Location: Ethiopia
Event: Q & A’s about Travel from Ethiopia to the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Q: How do I leave Ethiopia?
A Ethiopian Airlines is the only airline still flying to the United States from Ethiopia, although the number and destination of flights have been reduced (ET has suspended its flights to New York until further notice). Track suspended flights at: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/aa/travel-updates/covid-19.
Please note that the best time to leave a country is before the crisis if possible. Regularly scheduled commercial transportation is always the best option when local communications and transportation infrastructure are intact and operating normally, as they are here in Ethiopia. You should have a plan of action for crisis situations that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
Q. Will I be quarantined when I arrive in the United States?
A. The State Department does not make this decision; the Department of Homeland Security does. We strongly recommend that you review the guidance onDHS.gov. However, the short answer is it depends on your recent travels. The Presidential Proclamations Regarding the Novel Coronavirus require U.S. citizens returning from specified countries to arrive at specified airports (including Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare) to undergo enhanced screening procedures. A full list of the countries and airports can be found at:https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/03/13/department-homeland-security-outlines-new-process-americans-returning-certain#_blank
Q. What if my passport is expired? I thought the Consular Section was closed.
A. Please send an email to the American Citizen Services Unit asAddisACS@state.govrequesting an emergency appointment. You must send us a copy of your itinerary. Upon receipt, we will work to schedule an appointment for you to issue an emergency passport valid for a sufficient period for you to depart Ethiopia for the United States.
Q. What about my family members who are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent resident (green card holders)?
A. The Presidential Proclamations suspending entry for foreign nationals does not currently apply to travelers from Ethiopiaso long asthey have not traveled to one of the specified countries (Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom).
Q. Will the United States government evacuate me if commercial air traffic stops?
A. Our primary role is to keep the U.S. citizen community informed of safety and security developments and travel options. Regularly scheduled commercial transportation is always the best option when local communications and transportation infrastructure are intact and operating normally. For information about evacuations, please seehttps://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/what-state-dept-can-cant-do-crisis.html
ASSISTANCE:
- U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
+251-111-306-000
+251-111-306-911 or 011-130-6000 (after hours)
addisacs@state.gov
https://et.usembassy.gov - State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Ethiopia Country Information
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
- Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
