Areas where FCDO advises against travel
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice.
Within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders
FCDO advises against all travel to within 25km of all of Eritrea’s land borders.
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
Tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia are high. The security situation in Eritrea could change with little notice.
Support for British nationals in Eritrea
Consular support is severely limited in parts of Eritrea. Staff at the British Embassy in Asmara cannot offer support in person in areas of Eritrea where FCDO advises against travel. Diplomats at the British Embassy require travel permits from the Eritrean government to travel outside Asmara, which means the Embassy cannot always provide consular assistance in person in parts of Eritrea.
The Eritrean authorities may not inform the British Embassy if a British national is in need of help. There have been instances where the Eritrean authorities have refused to give the Embassy consular access to detained foreign nationals.
If you’re in Eritrea and you need urgent help (for example, you’ve been attacked or arrested, or someone has died) please get in touch using the numbers below.
-
During office hours, please call the British Embassy Asmara on +291 787 1517. Office hours are Monday-Thursday between 08:00 and 16:30 or Friday between 08:00 and 12:30.
-
For out of hours support, please call the British Embassy Addis on +251 116 170 100 or the Foreign Office in London on +44 207 008 5000.
British-Eritrean dual nationals
If you are a British-Eritrean dual national or are of Eritrean origin, the Eritrean authorities consider you to be an Eritrean national. You may therefore be subject to obligations including taxes and national service. This may apply if you hold identity documents issued by Eritrea’s Department of Immigration and Nationality, including out of date documents, or if you do not hold these documents but are of Eritrean origin. The British Embassy is unable to offer consular assistance to dual nationals in Eritrea.
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
About FCDO travel advice
FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
Get travel advice updates
Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
Follow FCDO:
This advice reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Eritrea set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Eritrean Embassy in the UK.
Passport validity requirements
To enter Eritrea, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least 2 blank consecutive pages for stamping.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Visa requirements
You must have a visa to enter Eritrea. For information about visas, contact the Eritrean Embassy in the UK or the nearest Eritrean embassy. Check with your airline or travel company for the latest information.
British-Eritrean dual nationals
Dual nationals who enter Eritrea on an Eritrean identity card will need an exit permit from the Immigration Office in Asmara to leave the country.
Vaccination requirements
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need in TravelHealthPro’s Eritrea guide.
Depending on your circumstances, this may include a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Eritrea. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Electronic items
You must declare all laptops, mobile phones, cameras and other electronic items. If you do not, they can be confiscated by customs officials when you leave.
Taking money into and out of Eritrea
Declare foreign cash or travellers cheques if the value is 10,000 US dollars or more. You will get a certificate, which you must keep to show when you leave.
When you leave Eritrea, you must be able to show that any foreign currency you have spent has been either:
- exchanged at ‘Himbol’, the state foreign currency exchange
- spent at an official hotel
If you cannot account for foreign money you’ve spent, you may be delayed or face prosecution, leading to a severe fine.
You are not allowed to take more than 1,000 Eritrean nafka out of Eritrea.
This guide also has safety advice for regions of Eritrea.
Terrorism
There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
Terrorism in Eritrea
Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Eritrea, attacks cannot be ruled out.
Military activity in the Red Sea area
Military activity is currently underway in response to attempts by Houthi militants to prevent movement of international shipping in the Red Sea. While the area of activity is limited to the Red Sea and Yemen, there is a possibility that Travel Advice for nearby countries could change at short notice. You should continue to monitor Travel Advice and follow any relevant instructions from local authorities.
Political situation
Local security measures
There are periodically reports of conscription surges and mobilisation of reservists in Eritrea, connected to regional instability of the Horn of Africa. Security measures may be in place around Asmara and other regions of Eritrea. Get advice from your host, accommodation or travel operator.
Tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia are high. The security situation could change with little notice
Armed civilians
A large proportion of the population has access to arms under the government of Eritrea’s civilian militia programme. The British Embassy has no evidence these weapons increase the threat of violent crime.
Travel permits
Foreign nationals must apply in advance for a permit to travel outside Asmara’s surrounding province, Zoba Maekel, as well as to certain sites within the capital like the ‘tank graveyard’. There are checkpoints outside Asmara where officials will check your travel permit. Applications for permits are handled by the relevant ministry:
- Ministry of Trade and Industry for business travellers
- Ministry of Tourism, Harnet Avenue, for tourists
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs for diplomats
Applications may take several days to be processed and are not always successful.
When applying, you must give details of the car you’ll be travelling in. There have been reports of authorities not allowing tourists to use public transport for travel outside of Asmara.
If you are living or working outside Asmara, you will also need a travel permit to leave your area of residence or work. Apply to the local region (‘zoba’) administration office.
Restrictions on travel by foreign nationals apply equally to foreign diplomats. Staff from the British Embassy cannot always provide consular assistance in person to British nationals outside Asmara.
Crime
Protecting yourself and your belongings
Though Asmara is a relatively safe city, there is a risk of street crime, especially at night. Women travellers can experience verbal and physical harassment by individuals or groups of men. To reduce your personal risk:
- do not walk alone at night
- keep phones, cameras and passports out of sight
- keep valuables somewhere secure, such as in a hotel safe
Laws and cultural differences
Personal ID
You must always carry ID. A copy of the photo page of your passport is enough. Keep the original and a second copy in a safe place.
