Entry and residence
Visa, passport, vaccination required at the border, customs and consular assistance. Rules depend on your nationality: each point says who it applies to.
Visa
A visa is required and must be obtained in advance from an Eritrean embassy; except with prior authorisation, no visa is issued at Asmara airport. Choose the visa type matching the real purpose of your stay.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, entry and residenceA Travel Permit from the Ministry of Tourism is mandatory to go more than 25 km from Asmara or your place of residence; the answer often comes within 24 hours.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, entry and residenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, safetyLand borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti are closed and there are no direct flights to either country.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, entry and residence- Passport: United States
Get your visa before departure; passport valid for 6 months with two blank pages. Electronic devices are strictly limited and must be declared on arrival.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceU.S. Department of State, Eritrea International Travel Information - Passport: Germany
A visa is required and must be requested before entry from the Eritrean Embassy in Berlin or the Consulate General in Frankfurt. The stay must match the purpose of the visa; staying without a valid visa leads to arrest. Tourist visas are valid for one month, extendable twice by one month (about USD 60).
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceAuswärtiges Amt, Eritrea: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise - Passport: Spain
An entry visa is required, in a passport valid for at least 6 months. A permit is also needed to travel within the country.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceMinisterio de Asuntos Exteriores (España), Recomendaciones de viaje: Eritrea
Passport and documents
Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with 2 consecutive blank pages. Dual nationals who entered on an Eritrean ID card need an exit permit.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Eritrea travel advice: entry requirements
Customs and currency
Declare all electronic devices on arrival, and foreign currency from 10,000 USD (keep the certificate for departure). No more than 1,000 nakfa may be taken out, or boarding will be refused.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Eritrea travel advice: entry requirements
Useful contacts
Contact details taken from the official sources cited. Check them before going.
Embassy of France in Eritrea
Passport: FranceFrench embassy in Asmara; out-of-hours emergencies: +291 7 89 36 81.
France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, safety· Oct 2, 2026
Sources for this guide
- France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, entry and residence · Source updated: September 15, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Eritrea, safety · Source updated: September 15, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Eritrea International Travel Information · Source updated: September 24, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- Auswärtiges Amt, Eritrea: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · Source updated: September 22, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (España), Recomendaciones de viaje: Eritrea · Source updated: February 28, 2025 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- GOV.UK (FCDO), Eritrea travel advice: entry requirements · Source updated: July 27, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
AfriPilot is not an official body. Information comes from the sources cited and may change: each source's date is shown.