Burundi: New travel pass in force at the Gatumba/Kavimvira border with DR Congo

A new border pass came into effect on 1 July 2026 at the Gatumba–Kavimvira border post between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, under an agreement signed in April in Kinshasa. The system, introduced by the Police of Air, Borders and Foreigners (PAFE), takes the form of a free secure electronic token known as the “Cross-Border Visit Token” on the Congolese side and “Ujirani Mwema” on the Burundian side. It aims to modernise border management, facilitate local trade, and establish priority lanes for vulnerable people and small-scale traders.