Ethiopia Reciprocity Schedule


Visa Classification Fee Number of Applications Validity Period
A-1 None Multiple 24 Months
A-2 None Multiple 24 Months
A-3 [1] None Multiple 24 Months
B-1 None Multiple 24 Months
B-2 None Multiple 24 Months
B-1/B-2 None Multiple 24 Months
C-1 None Multiple 3 Months
C-1/D N/A N/A N/A
C-2 None One 6 Months
C-3 None Multiple 6 Months
D None Multiple 24 Months
E-1 [2] None Multiple 6 Months
E-2 [2] None Multiple 6 Months
F-1 None Multiple 12 Months
F-2 None Multiple 12 Months
G-1 None Multiple 12 Months
G-2 None Multiple 12 Months
G-3 None Multiple 12 Months
G-4 None Multiple 12 Months
G-5 [1] None Multiple 12 Months
H-1B None Multiple 36 Months [3]
H-1C None Multiple 36 Months [3]
H-2A None Multiple 36 Months [3]
H-2B None Multiple 36 Months [3]
H-2R None Multiple 36 Months [3]
H-3 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
H-4 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
I None Multiple 6 Months
J-1 [4] None Multiple 12 Months
J-2 [4] None Multiple 12 Months
K-1 None One 6 Months
K-2 None One 6 Months
K-3 None Multiple 24 Months
K-4 None Multiple 24 Months
L-1 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
L-2 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
M-1 None Multiple 12 Months
M-2 None Multiple 12 Months
N-8 None Multiple 12 Months
N-9 None Multiple 12 Months
NATO 1-7 N/A N/A N/A
O-1 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
O-2 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
O-3 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
P-1 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
P-2 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
P-3 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
P-4 None Multiple 36 Months [3]
Q-1 [6] None Multiple 15 Months [3]
R-1 None Multiple 36 Months
R-2 None Multiple 36 Months
S-5 [7] None One 1 Month
S-6 [7] None One 1 Month
S-7 [7] None One 1 Month
T-1 [9] N/A N/A N/A
T-2 None One 6 Months
T-3 None One 6 Months
T-4 None One 6 Months
T-5 None One 6 Months
TD [5] N/A N/A N/A
U-1 None One 1 Month
U-2 None One 1 Month
U-3 None One 1 Month
U-4 None One 1 Month
U-5 None One 1 Month
V-1 None Multiple 120 Months
V-2 None Multiple 120 Months [8]
V-3 None Multiple 120 Months [8]

Documents

Birth Certificates

Available only to those resident in Ethiopia. Requests for copies of previously issued birth certificates should be addressed to the Office of Region 14 Administration, Vital Statistics Service, Municipality of Addis Ababa, P.O. Box 356, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; or to the equivalent office or any other municipality in which the birth was registered.

For children under ten years of age, a hospital birth certificate, court document confirming parentage, or a baptismal certificate and acknowledgment from one's "kebele" (urban neighborhood association) are sufficient documentation for issuance of a birth certificate. For children between the ages of eleven and thirteen, the above mentioned documents and school records are required for issuance. Any of the above documents and an identity card are satisfactory for issuance of birth certificates for persons over the age of eighteen.

Persons applying for original birth certificates should contact the appropriate municipal authorities and present hospital birth records, which have been authenticated by their "kebele." Because of the nature of the "kebele" system, the birth certificate may be issued by the municipality where the person presently resides rather than where the birth actually took place.

Adoption Certificates

Contracts of adoption are signed by the adopting parents and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The court decree must be affixed to the contract in order for the adoption to be valid.

Marriage Certificates

Available only to those physically present in Ethiopia. Requests should be addressed to the municipality where the marriage was registered. The address is the same as that for birth certificates.

Divorce Certificates

Available only to those resident in Ethiopia. Obtaining a divorce is a rather lengthy process in Ethiopia. Each party must have two appointed family arbiters, acceptable to the court. The first priority of the family arbiters is to attempt to reunite the husband and wife. If this is not possible, they will then negotiate agreements for property settlement and child custody. The arbiters must present the agreement to the court for a final decision. Upon presentation of the court's ruling and a copy of the judgments signed by all parties involved, the municipality will issue a divorce certificate in the Amharic language only. Most marriages in Ethiopia are religious in nature and the civil divorce procedures and laws are intertwined with the religious commitments regarding termination of marriages.

Note: Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths is not automatic in Ethiopia. The documentation of these events is relatively new and largely confined to urban areas. A church-issued document, an acknowledgment from one's "kebele", and affidavits from three witnesses, all of which can be had for a price, are sufficient evidence for issuance of certificates. Relationships are rarely investigated for veracity. With the exception of divorce decrees, all certificates are available in Amharic, English, or English-Amharic combinations.

Death Certificates

If the death occurred at home, acknowledgments from three witnesses, a certificate from the deceased's "kebele", as well as a certificate from the church where the body is interred are required for issuance of a municipal death certificate. If the death occurred in a hospital, a death certificate issued by the hospital and a church/burial site certificate are necessary for the issuance of a municipal death certificate.

Police and Prison Records

Available only to those resident in Ethiopia. Certificates of good conduct from the police (Interpol) are available only to people 18 years or older who apply in person in Ethiopia. Three photos, a valid travel document, and a letter requesting the investigation are required for certificate issuance. Persons released from prison are normally given an official release record.

Military Records

In principle, any person who has served in the military is given a letter of discharge; the Ministry of Defense can, upon request, issue letters confirming the military service of Dergue (Mengistu government) personnel who remain on active duty within the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), as well as those who served under the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF). However, in practice, military records generally are not available.

Identity Card

Identity cards are issued by "kebeles" to those eighteen and older, and by schools to students. There is no uniform identification document.

Passport and Other Travel Documents

Passports are issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a two year period. The Ministry or an Ethiopian Embassy or Consulate may renew a passport multiple times for additional two year periods.

Laissez-Passer: Issued for children under the age of five years. The laissez-passer is a large white single sheet of paper folded in half. The validity depends on the travel plans, but never exceeds two years or the child's fifth birthday.

Post Comment: Since June 2, 1991, Ethiopia has been governed by a transitional government, which issues its own civil documents. However, many documents from previous regimes are still valid and in circulation. There have been numerous personnel changes in various ministries and municipal offices and not all government officials and civil servants are aware of which documents are available or how to obtain them.

Special Clearance and Issuance Procedures

None.

Visa Issuing Post

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Embassy)

Entoto Avenue
P.O. Box 1014
Addis Ababa

Tel: 251-1-174000, 251-1-550660

Fax: 251-1-551328

Visa Services

All visa categories for all of Ethiopia.

Country Specific Footnotes

  1. Note: Bearers of diplomatic or official passports are entitled to visas valid for

    Visa Classification Fee Number of Applications Validity Period
    B-1 None Multiple 12 Months
    B-2 None Multiple 12 Months