Eritrea visa requirements for Basotho citizens
Basotho citizens need a visa for Eritrea and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 6 October 2026
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
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.
Required documents
- Passport with at least six months' validity and, according to the UK Government, two consecutive blank pages.
- A visa obtained before travel.
- 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 a visa to enter Lesotho. See the Eritrea → Lesotho page.
All 5 passports from Southern Africa that VisaRadar tracks need a visa to enter Eritrea. Same result as Lesotho: Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa.
With a passport from Lesotho, in the rest of Eastern Africa you can enter Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia and South Sudan.
A passport from Lesotho ranks 120 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 69 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 Basotho citizens need a visa for Eritrea?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
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 Basotho passport holders need for the countries near Eritrea?
With a passport from Lesotho, in the rest of Eastern Africa you can enter Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia and South Sudan.
Related pages
See Eritrea requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.