Ethiopia sets $10m entry bar for Golden Visa programme

…..will become the world’s highest financial entry thresholds for investment-backed residence

 

Ethiopia is preparing to roll out a 10-year residency program for foreign investors, making it one of the world’s highest financial entry thresholds for investment-backed residence.

According to the Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS), applicants must commit a minimum of $10 million in direct investment to qualify for the decade-long permit.

Alternatively, foreign investors can secure residency through a $5 million threshold, provided the capital injection is paired with substantial local job creation.

Read also: UK considers £5 million investor visa program with path to citizenship 

The card-based residence permit will carry a baseline administrative processing fee of $10,000, rising to $12,500 for express handling, alongside an optional premium delivery service.

Outlining the strategic intent of the initiative, Gosa Demissie, deputy director-general of the ICS, noted that the standardized electronic permit aims to provide high-impact investors with uninterrupted residency status while streamlining bureaucratic procedures.

Real estate reforms and citizenship requirements

The Golden Visa complements broader economic reforms, including recent adjustments to Ethiopia’s real estate framework.

As the Ethiopian Constitution vests all land ownership in the state, foreign buyers purchase only the physical building while holding the underlying land through a leasehold arrangement.

Property acquisitions under this framework yield a multiple-entry residency visa valid for up to five years.

Neither the Golden Visa nor the property-linked residency pathway offers an automatic route to citizenship

Under existing naturalisation laws, foreign nationals may apply for Ethiopian citizenship after four years of legal residence, subject to meeting specific criteria, including fluency in a local language, proof of lawful income, and demonstrated good character.

Read also: What it costs to get citizenship in Canada, US, UAE, 12 others

Passport mobility and global access

The move to attract foreign capital comes as Ethiopia maintains modest international mobility. Ethiopian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free access across select destinations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania.

Within Africa, citizens can travel to Benin, Djibouti, The Gambia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Senegal without obtaining a visa in advance. In the Americas and the Caribbean, visa-free entry is granted by Barbados, Dominica, Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. Across Asia and Oceania, destinations include the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Niue, the Philippines, and Singapore.

As entry rules and permitted stays vary by country, verifying requirements with official immigration channels prior to travel remains essential.