What happens when you land at Addis Ababa airport? Bole arrival step by step (2026)

Landing at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is simpler than many people expect. International flights arrive at Terminal 2, and everything you need sits between the plane and the exit door: visa and immigration, your bags, customs, then banks, ATMs and SIM desks in the arrivals hall. Once you walk out, you can't easily go back in, so do it all before you leave the building.

Below is the whole arrival, step by step, as of October 2026. If you'd like someone waiting for you at the end of it, our Bole airport pickup meets you outside arrivals with your name on a sign and drives you straight to your hotel.

What should you have ready before you land?

• Passport valid for at least six months from the day you arrive, with free pages for the stamp.
• Your eVisa approval, printed, plus a copy saved on your phone.
• Your hotel's name, address and phone number, written down or saved offline.
• Some US dollars or euros in cash to change into birr, and a bank card as a backup.
• Your driver's name and car plate if you've booked a pickup. We send you both the evening before.
• A pen, for any arrival or customs form handed out on the plane or at the desk.

What does Bole arrival look like at a glance?

Bole arrival step by step: what you need and a tip for each

1. Terminal 2. You need: nothing yet. Tip: follow the arrivals signs; Terminal 1 is for domestic flights.
2. Visa desk. You need: a printed eVisa, or cash for a visa on arrival. Tip: get the eVisa before you fly; don't count on arrival visas.
3. Immigration. You need: passport and visa. Tip: check your passport is stamped before you walk away.
4. Bags. You need: baggage tags. Tip: count your pieces and keep valuables on you.
5. Customs. You need: a declaration if you carry over USD 10,000. Tip: keep the form; birr is limited to 3,000 in or out.
6. SIM desks. You need: your original passport. Tip: test calls and data before you leave the counter.
7. Money. You need: dollars, euros or a card. Tip: use the banks and ATMs inside; keep every receipt.
8. Arrivals hall. You need: your driver's name and plate. Tip: meeters wait outside; ignore anyone who approaches you.
9. To your hotel. You need: the hotel address. Tip: use a car you booked, your hotel or an official taxi.

Which terminal do you arrive at?

Terminal 2. It handles international flights, including Ethiopian Airlines' long-haul arrivals. Terminal 1 next door is for domestic and some regional flights, and you can walk between the two. If you're only changing planes and staying airside, you don't go through immigration at all. Everything below is for travellers leaving the airport.

Do you need an eVisa, or can you get a visa on arrival?

Get the eVisa before you fly. As of October 2026, the official portal, evisa.gov.et, sells a single-entry tourist eVisa for US$62 (30 days) or US$152 (90 days). Processing normally takes three days, so apply at least three days before you travel. Citizens of Kenya and Djibouti don't need a visa.

Visa on arrival is where things get unclear, and we'd rather tell you that honestly. The official portal still lists a tourist visa on arrival for more than 100 nationalities, including the UK, the US, Canada and most of Europe, and the airport has visa-on-arrival counters. But current UK and Canadian advice tells travellers to apply online before arrival, and travel reports in 2026 say arrival visas aren't reliably available to everyone. An eVisa removes all of that doubt. Our guide on whether you need a visa for Ethiopia covers the details.

What happens at immigration?

Join the queue for foreign passports and hand over your passport and visa. The airport has 32 immigration counters on the arrivals side, but queues still build when several long-haul flights land together. Before you walk away, check that your passport has been stamped with your entry date. You'll need that stamp if anything is questioned later in your trip.

Where do you collect your bags?

Baggage claim comes straight after immigration. Count your pieces, and keep your phone, passport and cash on you rather than on the trolley. Petty theft happens around Bole, as at any big airport, mostly when a tired traveller puts something down for a moment. People may offer to help with your bags. That's usually harmless, but say no politely if you don't want help.

What should you declare at customs?

You may carry no more than 3,000 birr into or out of Ethiopia. Rules on declaring foreign cash have changed recently and don't always match, so to be safe, declare foreign currency above USD 10,000 (or the equivalent) when you arrive and keep the form. You may need it when you leave. Duty-free allowances, drones and other restricted items are covered in what you can bring into Ethiopia.

Where can you buy a SIM card at Bole?

In the arrivals hall, at the official carrier counters. Bring your original passport, because every SIM is registered to it, and test that calls and data work before you leave the counter. If you'd rather be online the moment you land, set up a travel eSIM at home before you fly. Our guide to getting a SIM card or eSIM in Ethiopia compares Ethio Telecom and Safaricom. The airport also has free Wi-Fi if you just need to send a quick message.

Where do you change money or find an ATM?

Forex bank counters and ATMs are in the arrivals hall, before you exit. Use them, and never change money with people on the street, which is illegal. Ethiopia is still largely a cash society, so change enough for your first day or two and ask for some small notes. Keep every exchange receipt, because you may not be able to change leftover birr back without one. More in cash, cards and ATMs in Ethiopia.

If you travel with us, you need far less cash on day one. You pay us in US dollars or your own currency, and we can book your hotel and domestic flights in birr for you.

How do you find your driver in the arrivals hall?

Only travellers are allowed inside the terminal, so drivers, hotel staff and friends wait outside the arrivals exit. A few hotels have contact booths inside the arrivals hall, and official airport taxis can be hired there too.

When you book our Bole airport pickup, our driver waits outside arrivals holding a sign with your name. The evening before, we send you the driver's name and the car's plate number, so you can check both before you get in. If your flight changes, just message us on WhatsApp. Ignore anyone who walks up offering a ride, and never go with someone who can't tell you your own name.

How do you get from Bole to your hotel?

The airport is about 6–8 km from the city centre. You have four sensible choices: a driver you booked in advance, your hotel's shuttle, an official airport taxi from the arrivals hall, or a ride app such as RIDE or Feres if you already have data. Official advice is to use transport arranged by your hotel or travel company where you can. With a taxi, agree the price before the bags go in. Our guide on how to get from Bole airport into Addis Ababa compares each option.

Our pickup starts from $30 per car, and your exact price is confirmed in your quote. That's one price for the whole car, with fuel and parking included.

What if you land late at night?

You won't be alone. Bole works around the clock, and Ethiopian Airlines' connecting waves mean the terminal is often busy late in the evening and in the hours before dawn. The airport feels much the same at 2 am as at 2 pm. The difference is outside: fewer app drivers, smaller hotels that don't run shuttles, and probably no local SIM yet.

So plan your ride before you fly. Don't walk around the airport alone at night, and don't set off on foot to look for a cheaper ride. We're open 24/7, so our driver can meet you whatever time you land. Night pickups cost a little more, and your exact price is confirmed in your quote. For more on night arrivals, read is Bole airport safe.

Heading straight on to Hawassa or further south? We don't take that road the night you land. We set off early the next morning and never drive a long road after mid-afternoon, so sleep in Addis first and leave fresh.

What if you have a long wait at the airport?

If you arrive early for a connection or a pickup, the terminal has cafés, lounges and free Wi-Fi. See what lounges and facilities there are at Bole airport. And a word on the wider picture: some governments currently advise against travel to parts of the north, while Addis Ababa is calm and busy with ordinary life.