Marrying and Sponsoring a Burkinabe
Listen to this article- Located in Western Africa north of Ghana
- Tropical weather with warm, dry winters, and hot and wet summers is what you can expect. Droughts are common and recurring.
Using the Government Directly
Please be aware that if you are filing your application yourself, you should do an extensive amount of research before proceeding. Please call Citizenship and Immigration Canada to learn more and visit the Sponsorship pages to learn about everything you need to do to get your spouse to Canada. The information can be found on Citizenship Immigration Canada’s website.
Marriage to a Burkinabe Citizen
Every country has its laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Burkinabe citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
You must demonstrate to Burkinabe officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven, and that you have never committed any crimes in Burkina Faso. This is done by providing various documents including an Affidavit of Single Status to the Burkina Faso government either in Burkina Faso or via a Burkina Faso embassy.
If you want to bring your Burkinabe spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Burkinabe Marriage Basic Requirements
In order to marry a citizen of Burkina Faso, you must demonstrate to the Burkinabe government that you are eligible to do so. This includes:
- Proof of country of birth
- Proof of single status
- Proof of age requirement
To get a visa, you will need:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months
- 2 copies of the filled out application forms
- 2 passport photos
- Vaccination against yellow fever (it is also advisable to get preventive treatment against malaria)
You should explain the reason for your visit – the ‘confirming purpose’ – as well as the length of stay, and you must guarantee that you will leave the country. In this case your reason for travelling is to marry.
Burkinabe Marriage Ceremony
The marriage ceremony to a Burkinabe citizen can legally take place in Burkina Faso, Canada, or any other country as long as both parties have the necessary visas to enter this country legally. This marriage can then be recognized when applying for a permanent residence or a visitor visa for your Burkinabe spouse. To learn more about cereomny customs, see below.
Family Members
If your Burkinabe spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Burkinabe Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Burkinabe citizen.
How long is the Burkinabe Marriage document valid?
The document is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If you do not marry your Burkinabe fiancé within 6 months of the issuance of the Burkinabe Marriage document, you must apply again with new supporting documents.
List of Burkinabe Consulates in Canada
Burkina Faso Embassy in Ottawa, Canada
Calling Burkina Faso
The country code is 226. So to call Burkina Faso you would dial 011 – 226 – area code – local number
Please note that most of Burkina Faso’s local numbers – landlines and cells – changed in 2004. If you are calling a number that you received before 2004, you should confirm the number, if possible, before dialing.
| LIST OF AREA CODES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Area / City | Area Code | Area codes not regionally assigned |
| Banfora | xx88 | 2052 |
| Dédougou | xx52 | 2090 |
| Diébougou | xx86 | 2091 |
| Dori | xx66 | 2097 |
| Fada | 4077 | 2098 |
| Gaoua | xx87 | 2099 |
| Kantchari | 4079 | 5039 |
| Kaya | 4045 or 2049 | 5040 |
| Koudougou | 5044 | 5041 |
| Koupéla | 4070 | 5042 |
| Orodara | 2096 | 5043 |
| Ouagadougou | 5030 – 5038 | 5046 |
| Ouahigouya | 4055 or xx56 | 5047 |
| Tenkodogo | 4071 | 4046 |
| Tougan | 2053 or xx54 | |
Embassy of Canada in Burkina Faso
| 316 Avenue Professeur Joseph Ki-Zerbo Ouagadougou Burkina Faso Postal Address: Telephone: 226 50 31 18 94
|
View Larger Map |
Latest News from the Government of Canada about traveling in Burkina Faso
If you would like to know more about marrying in Burkina Faso, let us know!
