ExploCountry guide · Eastern Africa
Ethiopia travel guide: visa, best time, weather, holidays and plugs
Entry rules for every passport, the best months to go, live weather, public holidays and the plug you need for Ethiopia. Capital: Addis Ababa.
Do you need a visa for Ethiopia?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 2 passports can enter Ethiopia without a visa and 114 more get a visa on arrival or an eTA.
All 198 passports for Ethiopia · Visa checker · Passport validity checker for Ethiopia
Ethiopia at a glance
- Capital
- Addis Ababa
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Currency
- Ethiopian birr (Br, ETB)
- Languages
- Amharic
- Calling code
- +251
- Drives on the
- right
- Power
- Type C, E, F, L · 220 V · 50 Hz
Best time to visit Ethiopia
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Oct–Mar. Dry season for the highlands.
General guidance on weather, crowds and wildlife, not a forecast. The chart below shows what the weather actually did last year.
Weather in Addis Ababa
Month by month last year
- Daily high and low (°C), monthly average
- Rain (mm in the month)
Next public holidays in Ethiopia
Nationwide holidays only, from Nager.Date. Check dates locally before you book: they can move.
Power plugs and voltage in Ethiopia
- Type Ctwo round pins
- Type Etwo round pins and an earth hole
- Type Ftwo round pins and earth clips
- Type Lthree round pins in a row
Mains power is 220 V at 50 Hz. Phone and laptop chargers usually accept 100 to 240 V, so they only need the right plug. Hair dryers, kettles and other single-voltage appliances need a matching voltage or a converter.
Do I need an adapter for Ethiopia?
Hand-curated, so a good first answer: confirm before you fly.
More before you go
- Passport validity. Many countries want 3 to 6 months of validity left. Check your dates for Ethiopia or read the six-month rule explained.
- Other places you can go. Where can I go? lists the places your passport reaches that are also in season, and the passport ranking shows how yours compares.
Nearby countries
Questions
Do I need a visa for Ethiopia?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 2 passports can enter Ethiopia without a visa, 114 passports can get a visa on arrival, 81 passports can apply for an e-Visa and 1 passport needs a visa in advance. Pick your passport on this page, or see the full list on the all-passports page for Ethiopia.
When is the best time to visit Ethiopia?
Oct–Mar. Dry season for the highlands.
What plug type and voltage does Ethiopia use?
Ethiopia uses plug types C, E, F, L at 220 V and 50 Hz. Check that your devices accept that voltage before you plug them in. Plug data is hand-curated, so confirm before you fly.
Which side of the road do they drive on in Ethiopia?
Traffic keeps to the right in Ethiopia.
What currency does Ethiopia use?
Ethiopian birr (Br, ETB).
What is the calling code for Ethiopia?
+251.
What is the capital of Ethiopia?
Addis Ababa.
How up to date is this information?
Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book. Weather and public holidays on this page are fetched live from Open-Meteo and Nager.Date.
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Get ExploEntry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.