Ethiopia visa requirements for Indians

Travel and visa requirements

Ethiopian Visa is not required for Indians

Stay Duration: 90 days

Entry Requirements

  • India citizens travelling to Ethiopia for a duration of up to 90 days can either get a visa on arrival or apply for an e-visa.
  • Visitors applying for an e-visa are required to possess one copy of a filled visa application form.
  • Passports of citizens entering Ethiopia must be valid for at least 6 months and must possess a minimum of 2 blank pages for entry and exit stamps.
  • The passport photograph of visitors is required to be with a recent photograph with a size of 37mmX37mm.
  • Departure tax would be levied on visitors staying beyond the duration of stay and leaving the country.
  • Standard travel documents like passport or a national ID card will generally be required from visitors to visit Ethiopia.
  • For Ethiopia, there are two associated plug types, types C and F. The country operates on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz. You are advised to travel with your electronic adapter when you are travelling to the country should your electronic gadgets above the above Voltage and/or Hertz.
  • Ethiopia time zone is East Africa Time (GMT+3) therefore, India is 2 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Ethiopia.
  • Citizens of India ranging from one year and above are required to show proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination.
  • Visitors are allowed to travel with them, goods bought in Ethiopia up to a value of 500 Ethiopian ETP at their departure. 
  • Cats and dogs must be accompanied by a certificate of good health issued by a veterinarian in the home country.
  • The estimated flight time for you to fly from Delhi, India to Ethiopia is 5 hours, 50 minutes.
  • You won't be required to pay for any airport tax upon your departure from the airport.
  • Visitors are allowed to hold local currency up to ETP 100 per person, but there are no restrictions on importing foreign currencies provided the imported sums are declared to the customs on arrival. 
  • Foreign currency may be exchanged only through authorized banks or other financial institution within the country.
  • Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent after Nigeria.
  • The nation is a land of natural contrasts, with its vast fertile west, its forests, and numerous rivers, and the world's hottest settlement of Dallol in its north. 
  • Ethiopia uses the ancient Ge’ez script, which is one of the oldest alphabets still in use in the world.
  • Ethiopia is a multilingual nation with around 80 ethnolinguistic groups, the four largest of which are the Oromo, Amhara, Somali and Tigrayans.
  • The skull of the hominid (ancestors of the Homo Erectus) is said to have been discovered in Ethiopia by Tim D. White. The most well known hominid discovery is Australopithecus afarensis.
  • The predominant climate type is tropical monsoon, with a wide topographic-induced variation. 
  • Ethiopia is a global centre of avian diversity. To date, more than 856 bird species have been recorded in Ethiopia, twenty of which are endemic to the country.
  • Agriculture constitutes around 85% of the labour force. However, the service sector represents the largest portion of the economy.
  • English and Italian is the most widely spoken foreign languages in the country, and is the medium of instruction in secondary schools, although, most people in the country speak Afroasiatic languages of the Cushitic or Semitic branches.
  • The Ethiopian empire was one of the first in the world to officially adopt Christianity as the state religion.
  • The best-known Ethiopian cuisine consists of various types of thick meat stews, known as wat in Ethiopian culture, and vegetable side dishes served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread made of teff flour.
  • Ethiopians popularly eat from the same dish in the centre of the table with a group of people and it widely culturally acceptable to feed others in your group with your own hands.
  • Traditional Ethiopian cuisine employs no pork or shellfish of any kind as they are forbidden in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths.
  • Ethiopia and Liberia are the only countries in Africa that are not colonized in African continent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to travel to Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is safe most of the time. Serious/violent crime against travellers is rarely experienced. Outside the capital, the level of crime drops even further.

What is the legal driving age in Ethiopia?

To drive in Ethiopia, a person needs to be 18 years or older. The speed limit for cars and motorcycles in towns and villages is 30-50 km/h and 100 km/h outside towns. Drivers are not permitted to use their mobile phones while driving and motorcyclists must wear crash helmets.

Can I drink alcohol in Ethiopia?

There are no rules guiding against drinking alcohol in Ethiopia provided you are aged 18 and above. In fact, Ethiopians widely entertain indigenous or foreign alcoholic beverages to the best of their capacity. 

Are there mosquitoes in Ethiopia?

The influx of mosquitoes and the highest levels of malaria transmission are observed in the north, west and eastern lowland of Ethiopia. Visitors are advised to purchase mosquito nets and repellents before visiting the country.