Ethiopia e-Visa: official portal and how to apply

The portal is not limited to tourists. Besides the Tourist Visa (VT), it lists the Business and Related Studies Visa (BRV), Investment Visa (IV), Conference Visa (CV), Journalist Visa (JV), Medical Treatment Visa (MDV), Religion Visa (RV), Sports Competition and Training Visa (SPV), Entertainment Industry Visa (EIV), Student Visa (SV), Residence Visa (IMV) and several employment visas for foreign-owned firms, Ethiopian private firms, NGOs, government bodies and international organisations.

The tourist visa is open to all nationalities. Sponsored categories need a reference code: the inviting company or organisation registers on the portal’s company section, has its registration approved and then passes the code to the applicant. The portal warns that the code may only come from the sponsor.

Every application needs a colour scan of the passport and a recent colour passport-size photo. Files must be JPEG, JPG, PNG or PDF, smaller than 2 MB, clear and readable; images with a blurred or unclean background are rejected. The passport must be valid for at least six months after the planned entry date.

People with more than one nationality must select the nationality of the passport they will travel on. You are responsible for the accuracy of the data you enter, and the portal warns that incorrect information can lead to forfeiture of the application.

Fees are paid by card at the end of the application, and the request is not processed until the payment succeeds. If a payment stays pending, the portal asks you to check with your bank before paying again, because duplicate payments are your responsibility and are not refunded. Application fees are not refundable in general.

Since 18 November 2020 the portal has not accepted card payments from applicants originating from Cuba, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria and the Crimea region. All payments are managed by ICS.

The stated processing time for most categories is 3 days, so apply at least 3 days before arrival. The portal will not issue an e-Visa when the gap between application and arrival is longer than three months. Validity runs from the arrival date entered in the form.

The decision is sent to the email you provided. On the status page you enter your passport number and reference code to see whether payment is pending, the application needs correction or the visa is approved and ready to download. An unfinished payment can be resumed with the same two details.

The portal names several private websites that copy its look and states that applications or payments made through them are not accepted and that the government is not responsible for money paid there. Use only evisa.gov.et.

An approved e-Visa does not guarantee entry: officers at the port of entry may refuse a holder without explanation. Carry the printed visa and be ready to explain the purpose of your trip.