Ethiopia2024-02-01T10:19:36+01:00

Ethiopia

Travel tips for Ethiopia

Top 5 experiences

The „cradle of mankind“ impresses with a diverse landscape and cultural wealth. Among the most famous highlights are the rock churches of Lalibela and the Simien Mountains. Other attractions are:

Lalibela

The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians. The total of 11 churches from the 12th century was built over decades in detailed work and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Simien Mountains

The impressive mountain world of the Simien Mountains is home to blood-breasted baboons, ibex and the Ethiopian wolf. With altitudes ranging from 1,900m to 4,500m, it is a paradise for hikers who will discover many endemic plants along the way.

Gondar

As a former imperial city, numerous castles and churches can be found here. Among the most famous ones are the palace district Fasil Ghebbi, the Bath of Fasilidas and the monastery Debre Berhan Selassie, located outside Gondar.

Coffee

Ethiopia is known to be the homeland of coffee. Since the coffee here is not simply drunk, but also ceremonially prepared, a real coffee ceremony should not be missing on a trip.

Cultural Heritage

Over 80 ethnic groups with different languages and traditions live in Ethiopia. The Oromo are the largest ethnic group, followed by the Amhars. Among the smaller ethnic groups are the Mursi and Tigray. One can get closer to the diverse mosaic of cultures by visiting a local market or village.

Tourist infrastructure

Ethiopia has a well-developed air network, with Addis Ababa being the starting and ending point of all international connections. There are sufficient domestic flights within the country. The remaining tourism infrastructure is still being developed in the country. Road conditions can vary depending on the region, but are generally rather difficult to drive on. Uneven and rocky roads are standard.

There is a basic portfolio of accommodations, which will be expanded in the future. Especially in the tourist regions accommodations from various categories can be found.

Climate and travel season

Due to the high altitude of Ethiopia, there is a pleasant, mostly summer climate all year round. During the nights, the temperatures sometimes cool down considerably. As in most African countries, there is a rainy season, this extends from June to September. Between March and May there is a small rainy season, in all other months there are hardly any rain showers.

The best time to travel is considered to be October to May, with the months immediately after the rainy season being particularly attractive due to the blooming countryside. Another popular time is during the religious festivals of the Orthodox Church in September and January.

Visa and entry

Citizens of Germany, Austria and Switzerland require a visa for entering Ethiopia, which can be applied for in advance at the responsible representative office in the respective country or can be obtained as E-Visa. All travel documents must be valid for at least six months beyond the trip. It is also possible to apply for a visa on arrival in Ethiopia, but there is often a waiting period.

Since the regulations can change at any time, all information are non-binding and without guarantee. Please observe the visa regulations and the current information of the Federal Foreign Office / Federal Ministry European and International Affairs / Federal Department of Foreign Affaires at all times.

Impressions from Ethiopia

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Stories

Our partners for Ethiopia

Visa, Entry, and Updates

Federal Foreign Office ➝

Federal Ministry European and International Affairs ➝

Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs ➝

Information of the
Tourism Board ➝

Country information

Current accessibility

  • Information on entry:

    Entry into Ethiopia is possible for travelers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland via the international airport in Addis Ababa. Tourists cannot enter the country through land borders at the moment. All inbound, outbound and transit travelers aged 10 and over must, without exception, present a negative PCR test certificate upon arrival in accordance with the Trusted Travel Initiative of the African Union or the Global Haven platform of a certified laboratory, which must not be older than 5 days prior to arrival. It should be issued in digital form in English. It is recommended to submit the test certificate on the Global Haven platform or on the Trusted Travel Initiative website before departure. The seven-day quarantine obligation, which must be carried out either in a private accommodation or in a quarantine facility specified by the Ethiopian government at one’s own expense, does not apply to those tested who travel on a tourist visa, who can prove a certificate of complete vaccination or who present a Covid recovery certificate that is not older than 90 days. Transit passengers are not allowed to leave the airport. In the case of a transit stay of more than 24 hours, a quarantine at one’s own expense in a hotel specified by the airline until the transition flight is required.

  • Information on return:

    Since March 30, 2021, all travellers, no matter from which country they are coming and which means of transportation they use, must present a negative PCR or PoC test, a proof of complete vaccination, for instance the digital Covid-Certificate from the EU (Green Pass), or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection, which was completed at least 28 days ago and is maximum 6 months old, before entering the Federal Republic of Germany. The PCR test must be performed at the earliest 72 hours and the PoC-test 48 hours before the start of the return journey. In addition, travellers must register their entry at the entry portal www.einreiseanmeldung.de➝ before arriving in Germany and carry proof of the corresponding registration with them. For stays in high risk areas classified by the RKI➝ there is a 10-day quarantine obligation. The quarantine can solely be prevented when a proof of complete vaccination or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection, which was completed at least 28 days ago and is maximum 6 months old, was submitted on the entry portal. After five days at the earliest, travellers who are not vaccinated or did not recover from a Covid-19 infection can undergo a Covid-19 test. With a subsequent negative result, the quarantine obligation can be ended early. For stays in virus mutation areas a negative PCR-test, which must be performed at the earliest 72 hours before entering, needs to be shown before return and a fourteen-day quarantine must to be entered without possibility to shorten it.

