Benin is a country in West Africa with its capital city of Abomey. It has common borders with the states of Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Niamey. The ancient state is considered the birthplace of the voodoo religion. For tourists, the state is attractive for its nature, culture, and sights. And for job seekers, Benin opens up employment opportunities for various vacancies.

Jobs in Benin

Due to the low level of literacy in the country among local citizens in Benin, there is a need for specialists with specialized education and work experience. An underdeveloped economy can only offer vacancies in the social sector, agriculture, and tourism. High demand for medical staff and engineers.

Popular jobs in Benin:

• doctor

• nurse

• process engineer

• cook

• Social worker

• waiter in a restaurant

• hotel maid

• hostess

The country is rich in natural resources, but the government does not have the opportunity to develop the extractive industry due to a lack of investment and qualified specialists.

• Salaries are also not very high. The national currency is the West African franc.
• Average salary – 63,500 francs per month (~$110 USD)
• Minimum salary – 40,000 francs per month (~$70 USD)
• For employment in Benin, you must speak French, which is the official language. An additional condition is the issuance of a work visa. Foreigners can only work in Benin under an employment contract.

Employment and work visa

A Benin visa is an official government document allowing entry into the country. This is a stamp or sticker in the passport that foreigners must obtain from an embassy or consulate.

Benin has three main types of visas:

• Working visa

• Tourist visa

• Transit visa

The requirements depend on the type, but to work, you must obtain a work visa and work permit to qualify. Most visas are valid for 30 or 90 days. Foreigners must apply before entering Benin as they cannot obtain a visa on arrival.

Benin work visa requirements

The requirements for obtaining a work visa in Benin depend on the type of visa the worker needs and whether it will need to be renewed in the future.

Documents for applying for a visa to Benin:

• Photo 3cm x 4cm

• Scanned copy of passport

• Copy of air tickets

• Proof of yellow fever vaccination

• Business letter from employer

• Completed visa application form

The letter from the employer or sponsoring company must be on your company's letterhead. After submitting these documents to the embassy or consulate in the applicant's country of residence, it is necessary to wait from 2 to 15 days for the visa to be processed. After the applicant obtains a work visa, a work permit will need to be obtained. This is done by the employer and the process can take up to 90 days.

It is important to remember that you cannot obtain a work permit from an unregistered entity in Benin. It is also possible to obtain an e-visa through the Benin visa system. The e-visa proves that the government has granted the employee an electronic entry permit to Benin

For this you need:

• Have a passport valid for at least six months after entry

• Have one blank visa page in your passport

• Have proof of sufficient funds

• Show proof of return trip

• Meet all application requirements

Thus, to work in Benin, you need to collect a large list of documents and obtain a work visa and work permit. Due to long processing times, applications must be submitted in advance. A complete list of documents and ways to speed up the process can be obtained from our specialists at a consultation.