Eritrea Visa Information

Passport/Visa

	Passport Required?	Visa Required?	Return Ticket Required?
British	Yes	Yes	Yes
Australian	Yes	Yes	Yes
Canadian	Yes	Yes	Yes
USA	Yes	Yes	Yes
Other EU	Yes	Yes	Yes

Passport Note
Tourist: £25 (one month, single-entry only). Business: £40 (one month, single-entry); £55 (multiple-entry for up to three months). Transit: £10. During busy times, an additional fee of £5 is payable for Express Service visas.

Passports
Passport valid for a minimum of three months beyond intended departure date required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Visas
Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) transit passengers continuing their journey to a third country within six hours, provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport transit lounge.

Note: Since 1 June 2006, all foreign nationals (including resident diplomats) are required to have a travel permit to visit other areas outside Asmara. Visitors intending to travel outside Asmara should be aware that the new restrictions might severely hamper their plans.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see General Info).

Validity
Single-entry tourist and business visas: up to three months. Extensions are possible. Apply on arrival to the Foreign Ministry in Asmara.

Applications to:
Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see General Info.

Working Days Required
One. Five hours for Express Service.

Warning
Travelers are advised against all travel to the border areas with Ethiopia and Sudan. Since 5 October 2005 restrictions placed on the UN Monitoring force by the government of Eritrea have further heightened tensions along the Ethiopia/Eritrea border. This advice includes Tesseney, near the Sudan border. Travelers are also advised against travel in the area north of Afabet in the Sahel region and along one road in the west of the country.

Since 1 June 2006, all foreign nationals (including resident diplomats) are required to have a travel permit to visit other areas outside Asmara. Visitors intending to travel anywhere in Eritrea should be aware that the new restrictions might severely hamper plans. Travelers should also be aware that the way recent consular cases have been handled by the government of Eritrea indicate that the relevant embassy might not be informed of foreign citizens in need of consular assistance. These restrictions and precedent are likely to hamper, perhaps severely, the ability of the embassy to provide any consular assistance let alone even doing so quickly or effectively. Travelers should take this into account before deciding whether or not to travel to Eritrea.

In November 2005, UN agencies in Eritrea withdrew families of their personnel in response to increased tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea over their disputed border. In December 2005, the UN Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) staff from USA, Canada, Europe and the Russian Federation began relocating to Ethiopia. The relocation of these personnel to Ethiopia is now complete.

Eritrea shares with the rest of the Horn of Africa a threat from terrorism.

Visitors should register with their embassy on arrival.

Travelers should be aware that travel options to and from Asmara are limited following the cancellation of scheduled flights between Asmara and Nairobi.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organizations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: (0845) 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

Health

	Special Precautions	Certificate Required?
Yellow Fever	Yes	1
Cholera	2	No
Typhoid and Polio	3	N/A
Malaria	4	N/A

Health Care



Note
1
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travelers arriving within six days from infected areas. Travelers arriving from non-endemic zones should note that vaccination is strongly recommended for travel outside the urban areas, even if an outbreak of the disease has not been reported and they would normally not require a vaccination certificate to enter the country.

2
Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Eritrea. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness.

3
Typhoid is widespread, especially in rural areas and poliomyelitis is endemic. Vaccination against both is advised.

4
Malaria risk, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, exists throughout the year in all areas below 2000m (682ft). Highly chloroquine-resistant falciparum has been reported. There is no malaria risk in Asmara.



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