Burundi: The procedure followed and documents required to obtain a Burundian passport; whether someone outside Burundi can obtain a passport and whether a third party can apply on that person's behalf; the existence of fake passports (2000-2007)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa<br> |
| Publication Date | 1 March 2007 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BDI102451.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: The procedure followed and documents required to obtain a Burundian passport; whether someone outside Burundi can obtain a passport and whether a third party can apply on that person's behalf; the existence of fake passports (2000-2007), 1 March 2007, BDI102451.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/469cd6af12.html [accessed 11 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a 6 February 2007 telephone interview, the First Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Burundi in Ottawa provided the following information.
If the application is being made within Burundi, it must be submitted to the police responsible for airspace surveillance, border control and registration of foreigners (police de l'air, des frontiers et des étrangers, PAFE), part of the Ministry of the Interior (ministère de l'Intérieur). If the application is being made outside Burundi, it must be submitted to the nearest Burundian embassy. In both cases, applicants must apply for and pick up their passports in person; third parties cannot do it for them. Applications submitted to the various embassies are forwarded to the PAFE office by diplomatic bag. Once they are processed, the PAFE office issues the passports and sends them to the appropriate embassy by diplomatic bag. The embassies are responsible for giving the passports to the applicants, who must pick them up in person. Applicants who apply at the PAFE office directly must also pick up their passports in person.
As for required documents, all applicants must submit their birth certificate or identity card and the previous passport if the application is for a passport renewal. Individuals who apply for a Burundian passport must also supply two passport-size photographs and pay 50 CAD if the application is submitted to the Embassy of Burundi in Ottawa, or an equivalent value, if it is submitted to an embassy in another country. Passport applications sent directly to the PAFE must be accompanied by 5,000 Burundian francs (BIF) [approximately 5 CAD (XE.com 9 Feb. 2007)].
Information on the existence of fake Burundian passports could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. The information provided by the First Secretary at the Embassy of Burundi could not be corroborated within the time constraints of this response to information request.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Burundi. 6 February 2007. Embassy of the Republic of Burundi in Ottawa. Telephone interview with the First Secretary.
XE.com. 9 February 2007. "Universal Currency Converter."
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Government of Burundi, In-Burundi.net, Umuco.net, United Kingdom Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder.
