Travel advice for Eritrea

Avoid non-essential travel to Eritrea because conflict involving Eritrean forces and Tigray People's Liberation Front forces may affect border areas. In southern Gash-Barka, Debub, Northern Red Sea and Southern Red Sea states, leave areas near Ethiopia immediately and suspend travel. Do not travel to the Djibouti border area in Southern Red Sea State. Asmara and all other areas are also covered by the advice to avoid non-essential travel.

Avoid non-essential travel to Eritrea; do not travel to the area west and north of Biyakundi-Agordat-Mersa Gulbub, the Ethiopian border or the Djibouti border. Armed groups, cross-border military activity and political tensions make these areas dangerous, and border areas contain landmines. Travel elsewhere only when essential. Pickpocketing and theft occur; LGBTQ+ travellers risk severe punishment, discrimination and aggression, and dual nationals cannot obtain embassy help.

Germany advises a high degree of caution for Eritrea, and avoiding all travel for parts of it.

Avoid all but essential travel to parts of Eritrea; for the most restricted parts, avoid all travel. A visa is required; British-Eritrean dual nationals entering on an identity card need an exit permit. Military activity is underway in the Red Sea area because of Houthi efforts to obstruct international shipping. Consular support is severely limited outside greater Asmara, and altitude sickness and limited medical facilities are additional risks.

Australia advises avoiding non-essential travel for Eritrea.

Avoid travel to Eritrea that is not essential, particularly outside Asmara, the beaches around Massawa and the Dhalak Archipelago. Do not enter overland, even for essential travel, because border areas with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti have an acute mine risk on unpaved roads. Emergency consular support may not be guaranteed, especially outside the capital, and hospitals do not meet European standards, so comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Avoid non-essential travel to Eritrea because of ongoing tensions and conflict with neighbouring countries. Avoid all travel within 25 km of every border due to territorial conflicts, military activity and crime, including the borders with Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. These areas face armed confrontations and landmines, while terrorism, demonstrations and higher crime and banditry also threaten travellers, particularly along the coast north of Massawa.

Avoid non-essential travel to Eritrea and do not travel within 25 km of its land borders. Human rights abuses, unmarked minefields, banditry, street crime and dangerous rural roads create serious risks, while leaving the Asmara region requires an advance permit and telecommunications are unreliable. Exercise extreme caution, avoid military sites, airports and government buildings, and stay on main routes, especially near borders.

Exercise increased caution in Eritrea because of travel restrictions, limited consular assistance, landmines, and wrongful detention. U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, may be arrested without charge or on false charges, and officials may be denied access to detainees. Landmines are present in remote areas, particularly around the Setit and Mereb Rivers region, north and west of Keren, and areas near Massawa, Ghinda, Agordat, Barantu, Dekemhare, and south of Tessenae.