Since June 2018, nationals of all countries are eligible for an Ethiopian online visa (e-Visa). By applying, travelers are no longer obligated to visit a consulate and apply in-person. You can submit all the required documentation and fee payment online. This streamlined system cut out the time wasted waiting in lines at the embassy and at the border.
The Ethiopia Tourist e-Visa is an official document issued electronically by the Main Department of Immigration and Nationality Affairs. Applicants will receive their visas via email after filling out the application form with the necessary information, and once their payment is verified.
Required Documents to Apply
Applicant Photo
Passport Personal Details Scan
Last Page of Passport (if applicable)
Important Instructions
The validity of an Ethiopian e-Visa starts from the date you intend to enter Ethiopia, not from the date of issue.
You need to have an ordinary passport with at least 6 months of validity from the date you intend to enter Ethiopia.
Travelers who apply for a tourist visa must have their passport/residence permit valid for at least six months from the planned date of entry.
Applicants who claim that to have a permanent residence permit in one of the eligible countries must upload the valid residence permit document.
The e-Visa is for tourism and family visits to Ethiopia only (no work or business activities are allowed).
You can use this type of visa ONLY if you plan to arrive by airplane to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (at the moment, the e-Visa is not valid at any other border posts).
IMPORTANT: If you apply from a country other than the country of your nationality (for example, you are Canadian, but apply from the US), then you will be required to show your residence permit when you arrive in Ethiopia – this can be a letter or visa sticker in your passport.
The cost for the 30 day e-Visa is USD 52.00, and for the 90-day e-Visa USD 72.00. Additionally, there is a service fee of USD 35.00 for standard processing. For rush and super rush processing, the service fee is USD 65.00 and USD 100.00 respectively, for both visa types.
Unlike many other visas that start their validity from the date they’re issued, the Ethiopian e-Visa's validity starts from when you intend to enter the country. So your e-Visa will be valid for 30 days after arrival or 90 days after arrival in Ethiopia, depending on the e-Visa type you choose.
NOTE: The validity period is different from the duration of stay, which is 30 days in Total or 90 days in Total. Duration of stay CANNOT exceed the validity period of the visa. For example, if you change your plans after the visa is issued and your arrival date is 10 days later than what is on the e-Visa, your validity is 20 or 80 days. Thus, the maximum duration of your stay is 20 or 80 days.
NOTE: The validity period is different than the duration of stay which is 30 days in Total or 90 days in Total. Duration of stay CANNOT exceed the validity period of the visa. For example, if you change your plans after the visa is issued and your arrival date is 10 days later than what is on the e-Visa, your validity is 20 or 80 days. Thus, the maximum duration of your stay is 20 or 80 days.
If traveling with children, make sure you are in possession of a valid birth certificate and/or adoption certificate, as appropriate, to avoid last-minute inconvenience.
Keep in mind that the rules are valid for all children whether they are biological, adopted or just traveling together.
No, you do not require an e-Visa for transit flights/layovers in Ethiopia. If you want to leave the airport transit area to visit Addis Ababa then you will need to apply for a 30-day single entry visa online, or visit your nearest Ethiopian Embassy to get an in-transit visa through them.
Currently, the Ethiopian Government only allows travelers with this Tourist e-Visa to enter via the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Entry via other ports of entry is not allowed.
Ethiopia started to gain its popularity in the recent years. People did not use to travel there are often as they do now, but it is an affordable destination. Plus, you get to experience a lot of things, even if the country does not have a significant surface area. Besides, Ethiopia is rather different from other African countries, and I am sure you will find a lot of things there that will catch your eye. You will create a lot of beautiful memories, and people there are very welcoming. Even so, there are probably some things that are best to be known before you actually get there. You will find some of them below.
First things first, only the people from Kenya can travel to Ethiopia without a visa. Even so, getting one should be easy since you can get it online. It is not very expensive, and the process is fairly simple. You can travel both by land and by air. At the same time, you can get a visa on arrival when you arrive at the Addis Ababa Bole Airport.
