Ethiopia Visa Policy

Visa Policy for Ethiopia

The Ethiopian visa policy establishes the requirements which a visitor of a foreign country needs to meet to gain permission to travel to, enter, and spend time in Ethiopia

Below, you can check the visa policy of Ethiopia according to your nationality and discover the necessary protocol to travel to the African nation.

Visitors from over 230 countries across the world are able to complete an online application to receive an eVisa before departure if they plan to enter Ethiopia by air.

The eVisa covers trips for tourism and leisure. It is widely considered the easiest and most convenient way to obtain a visa to visit Ethiopia, as well as having the quickest processing time.

Ethiopian immigration laws currently state that only nationals of Kenya and Djibouti do not need a visa to travel to Ethiopia.

All travelers who are not visa-exempt for Ethiopia or eligible to apply for the eVisa need a visa to travel to the country.

This may either be a visa on arrival, which involves waiting in line at border checkpoints, to submit an application, or an embassy visa from the nearest government diplomatic office of Ethiopia.

When applying for a visa from an embassy or consulate, applicants have to select the correct visa type according to the purpose of the visit, with can be a tourist visa, work visa, transit visa, or other visa option.

Furthermore, citizens of Ethiopian visa-not-required and eVisa countries who are planning to spend longer periods of time or visit for purposes other than those permitted with their entry type, will need to obtain an embassy visa to travel to Ethiopia.

Tourist Visa Policy for Ethiopia

The tourist visa policy for traveling to Ethiopia differs depending on the nationality of the traveler.

Only nationals of Kenya and Djibouti are able to travel to Ethiopia for tourism visa-free. However, over 230 nationalities can enter Ethiopia for a short stay for tourism with an approved eVisa.

Citizens of these countries are able to apply for an electronic visa for Ethiopia online before departure. This tourist visa is quick and simple to obtain. It allows you to travel to Ethiopia by air.

Travelers with dual nationality should choose the nationality according to the passport to be used for the travel.

Citizens of certain countries are able to obtain a visa on arrival for Ethiopia. However, this has several drawbacks. You must stand in line to apply at border control, which can take some time. If the Ethiopia visa on arrival is denied, you will have to fly home without entering the country.

Only 2 nationalities, Hong Kong and Taiwan, that can obtain a visa on arrival are not eligible for the easier and safer option of the eVisa.

Travelers who are eligible for the eVisa are strongly advised to apply online in advance. This saves time and ensures they have their Ethiopia tourist visa approved before traveling.

Around 10 nationalities across the world, are required to obtain an embassy visa to visit Ethiopia for tourism, no matter the expected period of stay.

This usually involves having to make an appointment at the nearest Ethiopian government diplomatic office to hand in a completed visa application form.

Browse the list below to find the Ethiopian visa requirements for your nationality.

eVisa for Ethiopia

The eVisa for Ethiopia is an electronic visa program, implemented in 2017, that allows over 230 nationalities to obtain a visa online before departure from their country of residence.

Even if you are not a citizen of the enumerated countries but are a holder of a residence permit in one of the eligible countries, you may be permitted to use the eVisa process by uploading proof of your residency.

Online visas for Ethiopia can be obtained through a simple electronic application in which applicants need to submit personal, passport and travel information. Once the eVisa is approved, it will be sent by email to the applicant.

The visa application process is quick and easy thanks to the user-friendly online system. It eliminates the need to go all the way to a diplomatic mission to deal with paperwork to obtain an embassy visa.

It also saves time queuing at the border on arrival and provides the peace of mind of knowing you have your visa approved before traveling — unlike a visa on arrival, which can be denied at border control.

The processing time for an eVisa is around 3 days. Travelers are encouraged to apply in advance for their intended date of arrival in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian eVisa is valid for tourism and issued for a single entry to the country. It allows holders a stay of either 30 or 90 days in Ethiopia, depending on the applicant’s requirements. This must be indicated on the online form while applying for an eVisa.

The validity of the Ethiopian eVisa starts on the date of your intended arrival in Ethiopia and not the date of eVisa issuance.

