Benin Travel Risk Overview
Is Benin safe right now? Checked 21 October 2026
Benin scores 54/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Benin Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 7 Jan 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country (updated 15 Dec 2025); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Benin has a Travel Risk Calculator score of 54 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); city-level files are available for 60 cities. The score combines five layers (security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards, current alerts) built from government advisories and open data. This page also covers nine safety categories (crime, disease & health, government advisory, political & civil unrest, natural disaster & weather, transport & route, environmental, digital security, money safety), the current US State Department advisory, GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices for Benin, recent news headlines, plus links to every city we have an editorial file for.
Run a personalized Benin assessmentAI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 7, 2026
Benin currently maintains an elevated risk baseline composite score of 54 out of 100 with a US State Department advisory level 2. Additionally, a CDC Level 1 Global Dengue health notice is in effect.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 21, 2026 07:32 UTC
How safe is Benin to visit in 2026?
Benin currently sits at 54/100 on Travel Risk Calculator's five-layer score, which puts it in the elevated-risk tier. Travelers should plan Benin trips more carefully than the global average. Register with your embassy, check the live advisory in the section below, and read the per-city files for your specific destination. The full live US State Department advisory text for Benin, current GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices, and recent news headlines are shown in the Live conditions section below. For city-specific files (Cotonou, Kandi, Adjaouèrè), see the City Risk Files section below — they include neighborhood-level scam patterns, transport notes, and medical-access details where available.
Data file
| Source | Editorial regional baseline 2026-05-15 (GPI + State Dept advisory + WHO health/transport + INFORM disaster) |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 2026-05-18 02:25:55 |
| City files | 60 |
Assessment memory
Anonymous assessments help Travel Risk Calculator identify which country and city files deserve deeper review.
| Saved assessments | 0 |
|---|---|
| Average composite | No saved signal yet |
Safety categories
Official Government Travel Advisories
Cross-referenced official travel advice from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, normalized to a unified 1–4 risk scale.
Department of State
Exercise increased caution in Benin due to unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do Not Tra…
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
FCDO travel advice for Benin. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
Global Affairs Canada
Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño
UK content contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canadian advice provided by Global Affairs Canada under open government terms. US advice provided by the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Entry Requirements & Local Laws
Official travel advice summary from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
🛂 Entry Requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Benin’s current rules for the most common types of travel. The authorities in Benin set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Beninese Embassy in France (in French). Passport validity requirements Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen. Dual nationals When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid Bri
Summary of UK FCDO advice, updated Dec 15, 2025 · Full requirements →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Travel Advisory Level History
Historical official advisory level changes over time.
What Changed This Month in Benin
Chronological record of verified security, advisory, health, and hazard updates over the past 30 days.
- Sep 23, 2026 CDC Notice Level 2 - Global Polio (Alert).
- May 28, 2025 CDC Notice Level 1 - Global Measles (Watch).
- Oct 18, 2026 Score Change Kalalé risk score moved from 55 to 54 (advisory escalation: Guam (CA 1->3)).
- Oct 11, 2026 Score Change Abomey risk score moved from 54 to 48 (Daily recalculation (scoring v2)).
- Oct 11, 2026 Score Change Abomey-Calavi risk score moved from 54 to 48 (Daily recalculation (scoring v2)).
City Risk Files in Benin
Showing 60 destination files with city-specific safety data in Benin, ranked by demand and population.
