Ethiopian passport
| Ethiopian passport | |
|---|---|
Image of Ethiopian passport | |
| Type | Passport |
| Issued by | Ethiopia |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility | Ethiopian citizenship |
The Ethiopian passport[a] is a identity document issued to citizens of Ethiopia to facilitate international travel. Ethiopian passports are valid for worldwide travel and facilitate the access to consular services whilst abroad.
The document is a biometric machine-readable passport with a burgundy cover with the text "Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia" above the coat of arms, and the text "passport" below it in Amharic and English.[1] The passport is valid for 5 years and contains 64 pages.
History
Nelson Mandela was clandestinely issued an Ethiopian passport in 1961. He used it to travel around the world until his arrest.[2] He never obtained a South African passport from the Apartheid regime until February 19, 1990 – eight days after he was released from 27 years in jail.
In 2025, biometric passports contracted with Toppan Security Ethiopia began being issued, with a full release starting in October.[3][4]
Visa requirements
As of 2024, Ethiopian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 47 countries and territories, ranking the Ethiopian passport 93rd globally according to the Henley passport index.[5]
Notes
See also
References
- ^ "Ethiopian passport on PRADO". Council of the European Union. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
- ^ "Passports tell a story – Nelson Mandela Foundation". www.nelsonmandela.org. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
- ^ Macdonald, Ayang (24 February 2025). "Ethiopia and Toppan mark official launch of new biometric passport - Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ^ Ababa(Ethiopia), APA-Addis (21 February 2025). "Ethiopia launches locally made e-passport with advanced features". Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ^ "Global Ranking - Passport Index 2024" (PDF). Henley & Partners. Retrieved 23 February 2025.