أثيوبيا business visa application, requirements, price, and processing time

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An Ethiopia business visa is required for foreign business persons who wish to visit Ethiopia for business. The Ethiopian government has different types of visas for various purposes, but the Ethiopia visa is a special purpose travel document for business visitors.

This post contains vital information about the different types of business visas and how to apply for them. Keep reading this post to learn more.

Types of Ethiopia Business Visa

Business visas are designed for the same purpose but have different sub-categories, as explained below.

Conference Visa: A Conference Visa is issued to eligible citizens of foreign nations who wish to attend a country's seminar, conference, or workshop. The organizer may be a private organization, educational institution, or government ministry. Conference visas make it possible to visitors to enter Ethiopia at short notice to participate in events they are invited for.

Foreign Business Firm Employment WV Visa: The foreign employment visa is issued to employees or expatriate workers of international businesses operating in Ethiopia. This document allows holders to enter and work in Ethiopia for their new employers.

Government Employment Visa: This one is similar to the previous employment visa explained above, but the only difference is that it is issued to foreigners contracted to work in any government ministry or institution.

Private Business Firm Work PE Visa: This visa is for foreigners working for Ethiopian-owned businesses on a short-term contract. The validity of the visa depends on multiple factors.

International Embassies/Organizations Work Visa: The international embassy or organization work visa is issued to foreign nationals invited to work in Ethiopia on a project for an international organization of the Ethiopian embassy.

Government Institutions Visa For Short Task: The Government Institutions short task visa is for foreigners contracted by an Ethiopian government Institution to work in the country for a short time.

Non-Government Organization Visa: The NGO visa is for foreigners entering the country to work for a registered and active NGO on a permanent or short-term project. This one is the opposite of the visa issued to visitors hired by government institutions.

Investment Visa: Those who wish to invest in Ethiopia can apply for an Investment visa. This visa is also for those who have active investments in the country.

Journalist Visa: This visa is strictly for foreign journalists working as freelancers or a media organization. It also covers filmmakers, media professionals, and those engaged in general media-related work in the country.

These are the types of business visas issued by the government of Ethiopia to foreign nationals. Note that each is issued for a specific purpose and has a different expiry date. Before you apply for a business visa, be sure of why you want to visit the country and only apply for a suitable one so your application will not be denied.

For business-related activities aside from the ones listed above, endeavor to visit the Ethiopian embassy in your home country to get recommendations on the right kind of visa to apply for.

Ethiopia Business Visa Requirements

To successfully apply for an Ethiopia e visa, you must submit the following for your visa application.

Passport

Your ordinary passport must be submitted so officials can process your application. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from arriving in Ethiopia and must contain at least 2 blank pages for visa stamps at the airport. Ensure that you scan the bio page of the passport to display your personal information.

Picture

A passport-sized 35x45mm picture was taken on a white background. The picture must be recently uploaded in JPEG, PNG, or JPG format with a maximum of 2MB.

Extra documents

The applicant must submit certain extra documents depending on the business visa they are applying for. Some common documents requested include the following.

An application letter issued by the inviting organization or company addressed to the right government agency inviting the applicant to Ethiopia
The inviting company's business license
The inviting company TIN Number
Contract document between the applicant and the inviting company
An issued note from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs granting the applicant clearance to visit Ethiopia for international or governmental organizations
A support letter from the foreign affairs ministry or Office of Communication of the government for visiting journalists

Note that these documents should be uploaded in JPEG, PNG, JPG, BMP, PDF, or GIF formats, and their size must not exceed 2MB per file. Passports should be scanned and uploaded too.

If you want to apply for an Ethiopia business visa, kindly visit the embassy in your country. For short stay single entry visa, kindly visit VisaHQ to complete the application form.

Visa Policy of Ethiopian

Ethiopia has a visa policy regulating the entry and exit of foreigners, which dictates who holds a visa and how long they can remain in the country. According to Ethiopian visa policy, all visitors must get a visa from Ethiopian foreign missions, online or at the airport, before they can visit unless they are from visa-exempt countries. The visa policy is a set of rules and regulations that determine the eligibility for entry and the conditions for exit.

As for the requirements, this is based on the nationality and purpose of the visitor's trip and how long they want to stay in Ethiopia. Freedoms of movement are guaranteed under the law for citizens, but not all foreigners enjoy these rights unless they fulfill the conditions set under the Immigration Law of Ethiopia 2003.

