Is It Safe to Travel to Ethiopia?Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel: governments change them often, sometimes weekly.
The US rates Ethiopia Level 3 (Reconsider travel). The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Ethiopia and all but essential travel to others. Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel, with stricter advisories for some regions.
The governments disagree: the strictest advice comes from the US and Canada (level 3), the mildest from the UK (level 2). Some regions carry stricter warnings than the rest of the country.
The three advisories side by side
US Department of State
3Level 3“Reconsider travel”
“Reconsider travel to Ethiopia due to unrest, crime, kidnapping, terrorism, landmines, communications disruptions, and exit bans. Some areas have increased risk.”
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
2Level 2“Advises against travel to parts of the country”
“FCDO advises against all travel to within: 20km of the border with Sudan 10km of the border with South Sudan …”
Government of Canada
3Level 3“Avoid non-essential travel (with regional advisories)”
“Risk level – updated information”
Why the advice differs
Each government uses its own scale. The US and Canada each have four levels for the whole country. The UK only states whether it advises against travel to the whole country or to parts of it. We place all three on a common 1 to 4 scale (see below); the scales are not identical, so the same level can mean slightly different things.
The UK’s level 2 for Ethiopia comes from advice against travel to parts of the country, not the whole country.
Specific areas with stricter advice are named by: UK and Canada. A country-wide level can stay low while one region carries a stricter warning.
The advisories were last updated on different dates: US 26 August 2026, UK 30 October 2026, Canada 29 October 2026. An older advisory may not reflect recent events.
Regions with stricter warnings
These are the governments’ own words. We do not add or change any region names.
FCDO advises against all travel to within: 20km of the border with Sudan 10km of the border with South Sudan …
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, updated 30 October 2026. The quote is shortened in our data; the full list is on the official page.
Canada also gives regional advisories for Ethiopia on its official page (updated 29 October 2026). Read the Canadian advisory
What the levels mean
TravelDecl places each government’s advice on a common 1 to 4 scale so the three can be compared. The wording in each column is the government’s own.
| Level | Meaning | US | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Level 1 | Normal precautions | Level 1: Exercise normal precautions | No advice against travel | Exercise normal security precautions |
| 2Level 2 | Increased caution | Level 2: Exercise increased caution | Advises against travel to parts of the country | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| 3Level 3 | Reconsider or avoid non-essential travel | Level 3: Reconsider travel | Advises against all but essential travel to the whole country | Avoid non-essential travel |
| 4Level 4 | Do not travel | Level 4: Do not travel | Advises against all travel to the whole country | Avoid all travel |
Related
- Do I need an International Driving Permit in Ethiopia?
- How to get citizenship of Ethiopia
- Travel advisories for every country
Questions
What level is the Ethiopia travel advisory?
The US rates Ethiopia Level 3 (Reconsider travel). US advisory updated 26 August 2026. The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Ethiopia and all but essential travel to others. UK advisory updated 30 October 2026. Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel, with stricter advisories for some regions. Canadian advisory updated 29 October 2026.
Does the UK advise against travel to Ethiopia?
Not for the whole country. The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Ethiopia and all but essential travel to others. UK advisory updated 30 October 2026. In its words: “FCDO advises against all travel to within: 20km of the border with Sudan 10km of the border with South Sudan …”
Is Ethiopia safe for tourists?
TravelDecl does not give its own verdict. Here is what the governments say: The US rates Ethiopia Level 3 (Reconsider travel). The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Ethiopia and all but essential travel to others. Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel, with stricter advisories for some regions. Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel.
Check the official advisory on the day you travel. Each card above links to it.
Sources and methodology
- US Department of State: travel advice for Ethiopia, updated 26 August 2026. US Department of State: public domain (US Government work).
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Ethiopia, updated 30 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Government of Canada: travel advice for Ethiopia, updated 29 October 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Levels on the common 1 to 4 scale are mapped from each government’s own rating: US levels 1 to 4 as published; UK: no advice against travel = 1, against travel to parts = 2, against all but essential travel to the whole country = 3, against all travel to the whole country = 4; Canada: its four risk levels in order. We do not combine them into a single score.
Advisories checked 9 November 2026. This page has not yet been checked by hand.