Ethiopia Visa on Arrival Fee (2026): Cost, Eligibility and Why eVisa Is the Smarter Choice

Published: 9 September 2026 | Last updated: 9 September 2026 | Reviewed by the Travel Visa Research Team

The Ethiopia visa on arrival fee is 62 USD for a 30-day stay and 152 USD for 90 days, payable at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Citizens of all countries, including UK passport holders, are eligible. The eVisa costs the same but eliminates airport queues and card-terminal failures.

The visa on arrival remains available in 2026, following a fee reduction from 82 USD to 62 USD in August 2024. Travellers can pay using cash in USD, EUR, GBP, or CAD, although card terminals at the airport often experience network outages.

Ethiopia Visa on Arrival in 2026: Current Status, Eligibility and Policy Changes

The Ethiopia visa on arrival remains available at Addis Ababa Bole Airport in 2026, with the fee reduced from 82 USD to 62 USD since August 2024. The scheme grants a single-entry tourist visa issued directly at the airport immigration counter.

Per evisa.gov.et, citizens of all countries are eligible, including passport holders from Algeria, Argentina, Australia, and Austria. British citizens require a visa for tourism and qualify under the standard scheme. Only Kenya and Djibouti citizens enter Ethiopia visa-free with a valid passport.

Ethiopia Visa on Arrival Fee: Cost, Payment Methods and Accepted Currencies

The Ethiopia visa on arrival fee is 62 USD for a 30-day single-entry tourist visa and 152 USD for a 90-day stay, payable in USD, EUR, GBP, or CAD at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

• 30-day fee: 62 USD – the official rate per evisa.gov.et. Forum reports of ~60 USD are rounded; the official rate is 62 USD.
• 90-day fee: 152 USD – same rate for both visa on arrival and eVisa per evisa.gov.et.
• Accepted cash currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD per the Ethiopian Airlines VoA guideline. Exact USD cash is the safest option.
• Credit card payment: accepted at the counter but conditional on terminal functionality. No confirmed surcharge policy exists.
• Change return: no documented policy exists. Travellers risk receiving change in Ethiopian birr or no change at all when paying in non-USD currency.
• ATMs and currency exchange: availability before border control at Bole Airport is undocumented. Do not rely on withdrawing cash after landing.
• Extension fees: 102 USD for a 30-day extension and 302 USD for a 90-day extension, payable via evisa.gov.et.

Getting a Visa on Arrival at Addis Ababa Airport: Process, Tips and Common Problems

The Ethiopia visa on arrival process at Addis Ababa Bole Airport takes approximately 25 minutes: queue, photo capture, payment, then passport stamp.

1. Arrive at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, the only designated port of entry for this visa type.
2. Proceed to the visa-on-arrival counter before border control.
3. Queue for roughly 25 minutes; delays spike when flights from China arrive, and approximately 90% of arriving passengers are in transit (per Ethiopian Airlines operational data), adding volume.
4. Photo is captured on-site via a desktop camera – no printed photo required.
5. Pay the Ethiopia visa on arrival fee: 62 USD for 30 days or 152 USD for 90 days.
6. Passport is verified and the visa is stamped.

Common problems include card terminal failures and long queues during peak arrival windows. Change may be returned in Ethiopian birr rather than the original currency. Proof of accommodation is not formally required but may be asked verbally. No documented airside contingency exists for payment failure; carrying exact USD cash is the only reliable safeguard.

Passport, Document Requirements and UK Travel Advice for Ethiopia

All Ethiopia visa on arrival applicants need a passport valid 6+ months from entry date and a colour photo; UK citizens pay 62 USD and should check FCDO travel warnings.

The Ethiopia visa on arrival requires every applicant to present a passport valid for at least 6 months from the intended entry date, not from the return date. British citizens must hold a machine-readable passport, and the standard Ethiopia visa on arrival fee of 62 USD for a 30-day stay or 152 USD for 90 days applies to UK passport holders.

For the eVisa, applicants upload a digital colour passport photo with a plain white background; at the VoA counter, the photo is captured on-site with a desktop camera. Dual nationals must hold a valid British passport to return to the UK.

GOV.UK advises against all travel to parts of Ethiopia and against all but essential travel to other areas. British citizens should verify current FCDO warnings on gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ethiopia before departure. A yellow fever certificate is mandatory if arriving from a country with transmission risk. For entry requirement inquiries, UK travellers can also contact the Ethiopian Embassy in London.

GOV.UK recommends the eVisa over VoA (see comparison below). Always verify current rules on evisa.gov.et.

Ethiopia Visa on Arrival vs eVisa: Cost Comparison and Why eVisa Wins

The Ethiopia eVisa and Ethiopia visa on arrival fee both stand at 62 USD for a 30-day single-entry tourist visa, but the eVisa avoids airport queues and unreliable card terminals.

Both options cost 62 USD (details in section 1). GOV.UK advises the eVisa for lower risk and faster entry at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The eVisa processing time is 3 working days via evisa.gov.et, and the platform is technically operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

Hidden costs of VoA include change loss, card terminal downtime, and queue time; the eVisa eliminates all three.

How to Apply for an Ethiopian eVisa, Extend Your Visa and Avoid Fraud

The Ethiopian eVisa costs 62 USD, processes in 3 working days via evisa.gov.et, and is emailed as a printable PDF before departure. Apply at least 3 days before your estimated date of arrival. The eVisa is valid from the date of intended entry into Ethiopia, not from the date of issue.

eVisa fee: 62 USD (same as VoA, see section 2). Entry only at Addis Ababa Bole Airport.

Visa extensions cost 102 USD (30-day) or 302 USD (90-day). Applications for visas expired 1-15 days can be submitted online via evisa.gov.et; extensions beyond 15 days require an in-person visit to the Immigration and Citizenship Service Head Office in Addis Ababa. The overstay penalty is 30 USD per day, payable before departure.

The Ethiopian government flags www.ethiopiavisas.net as a fraudulent site; only https://www.evisa.gov.et is legitimate. Contact the Immigration and Citizenship Service: phone +251 (11) 1262635, email [email protected]. See also the eVisa FAQ page.

Ethiopia Visa on Arrival: Frequently Asked Questions