Travel advisory · EritreaSome governments advise against all but essential travel to Eritrea.Advice depends on your passport. Read your own government's advice before you book.Official advice
- Border areas within 25 km of all land borders · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, New Zealand, UK
- Ak'ordat · avoid non-essential travel · New Zealand, Spain
- Gash Barka · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, Italy
- Sudan border zone · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, Italy
- Teseney · avoid non-essential travel · New Zealand, Spain
Also named by one government: Areas north and west of Barentu (New Zealand), Nakh'fa (New Zealand), Barentu (Spain), Debub (Southern region) (Italy), Djibouti border zone (Spain), Eritrean territorial waters and ports (Italy), Ethiopia border zone (Spain), Outside Asmara (capital) (France), Southern Red Sea (Dancalia) (Italy)
| Government | Advice | Updated | Read the advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (FCDO) | Advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Eritrea | – | Read the advice |
| United States (State Dept) | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | Jul 31, 2023 | Read the advice |
| Canada (Global Affairs) | Avoid non-essential travel | – | Read the advice |
| Germany (Auswärtiges Amt) | Von Reisen in alle anderen Gebiete Eritreas wird abgeraten (Reisen nur in Asmara und Umgebung ohne Warnung, Reiseerlaubnis nötig) | Oct 16, 2026 | Read the advice |
| New Zealand (SafeTravel) | Avoid non-essential travel | – | Read the advice |
| France (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) | Vigilance renforcée à Asmara et Massaoua (regional advisories) | – | Read the advice |
Checked daily from the governments' published advice; last checked Nov 2, 2026. RoamLedger summarises official advice; it is not advice from any government.
Eritrea
Eritrea is a Red Sea country in the Horn of Africa, best known for Asmara's Italian-era buildings, the port city of Massawa and the Dahlak Islands offshore.
Eritrea sits on the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa and shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. Its capital and largest city, Asmara, has many buildings from a 1935 to 1941 construction boom under Italian rule, and UNESCO declared the city a World Heritage Site in 2017. Cinema Impero and the Fiat Tagliero Building are two of its landmarks from that period. Massawa is the Red Sea port, and the Dahlak Islands, including Dahlak Marine National Park, lie off the coast near it.
The central highlands are cool and temperate all year, and Asmara's nights can drop to about 10 °C from December to February. The coast and lowlands are hottest from June to September, with temperatures up to about 40 °C. Winter in the lowlands, from February to April, brings daytime highs of about 21 to 35 °C. Services are limited, and medical care is too, with malaria and tuberculosis common. Arrange travel health cover before you leave home.
Five things to know before Eritrea
- Apply for a visa at an embassy well ahead
UK passport holders need a visa before travel, and the UK page directs you to the Eritrean embassy in the UK. Contact an embassy early to learn the process and processing time for your passport. Visas and entry
- Get travel permits for trips outside Asmara
Foreign visitors need a permit from the Ministry of Tourism in Asmara to travel to Massawa, Keren, Qohaito or the Dahlak islands. Allow half a day to get one.
- Change money only at official outlets
When you leave, you may have to show that foreign currency was changed at Himbol, the state exchange, or spent at an official hotel. Keep every receipt.
- Stay away from the land borders
The UK advises against all travel within 25 km of Eritrea's land borders, because of tension with Ethiopia. UK travel advice
- Plan for no roaming and little internet
Foreign SIMs usually do not roam in Eritrea, and internet is limited to a few hotels and cafes. Download maps and documents before you arrive.
Eritrea travel guides
Practical guides from writers who live there.
Embassy visas, travel permits and currency declarations.
Read the guideTravel insuranceMedical cover and evacuation, as care is limited.
Read the guidePhones and eSIMWhy roaming rarely works and what to set up before you go.
Read the guideMoney and cardsNakfa, the Himbol exchange rule and carrying cash.
Read the guide
Destinations in Eritrea
When to go
- Rainy days
- Days with storms
- Best
- JanuaryClear2 rainy daysHigh21°Low11°Dry, cool nightsJanuaryClear
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 5 mm
- Rainy days
- 2
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, cool nights
- FebruaryClear3 rainy daysHigh23°Low12°Dry, sunnyFebruaryClear
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 13 mm
- Rainy days
- 3
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, sunny
- MarchClear6 rainy daysHigh25°Low14°Dry, warmMarchClear
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 21 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, warm
- AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh25°Low15°Short rainsAprilPartly cloudy
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 43 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Short rains
- MayClear10 rainy daysHigh26°Low16°Dry, warmMayClear
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 56 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, warm
- JunePartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh26°Low16°WarmJunePartly cloudy
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 45 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm
- JulyRain25 rainy days2 days with stormsHigh23°Low15°Main rainsJulyRain
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 197 mm
- Rainy days
- 25
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 2
Main rains
- AugustRain28 rainy days2 days with stormsHigh22°Low15°Main rainsAugustRain
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 299 mm
- Rainy days
- 28
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 2
Main rains
- SeptemberPartly cloudy9 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh24°Low15°Rains easeSeptemberPartly cloudy
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 53 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 1
Rains ease
- OctoberClear6 rainy daysHigh23°Low14°Dry, clearOctoberClear
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 36 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, clear
- NovemberPartly cloudy6 rainy daysHigh21°Low12°Dry, cool nightsNovemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 31 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, cool nights
- DecemberClear2 rainy daysHigh21°Low11°Dry, cool nightsDecemberClear
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 7 mm
- Rainy days
- 2
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, cool nights
Average daily high and low in Asmara, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Eritrea
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
16
- Feels like
- 14°
- Humidity
- 62%
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Asmara
11:36 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today21°12°0%Monday: Partly cloudy. High 21°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Tue21°11°0%Tuesday: Fog. High 21°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed22°11°0%Wednesday: Fog. High 22°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu23°10°18%Thursday: Clear. High 23°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 18%.
- Fri24°12°16%Friday: Drizzle. High 24°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 16%.
- Sat25°13°10%Saturday: Clear. High 25°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 10%.
- Sun24°12°2%Sunday: Fog. High 24°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 2%.
Updated 08:37 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 15 ERN
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Before you go to Eritrea
Eritrea FAQ
Do I need a visa for Eritrea?
Yes. UK passport holders need a visa before travel; contact an Eritrean embassy early for the process and processing time for your passport.
Do I need a permit to travel outside Asmara?
Yes. Foreign visitors need a travel permit from the Ministry of Tourism in Asmara for places such as Massawa, Keren and the Dahlak islands.
Will my phone work in Eritrea?
Usually not: foreign SIMs rarely roam and internet access is limited to some hotels and cafes. Plan to be mostly offline.
When is the best time to visit Eritrea?
October to March for Asmara and the highlands. The coast around Massawa is very hot from May to September, and the highland rains fall in July and August.
Why is Asmara a UNESCO World Heritage site?
For its early 20th century modernist and Art Deco buildings, built during the Italian colonial period and preserved almost intact.