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Is Benin safe to travel?

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 28 September 2026.

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Safety

• Areas advised against — Because of crime, terrorism and kidnapping the ministry advises against going to: the town of Kandi and everything north and east of it up to the borders with Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria; the town of Tanguieta and everything north and west up to the borders with Burkina Faso and Togo; the Pendjari and W-Arly-Pendjari national parks; the Pendjari, Atacora and Djona hunting zones; the RNIE 7 between Banikoara and Segbana; and the RN 10 between Nikki and Segbana.
• Terrorism in the north — Bandits, criminal organisations and terrorist groups are active in Benin, in particular in the northern areas bordering Burkina Faso and Niger. Attacks can come with little or no warning and could target shops, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government sites, transport hubs and other places where crowds gather; violent attacks are far more likely in the north than in the south and on the coast. The Beninese authorities have raised the alert level and strengthened security measures across the country, and tourist places are regarded as targets by the terrorist groups operating in the region, so stay vigilant and follow any specific instructions from the local authorities. 28 jihadist attacks were recorded between November 2021 and September 2022, serious incidents continued through 2024, and two attacks in January and April 2025 killed over 100 Beninese soldiers. An attempted military coup on 7 December 2025 was put down by the security forces.
• Kidnapping risk — Because of armed groups and the risk of kidnapping, the ministry advises against any movement in the areas bordering Burkina Faso and Niger. Foreigners can be exposed to kidnapping, above all in the far north: the Pendjari and W-Arly-Pendjari parks and the areas around them, and rural parts of the Atakora, Alibori and Borgou departments. The ministry also says to avoid the north-eastern border area with Nigeria from the outskirts of Malanville to around Nikki, and advises against travelling in the Mékrou and Djona hunting zones. The zones and roads around Banikoara and Kandi up to Malanville and Segbana, and south of Matéri down to Boukoumbé, are border areas formally discouraged because of threats to Western nationals.
• Crime and robbery — Common crime is the main risk in the country: thefts, pickpocketing and other petty crime, sometimes armed. Robberies and assaults, foreigners included, are common and often take place at night and in isolated places; they occur most frequently in urban areas and crowded markets. Take particular care in all urban outskirts, especially after sunset. Do not wear valuables or show cash, avoid particularly isolated places by day as well as by night, and particularly crowded places such as the Dantokpa market in Cotonou or visit them with trusted local people.
• Roads towards Lagos — The ministry advises against using the roads linking Cotonou with the Nigerian towns of Badagry and Lagos during the hours of darkness.
• Flooding — In the rainy season, from early April to late October, flooding occurs mostly in rural areas but also in parts of the outskirts of Cotonou and Porto Novo, caused by heavy rainfall as well as poor drainage and unauthorised building near the main rivers.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 28 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Benin before you travel. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 28 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.