I am applying for a different type of visa

Apply for your visa early and before you make final travel arrangements. The consular section advises that applicants never purchase nonrefundable tickets until visa has been issued.

The visa application process is really quite easy. A complete application consists of the following:

• Application fee (receipt from Bank of Abyssinia)
• A valid photograph 
• A valid passport 
• The appropriate application form 
• A scheduled appointment 
• Any supporting documentation 

Step 1: Pay the $160 non-refundable application fee at any branch of Bank of Abyssinia.

Step 2: Take your picture:  You will need a recent photo taken within the past six months, 5 x 5 cm, against a white or off-white background. Photo specifications on photo requirements are very exact.

Step 3: Complete the DS-160 online application.
- Complete the visa application form DS-160. This is an online application form required from all applicants. It simply needs to be filled online only, print the last bar-coded confirmation page.  The application form does not need to be printed.  You should present the confirmation page only on the day of the interview.

Step 4: Make an appointment for a consular interview. (See average appointment wait times.) Schedule only one appointment per person. We will not accept multiple appointments for the same person. If family applying for visas, please schedule appointments for each family member for the same date and time. Families should always appear at the interview together! You can request an expedited appointment for emergency travel only (we are unable to grant emergency interview appointments for tourist travel, including attendance at a wedding, graduation, or conference).

Students and Exchange Visitors: First time applicants for student (F-1), exchange (J-1), technical training (M-1), transit visa (C-1), and all petition based visas do not need appointments.  Returning students and employees also do not need to schedule a visa appointment.  They can interview any Monday or Wednesday morning (except Ethiopian and American holidays) but must pay at the Bank of Abyssinia before the interview date.  Student visa applicants (F-1 and M-1) and transit visa applicants (C-1) who have had a previous visa application refused within the last six months MUST schedule an appointment for a new visa interview.

Step 5: Gather the following required documentation: the completed application forms, 1 photo, the Bank of Abyssinia receipt, a valid passport, and all previous U.S. visas, even if expired, copy of birth certificate(s) of applicant(s) and of their children, if any.  Learn more about the other recommended documents.  Also bring your appointment confirmation sheet.

Step 6: Arrive at the outside entrance of the Embassy at your specified appointment time. The primary applicant will be the only person allowed into the building for the interview except in the case of minor children (ages 17 and under).

Visa Processing:

Average Visa Processing Time – 1 week, unless there are technical delays.

Please note that a small percentage of visa applications require additional special clearances or administrative processing. Most special clearances are resolved within 30 days of application. When additional special clearances or administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case.
        
Step 7: Applicants approved for visa issuance can pick up their passports from any Bank of Abyssinia location within Addis Ababa one week from the day of their interview. If you are approved for a visa please speak to the Bank of Abyssinia representatives, located in the security screening area on your way out. The fee for delivery of the passport is 50 Ethiopian birr

For additional information, contact the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, ConsAddis@state.gov.