Just Landed in Ethiopia? Your First 7 Days

Ethio Telecom is the dominant state-owned network and Safaricom Ethiopia is the private challenger that launched service in 2022 and has grown fast, including its M-Pesa mobile money. 4G covers Addis and the major towns but speeds are modest and coverage patchy, and fibre home internet is available in parts of the capital. Passport registration for any SIM is mandatory, and the government has a documented history of throttling or shutting down mobile internet during unrest and national exam periods, so never rely on a single connection.

Typical cost: A SIM with a starter data bundle is roughly 200 to 500 ETB; a monthly package of several GB commonly runs 300 to 900 ETB. Fixed fibre home plans in Addis start around 1,000 to 2,000 ETB per month depending on speed.

Ethiopia is overwhelmingly a cash economy running on the birr. The National Bank floated the currency in July 2024 as part of an IMF-backed reform, so the birr now moves with the market (roughly 130 to 155 ETB to the US dollar through 2025) rather than being pegged, and the gap with the parallel street rate has narrowed but not vanished. International Visa and Mastercard work only at top hotels and a handful of upscale venues, so carry cash and change money at banks or licensed bureaux, keeping every receipt.

Opening an account: Foreigners with a residence ID (or, in some cases, a valid visa plus employer letters) can open a birr account at Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (the giant state bank), Dashen Bank or Awash Bank; bring your passport, residence or work permit, photos and a local address or reference. Non-residents are usually limited to foreign-currency (diaspora) accounts, which are useful for bringing money in.

Cash: Cash is king almost everywhere; taxis, minibuses, markets and small shops are cash-only. Telebirr (Ethio Telecom's mobile money) and Safaricom's M-Pesa are now widely used locally and are worth setting up once you have a local ID, but plenty of vendors still expect notes.

Tipping: Tipping in birr is expected in restaurants and hotels; around 10 percent in sit-down restaurants, and small notes for porters, guides, guards and parking attendants (zebegna). Round taxi fares up rather than haggling over loose change.

Ethiopia does not operate a simple household address-registration scheme for short visits, so a tourist does not report an address to the police. However, anyone staying long-term to work or live must obtain a residence ID (residence permit) and, for employment, a separate work permit; a foreign national who takes up formal residence is expected to be registered through these channels. Residence IDs are handled by the Immigration and Citizenship Service and work permits through the Ministry of Labour and Skills, and the two are typically processed together via your employer or sponsor.

Deadline: Begin the residence ID and work permit process as soon as you take up residence or start work, and secure the permits before your entry visa expires, which is often within the first 30 days. Overstaying without the correct permit leads to fines and complications on exit, so do not let it slide.

Where: Ethiopian Immigration and Citizenship Service in Addis Ababa for the residence ID, and the Ministry of Labour and Skills for the work permit, almost always coordinated by your employer or a local fixer who knows the current requirements.

Getting around Addis means blue-and-white shared taxis, minibus vans (wiyiyit) that ply fixed routes for a few birr, larger city buses (Anbessa and Sheger), the two-line light rail that opened in 2015, and app-based ride-hailing, which is the safest and simplest bet for newcomers. Traffic is heavy, road rules are loosely observed, pavements are uneven and few drivers speak much English, so an app that pins your destination on a map saves a lot of confusion and overcharging.

From the airport: Bole International Airport is around 6 km southeast of the centre. Use a pre-arranged hotel transfer or a RIDE or Feres booking (commonly a few hundred birr to central areas such as Bole, Kazanchis or Piassa); avoid the unmetered airport touts who quote in dollars. Minibuses and light rail are far cheaper but awkward with luggage and jet lag.

Most newcomers rent furnished flats or compound houses in Addis neighbourhoods such as Bole, Kazanchis, Old Airport, CMC, Sarbet and Gerji, usually found through local brokers (delala) or word of mouth rather than big listing portals. A handful of sites such as Ethiopian Properties, RealEthio and Airbnb help for an initial landing, but the best deals still come through personal contacts and your employer.

Typical rent: A modern one- to two-bedroom flat in a desirable Addis area commonly runs from around 70,000 ETB up to 150,000 ETB or more per month, with premium furnished flats in Bole going considerably higher; landlords frequently quote larger or high-end properties in US dollars.

Deposit norm: Expect to pay one to three months upfront, and brokers typically charge a commission of about one month's rent. Leases are often short (six to twelve months) and rents can be raised sharply on renewal, so pin down terms and the payment currency in writing before you commit.

Public healthcare is basic and stretched, so most expats and better-off locals use a handful of private hospitals and clinics in Addis. Serious conditions, complex surgery and major trauma are routinely handled by medical evacuation to Nairobi, Dubai or Europe, which is why comprehensive evacuation cover is not optional. Outside Addis, quality private care thins out quickly.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, go directly to a private facility such as Nordic Medical Centre, MCM (Myungsung Christian Medical Centre), St. Gabriel General Hospital or Landmark, and pay cash or bill your insurer. There is no family-doctor gatekeeping system, so you simply turn up or book. Keep a stock of any regular prescription medicines, as specific brands and pharmacy supply can be inconsistent.

Insurance: Arrange comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation before or immediately on arrival. Local facilities rarely accept foreign insurance cards directly, so you usually pay upfront in cash and claim back, meaning you should keep a financial buffer and all receipts and reports.

• Greet with a handshake and eye contact; among friends a shoulder-touch or repeated cheek greeting is common, and greetings are unhurried and involve genuinely asking after family and health.
• Eat with your right hand from shared injera platters, tearing the injera to scoop up the stews; being fed a bite by hand (gursha) is a warm gesture of friendship you should accept graciously.
• Accept coffee whenever it is offered; the coffee ceremony, with its roasting, incense and three rounds, is a significant social ritual and leaving before the third cup can seem rude.
• Dress modestly, especially at churches and mosques, cover shoulders and knees at religious sites, and remove your shoes before entering a mosque and many homes.
• Use both hands, or your right hand supported by the left at the wrist, when giving or receiving money, gifts or business cards as a sign of respect.
• Show visible respect to elders and seniors, standing to greet them and letting them lead, and use titles (Ato for a man, Weizero for a married woman) until invited to be less formal.
• Learn a few Amharic pleasantries; even a stumbling selam or ameseginalehu is met with warmth and opens doors that English alone does not.

• Photographing people, government buildings, the military, police, bridges or the airport can cause serious offence or trouble; always ask before photographing a person and avoid official and security sites entirely.
• Politics, ethnic identity and regional conflicts are sensitive and sometimes dangerous topics; stay neutral, listen more than you speak and never wade into public commentary or social media rows.
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and same-sex relationships are illegal and socially taboo, so be discreet.
• Confirm every date and time against the Ethiopian calendar and the 6am-based clock to avoid missed meetings and mistaken appointments.
• Do not point at people with a single finger or beckon with your palm up; use your whole hand, and avoid showing the soles of your feet when sitting.