Leaving documentation aside, there is a ton of other things that you need to know before traveling to Ethiopia. For one thing, you should be aware of the fact that people from Ethiopia are very relaxed. They treasure their rest, which is why you will not find some places open during lunch. So, if you want to use some services, like a bank for example, between 12 and 2 PM, you cannot. That is because most places close down during that time. It is some sort of Spanish siesta. Everyone needs to eat and rest in the middle of the day so that they can continue working until the end of the program.
The weirdest aspect you will encounter in Ethiopia is how people there keep time. They have their own system that may throw you off. Out 6 o’clock is their 12 o’clock, and that is when they start their day. This should be of no importance to you, but when you have something scheduled, you need to ask what time they are referring to. Ethiopian time or international time. It goes the same with the dates. Ethiopia uses the Julian calendar so it will take a while until you get the hang of it.
Many people think that African countries are dangerous, especially when you are traveling alone. While that is true in some cases, it does not apply to Ethiopia. In fact, you can travel alone as a female and still be safe, even in Addis Ababa. You do not have to fear thieves, kidnappers, or anything else of this sort. People there are peaceful, and since the tourism has developed in the last few years, they are welcoming.
If you want to go exploring in Ethiopia, it would be best if you hire a guide. Ethiopia has an interesting history, and some of the facts are less known than others. That is why a guide is necessary. At the same time, you cannot even explore some of the parts of Ethiopia, such as the Danakil Depression, Simien Mountains, and Omo Valley, without a guide. Rest assured that most of the guides speak excellent English, but you should refrain yourself from making the payment before you know that for sure. You do not want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with someone that does not know how to communicate with you, do you?
While Ethiopia is an affordable destination, I am sure that you think it is incredibly cheap. However, that is not entirely true. In fact, it can get quite costly, mostly because you need guides. Also, accommodation can be a bit pricey. The tourism tax is a common thing, so consider that before you go there. Even so, I am sure you will find cheap are the food and drinks. You will be amazed at how much you can eat and drink at the price of a meal in a western country.
As for the preparations before your trip, it depends on where you come from. For example, if you are a US citizen, you need a European adapter for your devices. In Ethiopia, they use 2-pin plugs.
When it comes to clothing, make sure that you pack some thick clothing for the chilly nights. Ethiopia is located at a pretty high altitude, and it can get pretty cold during the night. Some fluffy socks, sweaters, and long pants should not be missing from your luggage. At the same time, Ethiopia is an excellent place for hiking, which means that you need some hiking gear as well. Do not forget your boots and your pants before you leave.
Among the things you take with you should be toilet paper. You will almost never find any in public restrooms, and sometimes even hotels lack TP. You should probably pack a few rolls so that you do not find yourself without.
Leaving practical things aside, you should know that Ethiopia is a very photogenic country. You should never leave home without your camera. A lot of people choose Ethiopia for its scenery, and you cannot possibly go there without snapping a lot of photos. The view is breathtaking in the mountains, and I am sure you will regret forgetting your camera as long as you live. It may not be so important for some of you, but you will want to go over your trip again and again. A lot of pictures will help you with that. They will keep the memories alive for longer.
Overall, Ethiopia is a lovely place to visit. The people are friendly, the food is good, and you have to taste their coffee. They are actually famous for their coffee. Plus, the scenery is mesmerizing, and you will have goosebumps whenever you take a look at the mountains, valleys, or whatever place you choose to visit. Ethiopia is full of wonders, and you should take advantage of your time there by exploring as much as your time allows you.
An e-Visa is an official document permitting entry into and travel within a certain country. The e-Visa is an alternative to visas issued at the ports of entry or visiting an embassy/consulate to obtain traditional paper visas.
e-Visas are linked electronically to the traveler's passport.
Our service starts with information. You can use our up-to-date visa requirements tool to search if you need a travel visa. It's as simple as telling us where you are from and where you are going. Based on this information we will tell you how much the visa costs, the number of entries, the start date and give you an action step such as applying directly on our site!
The best place to find this information is our visa requirement tool. Each country has different entry rules and visa fees. If you are in a rush you can also apply online and the form will give you this information as well.
