Asmara: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: bring all the money you need in crisp US dollar or euro banknotes because foreign bank cards do not work anywhere in Eritrea, download offline maps before boarding your flight, and submit your passport to a local tour office on your first morning if you plan to travel outside Asmara.

A 100% cash economy: Eritrean nakfa and currency declarations

Eritrea's currency is the Eritrean nakfa (ERN), pegged at a fixed official rate to the US dollar. There are no working international ATMs in Asmara, and credit or debit cards cannot be used at hotels, restaurants or airlines. Bring clean, uncreased US dollar (post-2013 series) or euro banknotes to exchange exclusively at official Himbol Financial Services bureaux at Asmara Airport or along Harnet Avenue. Keep every exchange receipt safely inside your passport, as officials may check your forms on departure, and note that nakfa cannot be converted back into foreign currency when you leave.

Travel permits for sites outside Asmara

Walking freely around the UNESCO historic perimeter of Asmara requires no special paperwork beyond your entry visa. However, visiting attractions on the outskirts or beyond the municipal checkpoints (including the Tank Graveyard on some days, the Filfil cloud forest road, Keren, the Red Sea port of Massawa or the ancient ruins of Qohaito) requires an official Tourist Travel Permit issued by the Ministry of Tourism on Harnet Avenue. Because permits take one to two working days to process, ask your hotel or local agency to lodge your applications as soon as you land.

Offline preparation, altitude and the evening passeggiata

Foreign SIM cards do not roam in Eritrea, local SIM cards are rarely issued to short-stay visitors, and hotel Wi-Fi is slow and intermittent. Download offline maps, translation tools and boarding passes before departure. At 2,325 metres above sea level, Asmara enjoys cool, crisp air; walk slowly on your first afternoon and carry a warm layer for the evening passeggiata, when residents dress smartly to stroll up and down Harnet Avenue. Compare bases in where to stay in Asmara.