Visas in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for Sudan and Egypt whilst travelling overland, transit & tourist visa

Egypt Visa

Requirements for a 30-day tourist visa

  • Cost 690 Birr
  • Two Photos
  • Application form
  • Receipt for money – One per person
  • 3 working days

Parking down the road on the left,
GPS 9.04633, 38.76413

Sudan Visa

Requirements for a 2 weeks Transit Visa

  • Cost $95
  • Egypt visa
  • Next day / 24 hours

The lady even completed all the forms for us!!

You can park on the road opposite the Embassy,
GPS 9.006558, 38.744841

*Note in Sudan there are no ATM’s that accept foreign cards so take all the money you need during your stay in cash, preferably USD.

Money

Most banks in Ethiopia do not appear to issue receipts for withdrawals with international cards.
The only bank that we found to issue atm receipts was the Zemen Bank, there’s parking outside.
Other options you have are:

1. To withdraw cash over the counter
2. Speak to the banks IT department to generate a receipt (takes about an hour)
3. Exchange money and obtain a receipt

Getting USD in Addis Ababa

Most banks will only allow you to change a maximum of $150, and require you to provide a flight ticket.

In order to exchange more than this, without a flight ticket you can go to the head office of various banks, we went to the head office of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

You drive into and park in the banks car park
GPS 9.017766, 38.751867

Requirements:

  • Passport with Ethiopian visa
  • Receipts for local currently

Instructions for the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
Go the top floor of the bank and to counter number 69, once you tell them you are a foreigner and require a large sum of USD they will tell you to go and speak to the customer service manager in the office behind.

Once you have their approval you go back to counter 69, complete the form and give them your passport.

It will take them 10 – 20 minutes to process the form, you then go to counter 59 (or any counter around there that is open) give them the completed form and the cash.

They will then give you USD.

*Be careful they do hold some old USD so check that all notes are issued after 2008.

If you require the IT department to provide a receipt for your ATM withdrawals, go to the lower ground floor, through the door, turn left and go all the way to the end. Ask anyone on that room for help.

Map of Embassies and Bank
Addis Ababa Overland info – Map
addmap.

For info on visas in Nairobi see this post: Visas in Nairobi, Kenya for Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt – Overland

Updates can be found in our Overland Facebook Group or Forum – Overland