Travel And Other Useful Information

Best Time to Visit:
The best time to visit is:
September to February – for the highlands (i.e. Asmara, Keren and the environs)
November to March – for the lowlands/coastal areas
December to February – for camel safaris in the lowlands.

Immigration:

All foreign nationals, except citizens of Kenya and Uganda, require an entry visa to Eritrea. This can be obtained before entering Asmara from an Eritrean diplomatic mission, or on prior request to the head office of the Immigration Department (P.O.Box: 854, Tel.: 291-1-200033, Fax: 291-1-126525). Entry visa can be obtained upon arrival at the airport or at either of the two ports, Massawa and Assab. Upon arriving in Asmara, visitors must complete an immigration card. Visas can normally be extended, depending on circumstances.

Health:

The following vaccinations are necessary for Eritrea: yellow fever, polio, typhus, and tetanus, while hepatitis. An immunization is also advisable. Malaria prophylaxis is required.

Narcotics:

Importation, possession and use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and strictly prohibited. Violations will be fined and / or imprisoned, if found guilty.

Firearms:

The importation of any firearm, part of a firearm or ammunition into Eritrea is forbidden under the Law; except under the authority of a license granted by the Chief of Police. Such a permit will not ordinarily be issued. Spear guns and a variety of weapons including various pistols or signal guns are considered firearms. But antique weapons 100 years old or more can be imported if the imported can show they are antique.

It is a serious offence to import firearms or ammunitions into Eritrea without a license, and anyone seeking to do so may be imprisoned or fined or both.

It is a serious offence to import firearms or ammunitions into Eritrea without a license, and anyone seeking to do so may be imprisoned or fined or both.

Airport Tax:

An embarking fee of US $ 20, plus three Nakfa security check tax is charged for every passenger on departure.

Time Zone: + 3 Hours GMT

Telephone/Fax Services:

Eritrea has a direct dialing system between Asmara, Assab, Dekemahare, Keren, Massawa, and Mendefera to Africa, Europe, USA, Canada, Asia, Middle East, U.K., and Oceania. Calls from other areas are made via the operator. Fax service is available in major towns. The IDD code for Eritrea is ++291-1-.

Postal & Courier Services:

The building of the main post office in Asmara was built in 1918. Postal services are open between 0800 and 1200 and from 1400 to 1900 hrs. Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, the offices are open from (1900 to 1200 hrs.

Eritrean Express mail is also available to over 100 countries worldwide, where one can send both documents and merchandise.

DHL, FedExs and TNT provide courier services from Asmara to any part of the world and vice versa.

Currency and Exchange Facilities:

The National currency is Nakfa. Currency notes are printed in 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 Nakfa denominations and there is a range of coins. Money can be exchanged at the branches of the Commercial Bank of Eritrea in major towns, the exchange bureaus or at major hotels. The US Dollar is the easiest currency to exchange.

Credit Cards:

Credit cards are used in banking transactions in Eritrea, and are accepted in the major Eritrean hotels. Airlines and large travel agencies also accept credit cards.

Business Hours:

Government offices open from 0700 to 1200 and 1400 to 1800 hrs. Monday to Thursday and from 0700 to 1130 hrs. and 1400 to 1800 hrs. on Friday.

Press, Radio and Television:

There are daily newspapers printed in the local languages except on Mondays. The Eritrean Profile in English is published two times per week on Wednesday and Saturday. Western magazines can be obtained from book shops and the central post office, Asmara.

The Eritrean radio – ‘Voice of the Masses’ is broadcast on two radio frequencies daily.

The national television station broadcasts every evening. English language news and programmes are telecast from 2100hrs. onwards.

Medical Facilities:

Doctors and dentists are scarce in some remote areas of the country. Travelers to Eritrea are advised to bring their own supplies of prescription drugs and preventive medicines. The central hospital, Halibet in Asmara, is the most extensive and best equipped.

Private doctors and clinics are also available. Sembel dental and polyclinics are housed in the Sembel Residential Complex.

Photography:

The standard of film and slice developing and processing in Asmara is high. Processing and developing of color prints takes anywhere from 45 minutes to a day. Video recording facilities are also available.

Before photographing any person, religious festival or rural homestead, it is courteous to ask permission.

Photography of military or strategic buildings, including the Airport, is prohibited.

International Air Service:

Asmara is the main international airport with international connections provided by Eritrean Airlines, Lufthansa, Egypt Air, Saudi Air, British Airways, Yemen Airways and Sudan Airways. There are daily flights from Asmara with convenient connections to Frankfurt Johannesburg, Bombay, Nairobi and London through Dubai, Cairo, Khartoum, Aden, and Sana’s.

Eritrean Airlines
Egypt Air
Yemen Airways
Lufthansa
Saudi Airlines
Sudan Airways
British Airways

Accommodation:
There are a number of hotels, pensions and guesthouses in cities of tourist interest. Though hotels have yet to be classified, most of them offer standard facilities and services. Most pensions offer bare minimum facilities.