Cotonou
Tier BLittoral
Kandi
Tier BAlibori
Adjaouèrè
Tier BPlateau
Atchoupa
Tier BOuémé
Firou
Tier BAtacora
Glazoué
Tier BCollines
Tanguiéta
Tier BAtacora
Bouanri
Tier BBorgou
Zagnanado
Tier BZou
Bassila
Tier BDonga
Natitingou
Tier BAtacora
Athiémé
Tier BMono
Cové
Tier BZou
Gouandé
Tier BAtacora
Kika
Tier BBorgou
Kilibo
Tier BCollines
Banikoara
Tier BAlibori
Bakaga
Tier BBorgou
Kalalé
Tier BBorgou
Bohicon
Tier BZou
Allada
Tier BAtlantique
Lalo
Tier BCouffo
Ndali
Tier BBorgou
Adjarra
Tier BOuémé
Ouaké
Tier BDonga
Kérou
Tier BAtacora
Agblangandan
Tier BOuémé
Guéné
Tier BAtacora
Azaourissè
Tier BOuémé
Manta
Tier BAtacora
Atomé-Avégamé
Tier BCouffo
Birni
Tier BAtacora
Dan
Tier BZou
Massi
Tier BDonga
Abomey-Calavi
Tier BAtlantique
Djougou
Tier BDonga
Tchaourou
Tier BBorgou
Malanville
Tier BAtacora
Ifanhim
Tier BPlateau
Dassa-Zoumé
Tier BCollines
Banté
Tier BCollines
Abomey
Tier BZou
Pèrèrè
Tier BBorgou
Nikki
Tier BBorgou
Karimama
Tier BAlibori
Kolokondé
Tier BDonga
Garou
Tier BAtacora
Banigbé
Tier BPlateau
Briniamaro
Tier BAtacora
Ayomi
Tier BCouffo
Gbanhi
Tier BCollines
Agatogba
Tier BMono
Datori
Tier BAtacora
Akpassi
Tier BCollines
Parakou
Tier BBorgou
Aplahoué
Tier BCouffo
Kétou
Tier BPlateau
Djakotomé
Tier BCouffo
Avrankou
Tier BOuémé
Missérété
Tier BOuémé
All towns in Benin (77 additional local facts pages)
These localities carry verified regional geography, nearest hospitals, airports, and natural hazard records with the country baseline risk score.
Live conditions in Benin
Country-scoped real-time data — official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For city-specific weather and air quality, open any city page below.
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Benin - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Track Benin’s advisory
Get one email if the US State Department travel-advisory level for Benin changes. No account, unsubscribe anytime.
Traveller notes from government advice
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but same-sex relationships are not widely accepted. Showing affection in public can receive negative attention.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 Dec 2025. Full advice
Local laws and customs
Voodoo culture
Benin is one of the main centres of Voodoo practices, and Voodoo culture is prevalent. You should research and respect religious and social traditions to avoid offending local sensitivities.
Most people in Benin celebrate Voodoo Festival, an annual public holiday in early January. Make sure you’ve arranged travel and accommodation as options are limited during the festival. Watch out for pickpockets.
Illegal drugs and prison sentences
Possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs is a serious offence and can result in a lengthy prison sentence and heavy fines.
Using cameras in secure areas
It is illegal to take photos at or near sensitive or government sites, such as military installations or the airport.
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but same-sex relationships are not widely accepted. Showing affection in public can receive negative attention.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Bribes
Read the full UK government advice
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 Dec 2025. Full advice
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Benin’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Benin set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Beninese Embassy in France (in French).
Passport validity requirements
Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported…
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 Dec 2025. Official entry requirements
Disaster alerts
No active GDACS disaster alerts matched Benin as of the last successful refresh.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-21 07:32:35 UTC
Recent headlines
No recent national headlines were returned for Benin. This is not evidence that conditions are quiet; check local and official sources.
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Benin
The most weather-stable two-month window for Benin is July–August, when typical daily temperatures run from about 24°C to 27°C and monthly rain averages 97 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in May–June; monsoon in May–June and October. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Aug 17, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency Numbers
| Police | 117 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | — |
| Fire | 118 |
| General emergency | 112 |
Backfilled from the public international emergency-number registry. The GSM standard 112 (and 911 in the Americas) is redirected to local emergency services on mobile networks in most countries. Verify locally on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Is Benin safe?
Benin currently scores 54/100 on our composite travel risk index (elevated risk; lower is safer). Official advice can change quickly, so check it again shortly before you travel.
Is Benin safe to visit right now?
Benin has heightened risk profile. Plan carefully, register with your embassy, and check the live advisory and per-city details below. Composite baseline: 54/100 (Elevated risk). Always cross-check with your home country's foreign-ministry advisory within 7 days of departure; the live US State Department advisory is shown above. Last refreshed October 2026.
What is the current travel advisory for Benin?
The current US State Department advisory level for Benin is shown in the Live conditions section above and is re-fetched every 6 hours from the official RSS feed. UK FCDO, Canada GAC, and Australia DFAT also publish advisories — for high-stakes trips, cross-check at least one foreign-ministry advisory in addition to your home country's. See our travel advisory guide for how to read each tier system.
When is the best time to visit Benin?
July–August is the most weather-stable two-month window in the stored 1991-2020 normals. The most weather-stable two-month window for Benin is July–August, when typical daily temperatures run from about 24°C to 27°C and monthly rain averages 97 mm.
What is the rainy, hurricane, or severe-weather season in Benin?
heavy rain season: May–June; monsoon: May–June and October.
Community Safety Sentiment
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.