Internet and phone access
Internet access is highly restricted in Eritrea, mainly limited to hotels and a small number of internet cafes. There is no 3G in the country. The national telephone networks are often unreliable and may only work for limited periods each day outside Asmara and larger towns.
International SIM cards do not work in Eritrea. You need a residence permit to buy a local SIM card and this can take several weeks. There have been unconfirmed reports that phone calls made on the Eritrean mobile network are recorded.
Photography
Photographing government buildings and military installations is illegal. Always ask if you want to take a photo in any area where security personnel are present. You need a permit to take photographs of the ‘tank graveyard’ in Asmara. You can apply for a permit at the Ministry of Tourism.
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal. If convicted, you can get a prison sentence.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Transport risks
Road travel
If you are planning to drive in Eritrea, you will need a 1949 version of the international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence. You cannot get an IDP outside the UK so get one before you travel.
Take both your IDP and UK driving license to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication and they will issue you with a driving permit.
See information on driving abroad.
Road conditions
Road signage and safety barriers are scarce and road surfaces are uneven. Tight blind bends and steep drops are common. Street lighting is limited and may be affected by power cuts. Other drivers may drive without lights and some drive erratically or at speed. In many parts of the country, roads are difficult or impassable during the rainy season.
Air travel
The runway at Asmara International Airport is occasionally damaged by weather conditions, particularly during the rainy season. If this happens, flights may be delayed or cancelled until the runway has been repaired, and travellers may experience significant disruption.
The UK Air Safety List (ASL) lists all known airlines in Eritrea that do not meet international safety standards and are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the UK. Check the UK Air Safety List when considering which airlines to fly with. The list is maintained by the Department for Transport, based on advice from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Check whether your tour operator has concerns about airlines in Eritrea.
Sea travel
Mariners should get permissions and entry visas before attempting to enter Eritrean waters. Vessels have been impounded and crew detained for entering Eritrean waters or landing in Eritrea, including islands belonging to Eritrea without permission.
Piracy risk
The Southern Red Sea area is a hotspot for maritime crime and security incidents.
There is still a significant risk of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, where piracy has been reduced but not prevented. The threat assessment of the combined international naval counter-piracy forces is that sailing yachts should not enter the designated high-risk area, due to the risk of hijacking.
This section has safety advice for regions of Eritrea. It only covers regions where FCDO has specific advice.
You should also read FCDO’s overall travel advice and safety and security advice.
Eritrea-Djibouti border
FCDO advises against all travel to within 25km of Eritrea’s border with Djibouti.
In 2008 there was fighting between Djibouti and Eritrea after an incursion of Eritrean forces into the disputed Djibouti border region. The situation remains fragile.
Eritrea-Ethiopia border
FCDO advises against all travel to within 25km of Eritrea’s border with Ethiopia because of military activity on both sides of the border.
Eritrea-Sudan border
FCDO advises against all travel to within 25km of Eritrea’s border with Sudan because of military activity on both sides of the border.
Hanish Islands
It is highly unlikely that Eritrean authorities will issue permits for any vessels to visit the south-western Hanish Islands. These islands are very close to the conflict in Yemen. The authorities have previously detained mariners who landed without a permit.
Landmines near borders
There is a risk of landmines near Eritrea’s borders, particularly in the Eritrea-Ethiopia and Eritrea-Djibouti border areas. If you are in the border area against FCDO advice, do not leave the main paved highways by car or on foot.
Before you travel check that:
- your destination can provide the healthcare you may need
- you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation
This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.
Emergency medical number
Call 122244 and ask for an ambulance. Please note that the call handler may not speak English.
Contact your insurance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.
Vaccinations and health risks
At least 8 weeks before your trip check:
Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Eritrea. Read more about altitude sickness on TravelHealthPro.
Medication
The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.
There is a limited range of medicines available in Eritrea, and many of those are produced locally. If you’re taking prescription medication, make sure you have a supply for your stay plus a contingency.
Read best practice when travelling with medicines on TravelHealthPro.
The NHS has information on whether you can take your medicine abroad.
Healthcare facilities in Eritrea
There are 3 public hospitals in Asmara. Public hospitals in other towns are often poorly equipped. In rural areas medical facilities are even more limited. If you’re travelling away from the large towns, carry a comprehensive medical pack with you.
FCDO has a list of medical facilities in Eritrea where some staff will speak English.
Travel and mental health
Read FCDO guidance on travel and mental health. There is also mental health guidance on TravelHealthPro.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.
Emergency services in Eritrea
Ambulance: 122244
Fire: 116
Police: 113
Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.
Refunds and changes to travel
For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.
Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:
- where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
- how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim
Consular assistance
Consular support is severely limited in parts of Eritrea. Constraints on travel within Eritrea mean the British Embassy is often unable to deliver in-person consular assistance outside the greater Asmara area.
The Eritrean authorities may not inform the British Embassy if a British national is in need of help. There have been instances where the Eritrean authorities have refused to give the Embassy consular access to detained foreign nationals.
Support from FCDO
FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:
Help abroad
See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.
Help in the UK
You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.
Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
Find out about call charges
Get travel advice updates
Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
Follow FCDO:
You know where