Benin Embassy Washington

Before your visit

• Location: The embassy is in the Kalorama Heights area of Washington, D.C., about 2.5 km in a straight line from the White House; the nearest large airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), about 7.5 km away. The nearest Metro station is Woodley Park (less than 1 km). (distances: OpenStreetMap, airports: FAA passenger boarding data CY 2025)

About the Embassy of Benin in the United States

The ambassador is Agniola Ahouanmenou, who presented the credentials on 24 July 2025, according to the State Department’s Order of Precedence. The Congressional Directory lists no consular offices of Benin elsewhere in the United States. In Benin, the United States is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou (bj.usembassy.gov), according to the Congressional Directory.

Do Beninese citizens need a visa for the United States?

Benin is not one of the 42 countries in the US Visa Waiver Program (Department of Homeland Security), so Beninese citizens normally need a US visa before travelling to the United States, also for short visits; visas are issued by US embassies and consulates abroad, not by the Beninese embassy in the United States.

Other embassies in Washington, D.C.

175 other countries are represented in Washington, D.C., among them: Bolivia (embassy), Bosnia and Herzegovina (embassy), Botswana (embassy), Brazil (embassy), Brunei (embassy), Bulgaria (embassy), Burkina Faso (embassy), Burundi (embassy), Cabo Verde (embassy), Cambodia (embassy), Cameroon (embassy), Canada (embassy), Central African Republic (embassy), Chad (embassy), Chile (embassy), China (embassy), Colombia (embassy), Costa Rica (embassy), Democratic Republic of the Congo (embassy), Republic of the Congo (embassy). The full list of all 176 missions is on the overview page for the United States.

Closing days

The eleven US federal holidays are New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Washington’s Birthday (third Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth (19 June), Independence Day (4 July), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), Veterans Day (11 November), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day. A holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before, one that falls on a Sunday on the Monday after – in 2027, for example, on 18 June, 5 July and 24 December. The embassy may also close on public holidays of Benin.

Emergency assistance

In an emergency, Beninese citizens should call the embassy on +1 202-232-6656. In the United States, dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police (GOV.UK travel advice). US citizens who need consular help in Benin can contact the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou.