Language: French and Kirundi are the official languages and Swahili is widely spoken along
Lake Tanganyika and in the
Bujumbura area.
Currency: The official currency is the Burundian franc (BIF), which is divided into 100 centimes. Since
Burundi started issuing its own currency, centimes have not been produced. Currency exchange can be conducted at a main bank in Bujumbura or Gitega. US dollars, dating before 2003, are often not accepted. Travelers cheques in US dollars or Euros are accepted but commission rates are high. Banks are open from Monday to Friday in the morning
only. Credit cards are rarely accepted and ATMs are not readily available, so it is wise to bring the necessary capital in an easily exchangeable currency.
Time: Local time is GMT +2.
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. Round two pin attachment plugs and round pin plugs with receptacle or male grounding pin are standard.
Communications: The international dialing code for Burundi is +257. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the
United Kingdom). There is good mobile phone coverage in the western area of the county and a handful of Internet cafés can be found in Bujumbura.
Duty Free: Travelers are allowed to import 1,000 cigarettes or 1,000 grams of tobacco, one liter of alcohol and a reasonable amount of perfume. Cameras should be declared on arrival.
Tourist OfficeBurundi
National Tourism Office, Bujumbura: +257 22 2023.
EmergencyEmergencies: 22 37 77 (Police).
Embassies
Burundi Embassy,
Washington DC,
United States: +1 202 342 2574.
Burundi Embassy,
Ottawa,
Canada: +1 613 789 0414/789 7042.
Burundi Embassy,
Pretoria,
South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 4881/4883.
United States Embassy, Bujumbura: +257 22 20 7225.
British
Embassy Liaison Office, Bujumbura: +257 22 246 478.
Canadian High Commission,
Nairobi,
Kenya (also responsible for Burundi): +254 20 366 3000.
Australian High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya (also responsible for Burundi): +254 20 444 5034-9.
South
African Embassy, Bujumbura: + 257 22 24 4650.
Embassy of
Ireland,
Dar-es-Salaam,
Tanzania (also responsible for Burundi): +255 22 2602 355.
