Ethiopia

Investment Visa

Ethiopia's Investment Visa is a long-term multiple-entry visa for foreign nationals who invest in or intend to invest in the country. Governed by Investment Proclamation No. 1180/2020, the program is administered jointly by the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) and the Immigration, Nationality and Vital Events Agency (INVEA). It targets foreign investors — both individual entrepreneurs and corporate shareholders — who commit a minimum capital of USD 200,000 to establish investment projects. Since November 2022, the visa has been available through the e-visa portal at evisa.gov.et. Ethiopia uses a negative-listing approach, meaning all sectors are open to foreign investors except those explicitly reserved for domestic investors.

• Minimum investment capital of USD 200,000 for wholly foreign-owned projects
• USD 150,000 for joint ventures with domestic investors
• USD 100,000 for architectural, engineering, technical consultancy, testing, analysis, or publishing (sole foreign ownership)
• USD 50,000 for consulting and technical services in joint ventures
• Must obtain an investment permit from the Ethiopian Investment Commission
• No specific educational qualifications required
• Capital can be brought in as cash, machinery, equipment, or other tangible and intangible assets
• Foreign capital must be registered with the National Bank of Ethiopia within one year of entry into the country
• Investors who reinvest profits or acquire existing foreign-owned enterprises are exempt from minimum capital requirements

• Valid passport with minimum 6 months validity from date of entry
• Recent passport-size photograph
• Letter of support stating investment purpose
• Official invitation letter from the inviting organization addressed to INVEA
• Business license of the inviting company
• Support letter from the Ethiopian Investment Commission
• Investment permit (for renewals or existing investors)
• Documents accepted in JPEG, JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, or PDF format (maximum 2 MB each)

Owners and shareholders receive a 5-year multiple-entry visa (USD 1,000 fee). General managers, board members, and top management receive a 3-year multiple-entry visa (USD 750 fee). The maximum single stay per entry is 90 days — investors needing continuous presence must obtain a residence permit. Investment permits are valid for 2 years and renewable for additional 1-year periods until a business license is obtained.

Spouses, children, and parents of investors are eligible for visa facilitation by the EIC. For residence permits, spouses must provide authenticated marriage certificates and children must provide authenticated birth certificates. Family members can obtain family member residence IDs through INVEA.

The standard corporate income tax rate is 30% on business profits. Income tax exemptions of 1–6 years are available depending on sector and location under Investment Incentives Regulation No. 517/2022. Industrial park enterprises receive 8–10 year exemptions. Employment-based incentives range from 1-year exemption for 2,000–3,000 Ethiopian employees up to 3-year exemption for over 5,000 employees. Eligible sectors for tax incentives include software development, data centers, cloud services, business process outsourcing, and startup development services. Expatriate employees may remit salaries in convertible foreign currency.

The process involves two tracks. First, obtain an investment permit from the EIC by submitting required documentation with a USD 50 service fee. The EIC one-stop service center also handles company name registration (USD 50), commercial registration (USD 50), and capital registration (USD 50). Second, apply for the Investment Visa through the e-visa portal or at an Ethiopian embassy, providing the EIC confirmation letter and supporting documents. Upon approval, applicants receive an email authorization and get their passport stamped upon arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

Foreigners planning to stay longer than 90 days must register with immigration authorities and apply for a residence permit within 30 days of arrival. The temporary residence permit is valid for up to one year and renewable. Permanent residence is available to foreigners who have been domiciled in Ethiopia for at least 3 years with lawful income sources, or to those engaged in investment activities contributing to the country.

Investors may hire foreign nationals for higher management positions (CEO, COO, CFO) without restriction. Other expatriate staff require proof that qualified Ethiopians are unavailable. Investors must train Ethiopian nationals for succession into positions held by expatriate staff. Quarterly project status reports must be submitted to the EIC.

Links

• https://www.evisa.gov.et/information/InvestmentVisa
• https://investinethiopia.gov.et/requirement
• https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/318/ethiopia-investment-proclamation-no1180-2020

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