Travelers planning a trip to Ethiopia will benefit from a recent price drop, as the cost of an electronic tourist visa (e-Visa) has been reduced by $20.
As the Ethiopian authorities have revealed, foreigners applying for an eVisa will now be required to pay a $62 fee increased of the previous $82 fee, VisaGuide.World reports.
The decision came after the Ethiopian government revised their online visa fees in February 2023, when all visa costs were increased by $30.
Fees Have Not Changed for Other Visa Categories
According to local media, the fees for other visa categories will remain unchanged, including Investment, Workshop/Conference, Journalist, and Visa extension.
Since last November, Ethiopino has no longer issued 90-day long-stay electronic tourist visas. Currently, e-visas are only available for stays of up to 30 days in the country.
Travelers with e-Visa must enter Ethiopia through Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The processing time for an Ethiopian e-visa can take up to three working days, and once approved, the Visa will be sent via email.
To become a popular tourist destination Ethiopia already allows visa-free access for citizens of some countries and issue Visas on Arrival for travelers from 120 countries, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Schengen nations.
Last year, Ethiopia saw a significant rise in international tourism, welcoming approximately 800,000 visitors, with the USA, UK, Germany, France, and Australia being major source markets.
International tourism contributed around $3.7 billion to Ethiopia’s GDP, accounting for 5.6 percent, and supported about two million jobs. Domestic tourism also grew by 15 percent, with key destinations including Addis Ababa, Lalibela, Bahir Dar, and the Simien Mountains.
Ethiopia is not the only country that has facilitated some of its visa rules in an attempt to attract more visitors.
In the recent months, several other countries have dropped visa requirements for specific countries nationals, have eased work visa rules, and have also been offering visas free of charge.
Pakistan is one of the most recent countries to facilitate some visa rules. Pakistan has decided to no longer require citizens of a total of 126 countries to pay for the visa fee when applying for the document.