Visitor's visa

A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days.

Citizens of Ethiopia must apply for a Schengen visa (visitor's visa).

If you plan to visit more than one Schengen country in the course of one trip, or if you plan several separate trips within a period of two months, you must submit your application to the embassy or consulate of the country that is your main destination based on the length of your stay, or the purpose of stay.

If you plan to visit several Schengen countries and the main destination cannot be determined, you must submit your application to the embassy or consulate of the country that is your first point of entry to the Schengen area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway has a global agreement with VFS Global. If you have any visa or immigration related questions, you can contact VFS Global via email or telephone.

VFS Global in Addis Ababa
Email: info.nret@vfshelpline.com
Telephone: +251 960 437 204

Stricter rules for visitor visas for citizens of Ethiopia

As of 3 June 2024, new rules apply to citizens of Ethiopia, regardless of country of residence. You must meet the conditions for obtaining a visa and in addition, the following applies:

You must hand in all the documents listed in the checklist to the embassy. Even if you have been exempted from providing some documents in the past, for example, because you handed them in to the embassy earlier, you must still provide them now.
The time you must wait for your visa decision increases. Normally you will receive an answer within 45 days after you handed in the documents at the embassy.
Even if you have a diplomatic or service passport, you cannot be exempted from the obligation to pay a fee. This means that you will still have to pay the fee.

The new rules will not apply to you if you are

a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, or
participate in meetings with international intergovernmental organizations, or
attending an international conference organized by a Member State

For more information, click here.

How to apply

All applications are handled by our regional hub in Nairobi. Please click here to visit their website for a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a visitors visa.

SCHENGEN AREA

On arrival

When you cross the border into the Schengen area, you will have to present:

your passport with the visa sticker
proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay (e.g. cash or a credit card). If you have a guarantee form, you should also bring a copy of this with you.
documentation showing the purpose of your visit, such as an invitation, hotel reservation, etc.
a return or round trip ticket if you are visiting the Schengen area for tourist purposes or private reasons

You may be asked to provide fingerprints by the border control officer, in which case these will be compared with the fingerprints provided when you applied for your visa.
As long as your visa is valid, you can travel around freely in the Schengen area, or in the specific Schengen countries covered by the visa. If you leave the Schengen area, for example to visit the UK or Svalbard, you will need a multiple entry visa.