An essential requirement for applying for an Ethiopia eVisa is a passport valid for over 6 months from the intended arrival date.

All eVisa holders for Ethiopia must enter the country by air, through Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, as other ports of entry are not authorized for eVisa entry.

If you wish to extend your stay in Ethiopia, it is possible to request an extension before the visa expires. Extension requests are processed by the Head Office of the Immigration And Citizenship Service (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia).

Below, you will find a comprehensive list of the countries for which a visa online is necessary to travel to Ethiopia.

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Republic of Cyprus
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Ethiopia eVisa Info

Apply Online

Visa on Arrival for Ethiopia

A visa on arrival for Ethiopia is a visa type that travelers can obtain upon arrival at an immigration checkpoint in Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

Only nationals of Hong Kong and Taiwan are required to obtain a visa on arrival to gain entry to Ethiopia and are not eligible for eVisa in advance. .

For other travelers, the visa on arrival is not recommended. You must stand in line and fill out paperwork at border control. This can take a lot of time that you could save by applying for an eVisa in advance.

Applying for an Ethiopian visa on arrival also means running the risk of having your visa denied at the border. If this happens, you will not be allowed to enter Ethiopia and may be forced to pay for accommodation at the airport as well as a flight home.

For these reasons, the online Ethiopian eVisa is regarded as the better option. It is quick and easy to obtain from the comfort of your own home, saves time on arrival, and means you have an approved visa before you travel.

Those who are required to obtain an Ethiopia visa on arrival must go directly to a border checkpoint at Bole International Airport and wait in line to complete an application.

Once the form is completed with personal, passport and travel information, it is necessary to pay a fee to receive visa approval.

Like the electronic visa, the Ethiopia visa on arrival permits a stay of either 30 or 90 days, depending on the amount of time the visitor wishes to spend in the country, for purposes of tourism.

See the list below to check if your nationality requires a visa on arrival to travel to Ethiopia.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

The current Ethiopian visa policy establishes that there are under 10 countries and territories across the world whose citizens need to apply for an embassy visa to travel to Ethiopia.

This consulate visa must be obtained from the nearest Ethiopian diplomatic mission before departure, no matter the purpose of the visit or how much time the traveler plans to stay.

In order to apply for this type of travel authorization, it is first necessary to make a visa appointment. Applicants are advised to do this well in advance of the expected date of arrival in Ethiopia, as the processing time to obtain an embassy visa may be up to 2 weeks or more.

Applicants are usually required to bring a completed embassy visa application form to the appointment. It is also necessary to indicate the type of visa needed, whether a tourist visa, work visa, study visa, business visa, or a transit visa.

Some additional supporting documentation may be requested depending on the visa type required. The validity and period of stay permitted with an approved embassy visa will depend on the purpose of the visit.

The visa policy of Ethiopia also states that all nationalities that require a eVisa to gain entry to Ethiopia must obtain an embassy visa if they are planning to enter the country by land borders.

Browse the list below to see if your nationality requires to obtain an embassy visa to gain entry to Ethiopia.

Aland Islands
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Martin

Get Embassy Info

Visa Not Required

Current visa laws set by the government of Ethiopia state that some foreign citizens do not need a visa to enter the country, no matter the purpose of the visit or the amount of time the traveler is planning to stay.

At the moment, there are only 2 countries on the visa-free list for Ethiopia: neighboring African countries Kenya and Djibouti.

Nationals of Kenya are able to gain visa-free entry to Ethiopia for up to 1 year by presenting a valid passport or proof of residence, while citizens of Djibouti are permitted a maximum visa-exempt stay of 3 months.

Additionally, travelers of all nationalities who are passing through the country by air on the way to an onward destination do not need an Ethiopian transit visa, as long as they remain in the designated airport transit area and leave Ethiopia within 12 hours.

Furthermore, nationals of any country other than Pakistan and Somalia who hold a diplomatic or service passport can enter Ethiopia visa-free if they are planning a visit up to 90 days.

Find below a complete list of the visa not required countries for Ethiopia.