01Free
The 30-second card
Emergency · tap to call
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗SIM and eSIM
Foreign SIM cards do not work, and a local one needs a residence permit that can take weeks.Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Cards or cash
Mostly cashMostly cards
Step 1 of 5: Most payments are made in cash, so carry enough nakfa.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Money in Eritrea
Eritrean Nakfa · ERN
Nakfa can only be obtained inside Eritrea; the currency cannot be bought abroad.
Refuse banknotes printed before 1 January 2016; they are no longer legal tender.
A recall replacing all notes was announced in November 2025; check its status before changing a large sum.
Local food, budget hotels and public transport keep daily costs under US$50.
Collect Eritrean Nakfa in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpenPublic holidays in the next 12 months
Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day Amet ሓዲሽ ዓመት
Thu, 7 Jan 2027 · Orthodox Christmas Lidet ልደት
Tue, 19 Jan 2027 · Orthodox Epiphany Timket ጥምቀት
Mon, 8 Mar 2027 · Women's Day Maelti Anesti መዓልቲ ኣነስቲ
Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday Arbi Siklet ዓርቢ ስቅለት
Sun, 28 Mar 2027 · Easter Sunday Fasika ፋሲካ
Sat, 1 May 2027 · May Day
Mon, 24 May 2027 · Independence Day Maelti Natsinet መዓልቲ ናጽነት
Sun, 20 Jun 2027 · Martyrs' Day Maelti Siwuat መዓልቲ ስውኣት
Wed, 1 Sept 2027 · Revolution Day Bahti Meskerem ባሕቲ መስከረም
02Free
Safety today
Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Eritrea say, side by side, checked daily.
German Foreign Office says
Travel warning for some regions
Calm
Caution ●
Serious
Don’t go
Some regions differ, see the official page.
Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 16 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 16 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
U.S. Department of State says
Exercise increased caution
Calm
Caution ●
Serious
Don’t go
Level 2 of 4
Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 30 Jul 2023 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 30 Jul 2023 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
UK Foreign Office says
Advises against all travel to parts of the country
Some regions differ, see the official page.
Source: GOV.UK
Updated 12 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 12 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.
03Free
Health
Hepatitis A, B and typhoid shots advised; yellow fever proof if arriving from risk areas. Malaria in places.
Vaccinations
Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid shots are advised, routine vaccines including measles should be current, meningitis protection matters for dry-season trips to the meningitis belt, and a yellow fever certificate is demanded if you arrive from a yellow fever country.
Malaria
In some regionsAltitude
Altitude sickness can affect visitors in parts of the country.
Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.
Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.
04Travel layer
In the app: the travel layer
The travel layer
Read a country like someone who’s been there.
What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use
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Deep facts
| GDP | ≈ $2.1 billionSource: World Bank · 2011 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Per person | ≈ $689Source: World Bank · 2011 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Top exports | copper ore, zinc ore, gold, garments, liquor (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Population | 3.6 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 21.7 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Life expectancy | 67.5 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Religions | Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni MuslimSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Area | 117,600 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Climate | hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlandsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Terrain | dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plainsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Type of government | authoritarianSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Calling code | +291Source: libphonenumber · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
About the data
Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.
From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.
CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).
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