Hi Ronnie,any news on how to get the Ethiopian visa,we are 2 Canadians and 1 American heading that way from Johannesburg around May 2011.
Thanks

I am travelling from South to North and have only heard other overlanders stories so far. Apparenty all a nightmare and people either flying to their home countries to get a visa or DHLing their passports home.

I am currently in Rwanda and if anyone has been from south through the border please let us know.

Lastly does it make a difference if you have a SA passport??

Cheers

Unsuccessful!
 

June 26, 2014

Elliott (Australian) and I (Canadian) are currently in Nairobi and have been trying to get a visa to enter Ethiopia and so far we have been unsuccessful. They had taken all of our information and started the process but when we returned a few days later that said that it was not possible. Currently there are 3 other couples (Canadian, Australian, and Netherlands) who are also experiencing this same problem.

We have three options:
1. Mail our passports with the other required documents to an ethiopian embassy in our home country and then have them send it back or,
2. Fly into Addis Ababa where you can get a visa on arrival if you are on their approved list which you can find at Ministry of Foreign Affairs - MoFA or,
3. Go through South Sudan :-/

However we are travelling via motorcycle so flying is not an option for us. We had met people who succeeded in getting a visa only a few weeks earlier but for some reason something has changed and we were unable to. We think it is because of the shooting that happened on the coast in Kenya a few weeks ago.

Anyways hope this update helps. Cheers and safe travels!

CapeTownNorth.com.au

any news?
 

Hi,

Any new developments? I am heading that way in a couple of months, so appreciate any updates/solutions.

Cheers from Namibia,

Gee

visa for Ethiopia in Harare, Zimbabwe
 

Hi,

in 2010 the Ethiopian embassies in Kampala and Nairobi didn't issued visas anymore. The only embassy to get visa from was the one in Harare, Zimbabwe. I knew that so I went there for a visa. I could get a 6 months visa without problems. Keep in mind that the validity of the visa starts at the day of issuance and you have to leave the country before the visa expires.

Have a good trip

Hi Mart,

Thanks for the tip!

Cheers,

Gee

Where are you now in Namibia?

As I understand it, the Zimbabwe consulate has stopped issuing Ethiopia visas as well. Best proceed with caution and a backup plan rather than rely on 4-year-old information. Of course, I'm happy to be told otherwise.

Mark

Hi Margaret,

After traveling all around Namibia for nearly 5 weeks with my daughter (up to Epupa and down to Fish River Canyon), I am back in Windhoek waiting for my wife to join me on Saturday for another 4 weeks. Two months in Namibia: who's complaining :palm:
Then to Cape Town and up the East coast, back to Holland.

Cheers,

Gee

Thanks Mark,

I think the best thing to do is to apply in Holland (well, Belgium) using my 2nd passport.

Cheers,

Gee

Update
 

I'm not to sure about getting an Ethiopian Visa in Harare since I have not tried therefor I have no information on that. However all the people we have met here in Nairobi have all had to send their passports to their home countries to get an Ethiopian Visa unless you are flying into Ethiopia which then you can get a Visa On Arrival if you are on the approved list. This option however is not available to us Overlanders since we need to cross the boarder via land. We have met 7 other couples within the last 3 weeks and we all had to send our passports home. Anyways hope this helps.

CapeTownNorth.com.au

Hi,

Thanks for the extra info!

Cheers,

Gee

I have made contact with a reliable source in Ethiopia via Lonely Planet and he insists that they only issue visas if you fly into Bole and definitely not at Land borders anymore.
One thing he is not sure of is if this is a temp restriction ... or not, but to safeguard against being turned back from the border it seems the way to proceed is to obtain an Ethiopian visa from the embassy in SA.

Cheers
Reg

Gee
When are you heading out. A friend and I are heading toward Namibia around end December then proceeding up North. Not absolutely sure of the route yet as there seems to be many costs and obstacles at the moment so will have to make a call as we go.

Hi,

I'm traveling back to holland along the East coast, from August. If you want any info about the West route just send me an email. I drove from Morocco to Namibia (through the Guineas, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, etc. and had no real problems.

Cheers,

Gee

Excellent!!! Thanx

Just thought I would include a link here regards the new ruling for South African citizen looking to obtain Kenya visa at land border. :ban: :thumbdown:
This is not possible anymore
This rule kicked in from 1st July. Not make for happy reading.
SA travellers need visa for Kenya from July 1