Still, on the visa policy, the laws state that any foreigner looking to enter Ethiopia must have a valid travel document, a valid visa or permanent resident permit, and a health certificate if required. They will need a valid return or onward ticket if they hold a transit and tourist visa. If a minor is traveling, the adult they accompany must provide a travel document to prove guardianship or blood relationship and must show that they will assume responsibility for them.

Only citizens from two countries enjoy visa-free access into Ethiopia, and they are Kenyans and Djibouti’s: the others need one form of entry document or the other.

Also of importance to note is the e-visa policy or online visa that passport holders from 230 countries qualify for. This visa is only useful for persons traveling by air to Ethiopia. Those who can only get one after their trip may apply for a visa on arrival on or before they arrive in Addis Ababa. The e-visa is designed for tourism, business, and transit, but applications are not accepted from a few countries

The only visa free countries whose nationals can travel to Ethiopia are Djibouti and Kenya but this list may be expanded in future.

Extending Your e Visa

You can extend your e-visa before it expires, but this must be done at the head office of the immigration authorities in person. If you stay longer than the visa allows, you will be sanctioned and made to pay fines for each number of days you stay in the country. Extension applications must clearly explain why you wish to stay in the country for a few more days or weeks and you must also pick a departure date. After receiving your application, the discretion lies with the immigration officer in charge to extend your stay by any number of days or weeks. Also note that extension applications attract fees.

Key Information About Ethiopia e Visa

Only For Eligible Visitors: The online visa of Ethiopia is not for everyone but only for visitors from selected countries. If your nationality doesn't qualify you for the e visa your application will be denied but not to worry; you can apply for a visa at the nearest Ethiopian consulate.

Valid Email: You will need a valid email address to receive your e visa; and it must be an email you have access to.

Financial Sufficiency: Holding an e visa is not a guarantee that you will be allowed into Ethiopia if you cannot prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your travel and living expenses. The officers at the entry point will want to see your financial statement or cash in hand.

Bole International Airport Only: The Bole international airport in Addis Ababa is the only approved route for e visa and visa on arrival holders. Visitors who use a different route will be denied entry into Ethiopia.

Fee: The application fee is paid for processing and is not refundable. Without paying the fee you will not be allowed to submit the application form.

Passport: The passport you use for the application and your trip should be one and the same because they will be linked once your application is approved. You will be denied entry if you use a different passport.

Traveling With Minors: You can travel with a minor to Ethiopia provided certain conditions are met. Firstly, the minor must have their own e visa which you can apply for on their behalf. Secondly, you must show proof of relationship if you are the parent by providing a birth certificate or a parental consent letter duly signed and notarized by the child's parents appointing you as their legal guardian for the trip.

Ethiopian Visa Online – Get your Egypt e-Visa with VisaHQ

If you wish to travel to Ethiopia, you can get an online e-visa to Ethiopia via VisaHQ without visiting the Ethiopian consulate or embassy in your country. The good news is that most world citizens are eligible for an e-visa if they wish to visit Ethiopia for a short while. With an internet-connected smartphone, you can complete the application process within minutes.

How To obtain a visa with VisaHQ?

Are you looking to apply for an Ethiopian e-visa using VisaHQ? You can apply for any of the e visas reviewed thus far by completing the online application form available at the VisaHQ website within a few minutes. Here are the simple steps to take.

Complete The Application Form: The first thing you need to do is complete the e-visa application form. The form is available on the VisaHQ application page. Please fill it out correctly with your personal, passport, and travel information.

Attach your Documents: Attach the required documents. Each e-visa has a specific requirement for documents, so attach the required documents depending on the e-visa you pick.

Get your visa: After submitting your application, you will need to wait for 24 hours or up to 72 hours to receive the e-visa via Email. Please print it out and travel to Ethiopia with it.

Why Use VisaHQ?

In case you are in doubt as to whether you should use VisaHQ to apply for your visas to Ethiopia, here are more than a few reasons why you should choose VisaHQ?

Fast and simple application process
We have been in the industry since 2003, with 20 offices and a presence in 6 countries
Enjoy first-class professional support from our experienced team.
Safe and secure platform
User-friendly website that is easy to use and navigate
Track your application with ease
Apply for multiple e-visas at the same time
Save documents for future applications
Encrypted website for data protection

Please apply for your e-visa now and get it approved within days.

To read about Ethiopia Visas

Other available visas to Ethiopia

Ethiopia Business E-visa

Other requirements for Ethiopia visas