Visas in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for Sudan and Egypt - Overland

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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.
Google Maps

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 currency

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.jpg


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

Thank you for this very detailed and useful information.

My friend and I have just arrived in Addis today, so we will be heading to the Egyptian Embassy on Monday to start the process. We are planning on staying in Ethiopia for about a month before heading onto Sudan and Egypt.

Two queries:
1. Do you need a flight / onward travel in order to get an Egyptian visa?
2. With regards to the problem of obtaining cash in Sudan - approximately how much USD$ would you recommend getting? (there are two of us, we are not traveling by car - so will be looking at getting public transport and staying in budget hotels / camping where possible) and taking in a few short trips along the way to Khartoum and then Wadi Halfa)

Many thanks,
Nick
 
Hi Nick,

1) No we were not asked for / or required to provide proof onward travel for Egypt
2) It really depends and is hard to say, we found some accommodation to be quite expensive or very cheap and dire, we were also looking for the cheap, but clean accom, but with parking, some more details on costs in this post: Ethiopia, Metema / Gallabat, Sudan Border Crossing

In Khartoum prices range from around $10 youth hostel to mid range hotels $60.. outside of the capital room were anywhere between $10 and $40,

Its better to take more than less, you can use any extra USD in Egypt. The rates on the street are better than withdrawing it from the bank.
 
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Just an update for those lucky few who holds an American passport:

Sudan transit visa is not available for Americans. Letter of invitation is needed.

Also, Egyptian visa takes 15 days for Americans and Canadians. Their offices open from 09:00 - 12:00, 11:00 on Fridays.
 
thanks for all the info, just wanted to know whether Nick was asked for proof of exit for Egypt visa in Addis? If they are still not then this means I can totally get the Sudanese transit visa.
 
Hi there,
any ideas on how easy and long a process it takes for RSA, UK and FR passports to get visas for Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia? Or how we could make it as easy a process as possible?