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Staying in Ethiopia as a German citizen - Danger of high fines!

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Important information

The Ethiopian authorities treat anyone who holds a passport of another country as a foreign national. Children who have an Ethiopian parent are also treated as foreign nationals as soon as the hold a passport of another country.

First issuance of a German passport at the German Embassy in Addis Ababa

Anyone who receives a German passport for the first time in Ethiopia - this is usually only the case for children born in Ethiopia - must immediately apply for a residence permit from the competent Ethiopian authority, Immigration and Citizenship Services (ICS). ICS will then levy fine of USD 30 per day counted from the issuing date of the German passport. This means that the fine will be around USD 900 per month. There is no upper limit to the fine amount, so fines can quickly amount to several thousand US Dollars; prison sentences may also be imposed.

ICS does not accept preliminary passports for residence permit applications and insists on biometric passports. If you apply for a biometric passport at the German Embassy in Addis Ababa, it will take several weeks from the application date until the passport is ready for collection, as the passport is manufactured in Germany. However, the passport will always show the application date as the issuing date. Therefore, even if you apply for an Ethiopian residence permit immediately after collecting your German passport, a fine of several thousand US Dollars will be levied.

Staying in Ethiopia after the expiration of the visa/residence permit

Persons with non-Ethiopian citizenship must hold a valid Ethiopian visa or Ethiopian residence permit during their entire stay in Ethiopia. After expiry of the visa/residence permit, ICS will also levy a fine of USD 30 per day. If the date of entry cannot be verified by an entry stamp in the passport, the fine may be levied on the basis of the person's date of birth. There is no upper limit, so very high fines can be levied. Imprisonment is also possible.

Leaving Ethiopia

If a fine has been imposed, the Ethiopian authorities will only allow you to leave the country after the fine has been paid.

Assistance from the German Embassy in Addis Ababa

The German Embassy has no way to persuade the Ethiopian authorities to reduce or cancel a fine. The Embassy cannot provide Germans with a loan to pay a fine.

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