated. The residential neighborhoods favored by foreigners are often located on the hills or in areas considered safer and better serviced.
Among the neighborhoods that regularly stand out, Kiriri is perceived as prestigious, on the hills, housing many diplomatic missions and offering a quiet environment. Rohero is attractive for its neighborhood life, restaurants, international schools, and shops. Kinindo, more lively, attracts a more mixed expatriate crowd and the local middle class.
Bujumbura Neighborhoods
These neighborhoods have a real estate market ranging from simple houses to high-end villas with gardens, perimeter walls, barbed wire, 24/7 security, water tanks, and generators – elements that have become almost essential for an expatriate, given the frequent power outages and irregular water supply.
Choosing accommodation must incorporate very concrete security criteria: quality of locks and doors, presence of a solid gate, visibility from the street, exterior lighting, reliability of the security company, distance from routes known for their night checkpoints or insecurity. Neighbors and colleagues already settled are a valuable source of information on the micro‑dynamics of each neighborhood.
For your movements, limit trips to daytime and avoid driving at night. Opt for a vehicle in good condition, ideally a 4×4, especially outside the capital. Public transport (buses, minibuses, moto-taxis) is considered dangerous: overloaded, poorly maintained, driven unpredictably, and sometimes run by criminal networks. Their use is prohibited for employees of American and European embassies.
Most expatriates therefore choose an official car with a driver or a personal vehicle, sometimes shared within a team with dedicated drivers. Unregulated taxis remain an occasional option but require choosing recommended drivers and avoiding night trips.
Roads, Fuel, and Accidents: A High-Risk Road Environment
Driving in Burundi requires a higher level of vigilance than in most Western countries. Many roads are in poor condition, riddled with potholes, unlit at night, without road markings, with chaotic traffic mixing cars, minibuses, overloaded trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, and animals.
During the rainy season, landslides can wash away entire sections of road or destroy bridges, making certain routes impassable. Secondary roads quickly become mud bogs reserved for 4x4s. Serious accidents are frequent, especially as vehicles are sometimes poorly maintained and driving behavior is aggressive.
Fuel shortages lead to long lines at stations. Outside the capital, stations are rare and there is no organized roadside assistance. It is therefore essential to carry fuel reserves (jerricans), spare tires, a first aid kit, food, water, and basic repair tools.
Procedures in case of an accident are very specific: if an accident causes a potentially hostile crowd to gather, the unwritten rule is to go without delay to the nearest police station rather than stay on the spot, to avoid spontaneous violence. The Red Cross can be called for first aid, in principle at 109, but one should not rely on an ambulance system comparable to that of industrialized countries.
Health and the Medical System: Why Evacuation Insurance is Non-Negotiable
In terms of health, Burundi presents a dual challenge. On the one hand, the public health system and a large part of the private sector remain far below Western standards: aging or under-equipped infrastructure, medicine shortages, lack of specialists and technical facilities, sometimes insufficient hygiene procedures. On the other hand, the country is exposed to a range of significant infectious risks: endemic malaria, cholera outbreaks, risks of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, tuberculosis, measles, not to mention HIV, whose prevalence is higher than in Western countries.
Reports emphasize the absence of trauma care services truly adapted to serious cases. In practice, a serious road accident, a complex surgical emergency, a heart attack, a stroke, or certain obstetric complications will very likely require evacuation to Nairobi, Kigali, or another regional hub. Even a health problem considered “minor” in a well-equipped country can become tricky to manage locally.
Embassies and security organizations therefore strongly recommend international health insurance including medical evacuation. This is not a luxury, but a basic condition for expatriation. Without it, a medical transport can cost tens of thousands of dollars, entirely at the patient’s expense.
Before departure, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor specializing in travel medicine. This consultation allows updating routine vaccines (tetanus‑diphtheria‑pertussis, polio, measles‑mumps‑rubella, flu) and adding recommended vaccines for the destination, such as those against hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and possibly rabies for highly exposed individuals. A yellow fever vaccine is mandatory if arriving from an endemic area. The doctor can also prescribe appropriate malaria prophylaxis and help you assemble a comprehensive first-aid kit, along with the necessary prescriptions.
In daily life, tap water is not considered potable. You should prefer bottled or properly treated water, pay attention to food hygiene, and accept that traveler’s diarrhea may be part of the local experience, even for seasoned expatriates.
Legal Framework, Social Norms, and Specific Vulnerabilities
The Burundian legal framework has some areas particularly sensitive for expatriates. The possession and use of illegal drugs is severely punished, with long prison sentences and heavy fines, even for passengers merely transiting through the airport. Airport authorities have advanced screening equipment to scan luggage.
Legislation criminalizes consensual homosexual relations, with penalties of up to two years in prison and a fine. The social environment is strongly conservative, leading to stigmatization, threats, and violence. For concerned expatriates, discretion is a matter of safety.
It is forbidden to take photos of government buildings, military installations, airports, or border posts, including with drones. An innocent photo of a checkpoint can be enough to trigger an arrest, confiscation of equipment, or even prosecution. In general, photographing people without their consent is frowned upon.
Demonstrations must be authorized, and only pro‑government marches are observed. Participation by civil servants or citizens is often ‘encouraged’. Expatriates are strongly advised against participating in such political gatherings, even as observers.
Finally, the notion of equality before the law or effective legal recourse cannot be presumed as in countries with more consolidated rule of law. Pre-trial detention can last for months, sometimes years. In this context, the real balance of power is played out as much in networks of influence, community, or political ties as in legal texts.
