Ethiopia conference, sports, film and journalist visas

The Workshop/Conference Visa (CV) is for people invited to an international conference, seminar or workshop organised in Ethiopia by a federal ministry or department, a regional government, a university or educational institution, a private or state-owned company, the United Nations or its agencies, the African Union or a reputable NGO. The portal runs a separate CV channel for specific summits, such as the Food Systems Summit co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, with the same rules.

The Sports Competition and Training Visa (SPV) is for athletes coming to take part in sports events or training. The Entertainment Industry Visa (EIV) covers performers, production and support staff working on film, television or live productions. The Journalist Visa (JV) is for foreign journalists, media professionals and filmmakers who cover events, report for media outlets or produce films, television or written material.

A CV applicant needs a passport valid for six months, a photo and an invitation letter that names the conference and gives its start date, end date and venue. The inviting body adds documents according to its category: a private company in Ethiopia sends an application letter to ICS with its business licence and taxpayer identification (TIN) certificate renewed for the fiscal year; a government body sends a formal letter to ICS; a registered NGO sends a formal letter and its registration licence; an international organisation writes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which issues a note verbale to ICS.

A JV applicant needs a support letter, not older than one week, from the media institution of the country to which the person was invited. SPV and EIV applicants submit a photo and passport; holders who have had the visa before also upload a copy of the last visa or extension.

CV: single entry for 30 days, USD 52. SPV: USD 82 for 30 days or USD 202 for 90 days. EIV: USD 102 for 30 days or USD 302 for 90 days. JV: single entry for 30 days, USD 152. Validity of each starts on the intended entry date. The portal gives a normal processing time of 3 days for the CV and JV; apply early for large events.

The Conference Visa, the Journalist Visa and the Sports Competition and Training Visa cannot be extended, so request the length you need from the start. The EIV can be extended before it expires at the ICS head office in Addis Ababa, for USD 202 (30 days) or USD 302 (90 days). Overstaying any of these visas leads to fines and legal penalties.