    All travellers older than 12 years, must present a negative PCR or PoC test, a proof of complete vaccination, for instance the digital Covid-Certificate from the EU (Green Pass), or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection before entering Austria. The PCR-test must be performed at the earliest 72 hours and the PoC-test 48 hours before the start of the return journey. Since January 15, 2021, travellers must register their entry here ➝ („Pre-Travel-Clearance“) before arrival. With the above mentioned certifications a quarantine can be fully prevented when entering from a country classified as safe. The certifications can be handed in 24 hours later if no hotel stay is planned. For vaccinated people arriving from countries not classified as safe or from virus mutations areas the quarantine does not apply neither. Non-vaccinated people however need to present a negative Covid-test or a proof of recovery as well as enter a 10-day quarantine. After five days at the earliest, travellers can undergo a Covid-19 test. With a subsequent negative result, the quarantine obligation can be ended early.

    All air as well as transit passengers who are not fully vaccinated or did not surpass a Covid-19 infection within the past 6 months must register their entry on www.swissplf.admin.ch before or during arrival in Switzerland and need to carry the generated QR-code with them. Air passengers older than 16 years must present a negative PCR or PoC test, a proof of complete vaccination, for instance the digital Covid-Certificate from the EU (Green Pass), or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection before entering. The PCR-test must be performed at the earliest 72 hours and the PoC-test 48 hours before the start of the return journey. Air as well as transit passengers who are not fully vaccinated or did not surpass a Covid-19 infection as well need to enter a 10-day quarantine and present a PCR-test. In addition, they need to inform their corresponding cantonal authority latest within two days after arrival. After seven days at the earliest, travellers can undergo a Covid-19 test. With a subsequent negative result, the quarantine obligation can be ended early. The obligation to test or enter quarantine does not apply to fully vaccinated people who can present a certificate such as the EU Digital Certificate or a Swiss Covid certificate.

Für Einreisende in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, die sich in den letzten 10 Tagen vor Einreise in einem Risikogebiet aufgehalten haben, besteht seit dem 08. November 2020 die Pflicht, sich unverzüglich in eine zehntägige Quarantäne zu begeben. Darüber hinaus müssen Reisende vor ihrer Ankunft in Deutschland ihre Einreise unter https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de ➝ anmelden und den Nachweis über die entsprechende Anmeldung mit sich führen. Nach frühestens fünf Tagen können sich die Reiserückkehrer Covid-19 Test unterziehen. Mit einem anschließenden Negativergebnis kann die Quarantänepflicht frühzeitig beendet werden.

ACHTUNG: Wer sich in den letzten 10 Tagen vor Einreise in Deutschland in einem Hochinzidenz-Gebiet oder einem Virusvarianten-Gebiet aufgehalten hat, muss bereits bei Einreise einen ärztlichen Nachweis oder ein negatives Testergebnis bei sich tragen und diesen bei Aufforderung der zuständigen Behörden vorlegen können. Der Test darf nicht älter als 48 Stunden vor Einreise sein. Darüber hinaus ist das negative Testergebnis auch vor Antritt der Rückreise dem entsprechenden Beförderer vorzulegen. Sollte es den Einreisenden aus etwaigen Gründen in einem Hochinzidenzgebiet oder einem Virusvarianten-Gebiet nicht möglich sein, sich vor Abreise testen zu lassen, können die entsprechenden Beförderer vor Abreise einen Schnelltest durchführen und bei Negativergebnis die Beförderung vornehmen. Der Beförderer darf den Test maximal 12 Stunden vor Abreise durchführen. Dieser Test muss den Anforderungen des RKI entsprechen: https://www.rki.de/tests ➝

Covid-19

Corona precautionary measures

  • Restrictions in the country:

    A minimum distance of 1.5 m must be maintained throughout the country. Hotels, restaurants, cinemas and clubs are open under special conditions. There are no curfews. Meetings and events of more than 50 people are prohibited. Further restrictions such as limited public transport may apply in some states.

  • Mouth and nose protection:

    Ethiopia requires wearing a mouth and nose protection in all public areas. Frequent hand washing and disinfection is recommended.

  • Hygiene measures in the country:

    The Ethiopian government has published a comprehensive manual (PDF) for the containment of COVID-19, which is binding for all companies operating in the country and corresponds to the current hygiene measures.

Status: 05.10.2021

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