It depends on the country issuing the visa. For many countries such as Australia ETA and Turkey e-Visa, the process can be done in 15 minutes through our rush service. For other countries such as the India tourist Visa, the process usually takes 24 hours. The exact time can be found on each application form. What we guarantee is that your application with iVisa will be the fastest way to apply anywhere.
We help you get your travel visa in the simplest and fastest way possible. Through easy-to-use online application forms and world-class 24/7 customer service, we make the whole visa process quick and simple! We also use best practices when it comes to protecting your data and credit card.
iVisa offers two types of Visa: Electronic visas (e-Visas) and traditional paper visas, based on your destination.
In addition, we also offer the following services/documents that are required by certain countries: ETA (electronic travel authorization), Tourist Cards, Visa on Arrival pre-registration/approval form, Tourist Invitation Letters, and Embassy Registration service.
Please note most countries offer the ability to process a travel visa without a service fee. The main reason we process thousands of travel visas per month is we save you time and frustration. Our service includes an easy to use website and application form. It is much easier to process your application with us especially for mobile users and large groups. We send all of our clients the visa days before travel. This is especially helpful for those passengers who purchase the visa months in advance. We also have a 24-hour customer service with professionals that are based in the United States and speak English. We accept multi-currencies and our website can be translated into over 20 languages. We believe our fee is worth your time and sanity but please note all governments do have their own "free" service.
If you have already applied on our site, please log in to your account and look for your order/application. An account is generated for you automatically after payment is received. Click the link in your confirmation email to set up a password or visit the log in page to set up the password and enter the account. Please note in most cases your visa will be delivered to you via email and can be found in your account after logging in.
This is a rare scenario. However, if your application gets rejected, we will issue you a full refund for the government fee and the processing fee under our 100% approval guarantee. This refund will be given via credit to be used for a future order.
If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. Our customer service specialists will be more than glad to help you.
If we have not processed your visa, we can make changes without a problem. We do check your information for mistakes as well. If you have already processed your visa, If we have submitted your application to the appropriate government agencies, some will allow to make changes, while others do not. Please contact us immediately (preferably through chat) if you notice an error on your application.
Some countries may require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. You can see more info here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list
It's the passenger´s own responsibility to verify these regulations before traveling to the chosen country.
All visas grant travelers the permission to travel to a country's port of entry. Whether you are granted entry or not will be at the discretion of the Immigration Officer at the entry point.
We know that our applicants can come across unexpected changes in their travel plans that may prevent them from traveling and therefore getting their visa. This is why we understand you may want to request a cancellation of your visa application and a credit for the amount paid. However, we will only approve the refund/credit if it follows our Refund policy guideline:
If your application has not been reviewed by our team, nor submitted to the government for approval, then you will receive a credit for the full amount of the iVisa processing fee and government fee(visa cost).
If your application has been reviewed by our team but has not yet been submitted to the government for approval, you will receive a credit for the full amount of the government fee (visa cost).
If your application has been submitted to the government for approval or a visa is already issued, unfortunately, no credit is available.
Our policy also applies to these circumstances:
If we make a mistake on your application, a 100% refund of the iVisa processing fee will be issued and we will process your visa again at no cost.
If you purchase rush or super rush processing additional fee and we do not deliver the travel document within the agreed timeframe, you will receive a credit for the iVisa rush or super rush processing fee.
If you miss your trip because iVisa does not deliver the travel document within the agreed timeframe, you will receive a full cash refund for the government fee and iVisa processing fee.
The exception to the clause above is if the government is the cause of the delay or your arrival date was sooner than our super rush processing time. In such case, you will receive a credit for the iVisa processing fee.
If for any reason, you are not satisfied with our services, please feel free to contact us. Under reasonable circumstances, we will grant a credit of the iVisa processing fee to be used for a future order.
When the visa has to be shipped to you, the processing times do not include this shipping time. It is from when we receive your application to obtaining the approval.
Most visas (e-Visas) are sent via email upon approval so shipping times will not apply.
All citizens from these territories applying through our website will have their application processed with the nationality/citizenship specified in their passport. As an example, a traveler from Puerto Rico will have their request processed as USA nationality. This does not apply to the travelers under the BOTC (British Overseas Territories Citizen) category according to the British Overseas Territories Act of 2002.
