Ethiopia has stopped issuing eVisas and visas-on-arrival, effectively banning entry into the country for all travellers who haven’t received authorisation from an embassy or consulate. This does not apply to travellers who are transiting through the East African nation, though, allowing South Africans to still fly aboard Ethiopian Airlines in what has become an important hub.
Ballots cast in Ethiopia’s delayed parliamentary elections are still being counted, following a vote which had been overshadowed by fierce fighting in the Tigray region. Ethiopians went to the polls on Monday, just two days after the country’s immigration agency announced the temporary suspension of eVisas and visas-on-arrival.
This suspension impacts travellers from South Africa who – belonging to an African Union member state – were previously eligible to receive a visa on arrival. South African travellers looking to enter Ethiopia will now need to make a direct appeal – either in person or by mail – to the embassy in Tshwane.
Ethiopian Airlines, which is one of the few African carriers that has managed to maintain a regular flight schedule amid the global pandemic, confirmed the suspension of visas but added that “transit passengers with layover will not be affected”.
While African airlines lost close to R140 billion in passenger revenue in 2020, Ethiopia’s flag carrier bucked the trend and turned a profit. The airline’s Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebre-Mariam attributed this feat – shared with only two other global airlines – to its cargo business and “agility”.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/ethiopia-suspends-visa-but-south-africans-can-still-transit-2021-6
