Moving to Burundi from Uganda

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Uganda to Burundi — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Uganda to Burundi, and you’d need to navigate life in French and Kirundi. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Uganda to Burundi, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
1,058 ↑ 19% vs 2015

people born in Uganda live in Burundi · UN DESA

Who's moving to Burundi?

Top countries of origin for Burundi's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Uganda and Burundi stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

UG
8.8
BI
5.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UG
16.0
BI
12.3

Burundi performs significantly better than Uganda across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

UG
$139
BI
$100
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

UG
1.7
BI
0.6

Uganda generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Burundi leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

UG
60.0
BI
71.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UG
0.2t
BI
0.1t

Uganda generally does better on environment, though Burundi leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UG
0.1
BI
0.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UG
5.8%
BI
10.2%

Uganda performs better than Burundi across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

UG
2.8%
BI
0.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

UG
$2,800
BI
$900

Uganda generally does better on employment & economy, though Burundi leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

UG
69.0 yrs
BI
67.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UG
30.4
BI
37.8

Uganda generally does better on family life, though Burundi leads in education spending.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kampala Rain: 49.8 in/yr (1264 mm)
82° / 64°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bujumbura Rain: 30.9 in/yr (786 mm)
85° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kampala Bujumbura
Jan–Mar 84°/64°F (29°/18°C) 85°/67°F (29°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 86°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/64°F (28°/17°C) 85°/66°F (29°/19°C)
View all months
Month Kampala Bujumbura
Jan 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.7°C) 84°/67°F (29.1°/19.2°C)
Feb 85°/64°F (29.3°/18.0°C) 85°/67°F (29.7°/19.3°C)
Mar 84°/65°F (28.7°/18.1°C) 85°/67°F (29.3°/19.3°C)
Apr 82°/64°F (27.7°/18.0°C) 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C)
May 81°/64°F (27.3°/17.9°C) 86°/66°F (29.9°/19.1°C)
Jun 81°/64°F (27.1°/17.6°C) 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.6°C)
Jul 80°/63°F (26.9°/17.1°C) 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.2°C)
Aug 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.1°C) 86°/63°F (30.0°/17.4°C)
Sep 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.2°C) 88°/65°F (30.9°/18.6°C)
Oct 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.4°C) 86°/66°F (30.1°/19.1°C)
Nov 81°/64°F (27.4°/17.5°C) 84°/66°F (29.1°/19.1°C)
Dec 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.5°C) 84°/66°F (28.9°/19.1°C)

Data: Institut Géographique du Burundi (IGEBU) Institut Géographique du Burundi (IGEBU)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Uganda and Burundi. To live, work, or study long-term in Burundi, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Burundi's immigration authority.

Uganda passport

Uganda passport holder visiting Burundi

Visa Free
Uganda passport holders can enter Burundi without a visa.
Burundi passport

Burundi passport holder visiting Uganda

Visa Free
Burundi passport holders can enter Uganda without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Burundi?

With 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Burundi can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Uganda and Burundi.

Is Burundi safe for expats?

Burundi performs significantly better than Uganda across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Burundi is 5.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 8.8 in Uganda.

How is healthcare in Burundi compared to Uganda?

Uganda generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Burundi leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Burundi, compared to 1.7 in Uganda. Burundi scores 41 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uganda: 49).

What's the weather like in Burundi compared to Uganda?

The average high temperature in Bujumbura is 85°F, compared to 82°F in Kampala. Bujumbura receives around 30.9 in of rainfall per year, while Kampala gets 49.8 in.

What language do they speak in Burundi?

The official languages in Burundi are French and Kirundi. In Uganda, the official languages are English and Swahili.

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At a Glance

UG BI
Population 46,205,893 12,696,478
Currency Ugandan Shilling (UGX) Burundian Franc (BIF)
Languages English, Swahili French, Kirundi
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +256 +257
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999