What you need to enter Eritrea with an Ethiopian passport
Ethiopian citizens need a visa for Eritrea, but they can get it on arrival at the border.
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 6 October 2026
Verified practical details
You can get your visa on arrival in Eritrea, but it's worth preparing the paperwork ahead of time:
Authorisation system
Entry visa and internal travel permits
A visa is required, issued on a passport with at least six months' validity. There are tourist, business, official and diplomatic visas. Moving around the country also requires a permit, issued in Asmara by a different ministry depending on the visa type; the rule also applies to people who live and work in Eritrea.
Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Required documents
- Passport with at least six months' validity and, according to the UK Government, two consecutive blank pages.
- A travel permit to leave Asmara.
Transit rules
Photographing or filming government buildings, military installations and other places deemed strategic is forbidden. There are minefields: do not drive near the borders or off the main roads, and between Massawa and Asmara avoid shortcuts. Homosexuality is illegal. Foreign cards are not accepted in any shop or cash machine.
More Eritrea rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Eritrea page:
Official portal: . Destination data verified on 6 October 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Eritrea, updated 28 February 2025: advice against travel, visa and permits, risk areas, mines, currency, laws, consular assistance); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/eritrea (UK Government: blank pages). All checked on 6 October 2026.
This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Eritrea need an electronic visa to enter Ethiopia. See the Eritrea → Ethiopia page.
Of the 17 passports from Eastern Africa that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Eritrea 2 enter visa-free, 1 need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival and 14 need a visa.
With a passport from Ethiopia, in the rest of Eastern Africa you can enter Kenya, Rwanda and Seychelles visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A passport from Ethiopia ranks 183 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 40 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Ethiopian citizens need a visa for Eritrea?
Yes, but you can obtain it directly upon arrival at Eritrea's entry point.
What minimum passport validity is required?
Passport with at least six months' validity and, according to the UK Government, two consecutive blank pages.
What currency is used in Eritrea?
Eritrean Nakfa (ERN).
What do Ethiopian passport holders need for the countries near Eritrea?
With a passport from Ethiopia, in the rest of Eastern Africa you can enter Kenya, Rwanda and Seychelles visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Related pages
See Eritrea requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.