Safety in Eritrea: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 3 June 2026.
Safety
- Travel Permit outside Asmara — Every foreigner needs a written Travel Permit to move outside Asmara, and the penalty for going without one is arrest. You show it on demand at the checkpoints along the roads. It is issued by the Ministry of Tourism on Harnet Avenue, or by another ministry depending on your visa type, a few days before the trip, and is valid only for the roads, places and dates written on it.
- Carry four copies — Carry at least four copies of the permit: they are handed over to the authorities on entering and leaving the destination town, and to hotel staff if you stay the night. Issuing can take time, and travellers holding the right permits have still been stopped and checked by military personnel.
- Few destinations are granted — The destinations for which permits are normally given are very limited. Keren, Massawa and the Dahlak islands are among them, while anything close to the borders with neighbouring countries is definitely excluded.
- Minefields near the borders — Take particular care on both sides of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, in part because of minefields, and in the areas bordering Sudan. Never leave the marked tracks: mines may be present, above all near the frontiers.
- Danakil: convoy and agency — Journeys into the interior and the Danakil region must not only be covered by a permit but properly organised by experienced travel agencies. Travel in convoy, because of the scorching climate of the area and the logistical and communication difficulties.
- No overland entry — Eritrea cannot be reached overland or by sea. The authorities have more than once held people along with their boats or cars, with a risk of never getting them back, so entering Eritrean territorial waters or asking to anchor or moor in Eritrean ports is strongly discouraged.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 3 June 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Eritrea before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 3 June 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.