Before Leaving Home

Travel documents

Passport: – An original passport of not less than 6 months validity is a requirement to access entry.
E-visa: – To apply for an Ethiopian e-visa, please visit https://www.evisa.gov.et/
A scanned photocopy of your passport’s biographical page.
A recent passport sized-photo that is colored with specific dimensions as 51mm×51mm.
An online completed page with the required personal information.
Ethiopian visa application form.
Verified payment method to cater for the visa fee as payments can be done using a credit card or debit card.
An approved e-visa is then sent to the applicant’s email. Print out the sent e-visa and make a copy.

A visa is required by everyone entering Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has started giving an e-visa service online. To apply for an Ethiopian e-visa, please visit https://www.evisa.gov.et/
Visa on Arrival (VOA) for tourists is available to holiday guests from Canada, USA, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Korea, Israel, China, Russia, the UK and all other European Union nations, at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.
It cost US$50 for a one-month tourist VOA and US$70 for three months VOA.
Multiple-entry visas should be obtained in advance at an embassy as they are not currently available on arrival.
Please note that visitors entering through the land borders are not entitled to VOA visas.

A Business Visa is required for consultants, business travelers and professionals working for NGOs and must be obtained from an Ethiopian Embassy prior to their arrival.
If there is no Ethiopian Embassy in your country, or the Embassy is located very far from your residence, you can get the support of the organization you are working for in Ethiopia to provide you with a document issued by the Immigration Authority allowing you to get a one-month single-entry visa on arrival.
An extension of both business and tourist visas can be obtained at the Immigration Authority offices situated in Churchill Road, close to the Post Office in Addis Ababa.

Standard voltage used in Ethiopia is 220V with a frequency of 50Hz.
A standard voltage with 100V to 127V used in the US and South American countries is not compatible to the ones in Ethiopia. Hence, carry a voltage converter or a power plug adapter to use.
Sockets and power plugs here are of the following types; E,C,L and F.

Ethiopians are known to be very conservative and value their dress code. If you plan to visit, carry descent clothes to wear.
For women, long dresses that cover shoulders and knees are appropriate. Trousers and long-sleeved blouses are also acceptable.
For men, shirts either short-sleeved or long-sleeved with long trousers are considered modestly. However, if you’re a tourist, carry light clothes to wear during the day and warm clothes to wear in the evening as temperatures tend to drop as the sun sets.
Sun in Ethiopia during the day is quite scorching and you ought to be careful of sunburns.
If you are sensitive to sun, carry sunglasses and a hat.
Carry a camera with you together with hiking gears if you plan to hike on mountains of Bale, Lalibela or Simien.