Ethiopia visa on arrival: who is eligible

The portal lists every eligible country under a single category, “Visa on Arrival”, within the tourist visa. It is therefore meant for tourism and other non-business visits only. Business trips, conferences, work, study, medical treatment and journalism each have their own visa, which is requested in advance on the portal with the required letters.

The general tourist rules apply: tourist visa holders must not be found at any organisation in Ethiopia, and overstaying leads to fines and legal penalties.

The portal’s visa-on-arrival page lists more than 100 countries. In Europe these include Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, Belarus and the United Kingdom.

Elsewhere the list includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and a large number of African states such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Benin, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia and South Sudan. Check the searchable list on the portal for your exact nationality before travel.

The visa-on-arrival page itself does not state a fee or a length of stay. The tourist visa fee table on the same portal lists USD 62 for a single entry of up to 30 days and USD 152 for up to 90 days. Because the arrival fee is not published separately, confirm it before you travel.

Every nationality, including those on the arrival list, may instead apply online for the tourist e-Visa. Doing so settles the visa before departure, which helps if your airline asks for proof at check-in or if you plan to arrive by land.

Citizens of Kenya and Djibouti with a valid passport enter Ethiopia without a visa. Holders of an Ethiopian Origin ID issued by ICS also enter without a visa.

Have a passport with at least six months of validity, and be ready to state the purpose of the visit. If you need more time, request an extension from ICS before the visa expires; the tourist extension fees on the portal are USD 102 for 30 days and USD 302 for 90 days.