How safe is Ethiopia for travelers?

Read the advisories first

• Global Affairs Canada advises against non-essential travel to Ethiopia as a whole, with further regional advisories on top.
• The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Ethiopia, and against all but essential travel to other parts. Tigray, Amhara and parts of Oromia are the regions in question.
• A state of emergency has been in effect in the Amhara region, allowing restrictions on movement and assembly. Kidnapping for ransom has affected foreigners there.
• Check the regional detail on the day you book and again before you fly. This is one of the few countries in this guide where that is not a formality.

Addis Ababa

• Mugging is on the rise, including knifepoint robberies and victims being choked unconscious.
• The areas named are Bole Medhanealem, Bole Atlas, Meskel Square, Yeka Hills and Entoto. Bole is where most visitors stay.
• Do not walk alone in those areas after dark.

The distractions

• Thieves work with a distraction: begging, spitting on you, spilling food or a drink, feigning illness, then jostling and pickpocketing.
• If someone spills something on you, hold your bag first and deal with the mess second.

Photography and drones

• Photography is illegal near military zones, of military personnel, near the Presidential Palace, and anywhere a sign prohibits it.
• Drones need permission from both the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and the Information Network and Security Agency.

Roads

• Do not drive after dark outside Addis Ababa. Unlit vehicles and livestock on the road are the reason.