Ethiopia
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MODERATOR NOTE: May 2021, closed to tourists at the moment
Customs and Immigration have moved now all is next to the border gate
Big sand colour buildings
No customs On Saturday/Sundays, only immigration!!! So don’t attempt the crossing with a vehicle on week-ends or you will sleep over
Why? By checking in after you’ve visited a place you let others know this place is still functional. You can also add or correct any information.
It‘s a One Stop Border Post now. Immigration of both countries is in the same building. Coming from Ethopia custom was very fast, they not even checked the luggage of our car. We arrived on a sunday at 1.30pm and had to wait one hour until lunchtime was over. Otherwise it‘s now open on weekends. Not sure whether they’re closed during the night.
Report Check-InI was trying to go from Kenya to Ethiopia. I arrived with a valid eVisa, valid negative Covid-Test and yellow fever vacc. However, they explained me that the border is (still) only open for people that do not need a visa and they would not let me enter and sent me back to Nairobi to take a flight to Addis. Because I really needed to pass there I stayed there for 3 hours negotiating and begging to let me through, they made me call my embassy in Addis (which was closed due to a bank holiday) and still sent me back to Kenya and come the next day. After begging again 30min before the border closed for the day they got a message from the immigration office in Addis that I can pass. I do not recommend to go and try. It seems like I was super lucky and I have been the only one passing (with a visa) for months.
Report Check-InThis is the Ethiopian entry. There was no chance, we tried all. They said the land border is closed and there are no exceptions. So we left after a long discussion.
Report Check-InWe entered in Ethiopia from Kenya with an e-visa even if e-visa is theoretically for arrival by flight.
Report Check-InMake sure you have enough petrol to go on the Ethiopian site. Maybe it‘s hard to find a Petrolstaition with Petrol.
It also can happen you will need a paper from the government for to get petrol, because of shortich.
But it should get better now.
Customs ARE OPEN on saturday 8am to 12:00pm (4 hours) on ethiopian site - assume that Kenyan is open too. look for office on ground floor
Report Check-InFrom Kenya to Ethiopia, Austrian citizen without carnet. Come at 8:30 because there are no officials around at 8:00.
Immigration Kenya was very easy, just came there and got my stamp (the big building in the middle). Customs was on the right side (looking to Ethiopia). Gave them my TIP, passport and car registration. They made a copy and checked the VIN of my car and the TIP and keep the TIP.
Ethiopia side first checked my yellow fever card and measured my temperature. After that went to immigration in the building on left side as mentioned before. They took fingerprints and photo, after this stamped my passport. Downstairs is customs. He still doesn‘t know about people without carnet. So I gave him the copy of my Kenyan TIP and the original Tanzanian TIP. He shortly checked with someone and made me a TIP for one month in Ethiopia for free. No problems.
You can change USD or EUR here for very nice rates. 1EUR was 35Birr for me...
And for guys travelling with petrol and not diesel, always take the chance to fill up if possible. I had to try my luck at 5 different stations within 100km until I found one with petrol...
Another information, the road about 150km before Hawassa until Hawassa is not nice!
Report Check-InArrived on Sunday morning, immigration is there but no customs ... been waiting 3 hours and no straight answer or certainty the customs guy is coming. What a shitshow, I think I most likely will have to sleep outside until 8am tomorrow morning...
Report Check-InNew spot for thé border control
From Ethiopia to Kenya
Big sandy building on the right
first floor first office is custom stamped out our carnet
2nd floor immigration stamped our passport out
Then pass the big gate
Kenya
On the right 2nd floor is visa
40euros or 50US for a French
On the left is custom
Stamped our carnet checked insurance and registration issued with 14day free TIP
Lots of IT issues so very slow for Kenya custom but great service overall took us 3hours in total
Customs and Immigration have moved in to the new big sandy colored building. Just go to the end of the road, through the big gates and the building is on your right. Easy process just stamp out of Kenya and return temporary import permit or stamp carnet (whichever you are using). If you have a pet then immigration will check your vaccination documents but that's all. When you are finished continue on the road through more gates (police check you have your passport stamped) and go in to Ethiopia for their customs and immigration.
Report Check-InDutch citizens without Carnet de Passage. Moyale Border Kenya to Ethiopia.
Kenyan exit:
Opens at 8AM. Exit stamp was fast and easy as well as passing customs.
Customs took in our East African TIP and asked for our receipt to check if we paid.
Ethiopian entrance:
Opens at 8AM. Immigration is still in a small ghetto building straight across the 'Heran Hotel'. Entrance stamp was easy, no forms etc.
Customs(big building with blue roof at the left) was closed due to a Public Holiday. Eventually immigration called around for us and someone came to stamp us in. But because he never stamped someone without a Carnet, both he and his supervisor did not know what to do so we had to wait until the next morning 8AM.
Next morning: they were confused because in the 3 years they were working there, no one asked for a TIP without a carnet as reference. It took 1.5 hours of talking and walking back and forth to the Kenyan customs to ask for the TIP back to show Ethiopian customs and showing all other TIPs we still had.
Eventually they still confused our car registration pas with a carnet but we got a TIP after all.
If you do NOT have a carnet to show as a reference it is NOT that easy to cross this border and we recommend taking the Lake Turkana route which maybe is easier(but still everyone that crossed that border showed their carnet as reference).
Report Check-InThis is the place for stamp your carnet.
After this we went to the building to stamp your passport ( coordinates: 3.52848, 39.05324 ) but be aware that the are almost moving to the new building next to the gate!
Customs next to immigration but sometimes closed. This place is also customs. Closed Saturday afternoon from 12 and Sundays
Report Check-In