Infrastructure, Energy, and Connectivity: Anticipating the Irregular
Life in Burundi is also conditioned by the quality of infrastructure. Electricity experiences frequent outages, even in Bujumbura, and more so in the provinces. Running water is not continuously available everywhere. Telecommunications work satisfactorily in the capital but quickly become unreliable outside. Mobile internet is relatively widespread but expensive relative to local purchasing power, and overall penetration remains low.
The mobile phone market is dominated by a few operators, limiting competition and leading to high prices for uneven quality of service. The country has a local internet exchange point (BurundiXP). It is important to note that networks can become saturated or cut during political tensions, as in 2015 when authorities blocked access to social media and messaging apps.
For an expatriate who depends on digital tools for work—which is the norm for many NGO, cooperation, remote worker, and entrepreneur profiles—choosing accommodation must include checking access to a good internet provider, the presence of an operational generator and possibly a dedicated fuel reserve for it, as well as a sufficient water tank to cover several days of outage.
Preparing Your Arrival: Formalities, Insurance, and Networks
Before even setting foot in Bujumbura, a number of preparations structure the security of your expatriation.
Administratively, foreign nationals must have a visa, sometimes obtainable on arrival for certain nationalities, but the conditions can change. For a long-term stay (one year or more), it is mandatory to register at the General Directorate of Immigration in Bujumbura and obtain a residence permit, or risk fines or trouble with immigration. The most up-to-date information should be verified with the relevant Burundian embassy or consulate.
In Burundi, simple local coverage is insufficient. A robust international insurance policy is essential. It must include at minimum health costs, hospitalization, medical evacuation, repatriation, and civil liability. It is also recommended to add coverage against political risks, interruption of stay, and family repatriation in case of a major crisis.
Building a support network before arrival can make all the difference. Joining online expatriate communities (e.g., via specialized platforms), connecting with colleagues already on the ground, identifying doctors, reference hospitals, private security companies, or secure transport services are steps that often prove invaluable from the first weeks.
Personal Security Strategy: Reflexes to Anchor in Daily Life
Ensuring your security in Burundi does not rely on a miracle measure, but on a bundle of small reflexes applied consistently. Embassies, security organizations, and expatriate testimonies converge on a series of best practices.
The first is to limit night movements as much as possible. In Bujumbura as in the provinces, walking in the street after nightfall is discouraged, even downtown. Many missions impose a formal prohibition on their own staff from walking at night and an obligation to return before a certain hour if they are outside the capital.
To avoid drawing attention, it is advisable not to wear flashy jewelry, avoid conspicuously displaying the latest smartphones or large wads of cash. Opt for sober clothing, adapted to local norms of modesty, especially in rural areas. Use discreet bags and carry them in a way that limits snatch-and-grab risks.
The third concerns information management: do not announce your travel plans out loud, limit the dissemination of detailed itineraries, share your regular schedules only with a small circle, and make domestic staff, drivers, or guards aware of the need for discretion.
Keep the original of your passport in a safe place and carry a photocopy. Create digital copies of all your important documents (passport, visa, work contract, insurance policies, medical prescriptions) and plan for quick access to these files in case of loss or theft.
Finally, it is useful to establish a real personal and family “contingency plan”: what to do in case of sudden unrest, rumors of a power grab, unexpected border closure? Where to meet, what belongings to have ready to take (documents, money, medication, essential clothing), how to stay in contact if phone networks are disrupted? This type of preparation, even if never used, offers appreciable psychological comfort.
Digital Security and Surveillance: An Environment to Approach with Caution
The Burundian digital space is developing rapidly, with the growing importance of mobile telephony, mobile financial services, and an increasingly present internet in urban daily life. But this development is accompanied by a regulatory framework still embryonic in terms of data protection and cybersecurity, and a political environment marked by strong surveillance of communications.
Laws authorize communication interception and geolocation, with an obligation for operators to provide subscriber data and name-based registration of SIM cards.
For an expatriate, especially if working for a sensitive organization, this implies not presuming the confidentiality of one’s communications (calls, SMS, messaging, social media). Practices such as using encrypted apps, limiting sensitive discussions on digital channels, cautious use of public or shared Wi‑Fi networks, and using basic IT security tools (strong passwords, two-factor authentication, regular updates) are minimums.
Caution is also advised regarding content. Statements perceived as critical of the authorities, disseminated on social media or public sites, can be more heavily sanctioned in a context of restricted freedom of expression than in a consolidated democratic environment.
Between Official Alerts and Ground Reality: Finding the Right Balance
Travel advisories issued by Western governments are, by nature, cautious. They must cover the worst-case scenario, with a strong political responsibility in case of crisis. They are sometimes at odds with the perception of some actors on the ground—tour operators, NGOs, long-term expatriates—who describe a daily life often much more peaceful than suggested by maps entirely colored in red or orange.
Travelers who have used local agencies report very positive experiences at cultural sites, like the Gishora drum sanctuary or hill regions. To ensure your safety and fully enjoy your stay, it is essential to be accompanied by reliable guides, follow a few simple rules (not going out alone at night, avoiding impromptu trips, following hosts’ advice), and maintain a low profile.
The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. Ignoring objective risks would be irresponsible; making them a paralyzing obsession would prevent benefiting from the country’s human and cultural wealth. The key to the most serene expatriation possible in Burundi lies in a combination of methodical preparation, deep respect for the host society, humility in the face of the limits of the rule of law, and the ability to build trust-based relationships at the local level.
Each relocation project is a personal or family decision that requires a realistic assessment of one’s ability to live with uncertainty. For those who make this choice, investing in security (physical, health, digital, and relational) is essential to transform a high-vigilance environment into a controlled life experience.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
