Process service · Middle East & AfricaOverview
Process Server in Burkina Faso: How Service of Process Works
With no Hague Service Convention route into Burkina Faso, service from the United States, whether to Ouagadougou or Eastern Burkina Faso, uses a local agent or letters rogatory. OHADA harmonizes business law in Burkina Faso, but service itself still follows national procedure in Ouagadougou's courts. We recommend certified French translations, since French is the working language of the courts in Burkina Faso, from Ouagadougou to Eastern Burkina Faso.
Who serves process
Who Can Serve Legal Documents in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has a civil-law system based on French law and belongs to OHADA, which harmonizes business law across 17 African states; its courts sit in Ouagadougou and the regions. Since the 2022 coups the country has been under military rule, and insecurity outside the main cities can limit service.
Because Burkina Faso is outside the Hague Service Convention, papers for Ouagadougou can't be sent through a Central Authority. Most U.S. litigants use a local agent in Burkina Faso, quickest in and around Ouagadougou; letters rogatory through diplomatic channels are the formal alternative. Service that ignores Burkina Faso's own rules can weaken a judgment you later try to enforce in Ouagadougou's courts, so we match the method to your next step. We recommend certified French translations, since French is the working language of the courts in Burkina Faso, from Ouagadougou to Eastern Burkina Faso.
The documents most often bound for Ouagadougou and the rest of Burkina Faso are an assignation (writ of summons) or a requête (application), plus orders, subpoenas and other court notices. Addresses range from Ouagadougou to Eastern Burkina Faso.
Proof you receive: a sworn affidavit of service
After delivery in Ouagadougou or elsewhere in Burkina Faso, you receive an exploit (the official record of service) from the huissier or a sworn affidavit if a local agent serves instead, with an English translation if it is issued in French.
Diplomatic Letters Rogatory
We prepare and route formal Letters Rogatory through diplomatic channels to Burkinabè judicial authorities, the standard pathway for U.S.-originated requests.
Local Agent Service via Local Counsel
We engage local counsel to advise on the fastest compliant method given Burkina Faso's non-Hague status and French-influenced civil-law procedure.
Certified French Translation
Formal filings intended for Burkinabè courts require French translation. We arrange certified French translations of every document so the courts in Ouagadougou accept them.
Treaties
Burkina Faso and the Hague Conventions: Treaty Status
The Hague Service Convention lets member countries send documents to each other's Central Authorities for service. Burkina Faso has not joined it, so that route isn't available, and the Convention's Article 10 rules on postal and private service don't apply. Whether those methods are acceptable depends on Burkina Faso's law and on what your court allows.
Burkina Faso is not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, so requests for witness testimony or documents go through letters rogatory.
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