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State of Eritrea · short term business

Family / Friends Visit Visa

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Temporary family/friend visits with an Eritrean resident reference, including relevant origin/parental identity evidence; this is not family settlement.

No sponsorship requiredDoes not lead to permanent residencyMelbourne expressly states 90-day visa validity and a one-month stay from arrival, with any extension handled by Immigration in Asmara. Washington’s general FAQ likewise describes a typical one-month stay. This is a visit, not a grant of family residence or permanent settlement.In flux
Processing time
Washington publishes a minimum of 15 business days. Melbourne says up to four weeks and sends the case to Immigration in Asmara; wait for approval and consular contact before payment, original-passport submission or purchasing the air ticket under its instructions. Washington requires the signed online B62.3 application and uploaded photograph, online payment where payable, and mailing the original passport to the embassy; travel only after receiving the issued visa. This is not a passport-free e-visa. Public portal access was checked, but no account, application, payment or mail processing was tested.
Government fees
Washington family visit: USD 70. Washington also lists USD 13 photo-printing and USD 10 service charges, online payment and non-refundable fees. These are the published local components, not a verified worldwide or all-in cost; confirm any actual mailing/return and other charges. Melbourne lists AUD 150 adult / AUD 100 underage and an extra AUD 20 urgent service within its office only. Confirm the actual assessed case and approval/payment sequence; a missing-ID support-letter case may need separate fee instructions.
Typical duration
Melbourne expressly states 90-day visa validity and a one-month stay from arrival, with any extension handled by Immigration in Asmara. Washington’s general FAQ likewise describes a typical one-month stay. This is a visit, not a grant of family residence or permanent settlement.
Sponsorship required
No
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗

In short

Temporary family/friend visits with an Eritrean resident reference, including relevant origin/parental identity evidence; this is not family settlement. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/eritrea/family-visit-visa#answer

What is the Family / Friends Visit Visa in State of Eritrea?

Family / Friends Visit Visa is an unsponsored Eritrea route. Indicative government fees are Washington family visit: USD 70. Washington also lists USD 13 photo-printing and USD 10 service charges, online payment and non-refundable fees. These are the published local components, not a verified worldwide or all-in cost; confirm any actual mailing/return and other charges. Melbourne lists AUD 150 adult / AUD 100 underage and an extra AUD 20 urgent service within its office only. Confirm the actual assessed case and approval/payment sequence; a missing-ID support-letter case may need separate fee instructions; indicative processing time is Washington publishes a minimum of 15 business days. Melbourne says up to four weeks and sends the case to Immigration in Asmara; wait for approval and consular contact before payment, original-passport submission or purchasing the air ticket under its instructions. Washington requires the signed online B62.3 application and uploaded photograph, online payment where payable, and mailing the original passport to the embassy; travel only after receiving the issued visa. This is not a passport-free e-visa. Public portal access was checked, but no account, application, payment or mail processing was tested; typical duration is Melbourne expressly states 90-day visa validity and a one-month stay from arrival, with any extension handled by Immigration in Asmara. Washington’s general FAQ likewise describes a typical one-month stay. This is a visit, not a grant of family residence or permanent settlement. This route does not lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC on 15 November 2026.

Overview

Washington requires a resident reference in Eritrea who can attend Asmara Immigration to follow up the visa request. Its family-visit checklist adds birth-certificate and parents’ Eritrean-ID copies for applicants born to Eritrean parents who are under 24. Melbourne covers Eritrean-origin applicants without National ID and non-Eritrean applicants visiting family/friends, with the reference recorded in its application. First check whether an original Eritrean National ID establishes the published entry exemption instead. A resident reference is distinct from an employer sponsor. Use the mission serving your actual residence. Washington’s consular page describes the Americas except Canada, while its portal welcome specifically mentions US residents; confirm actual jurisdiction acceptance for a non-US-resident case. Regional fees, forms and procedures are not interchangeable.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

  • ·For Washington, a passport valid at least six months beyond the trip dates, the signed online B62.3 form and a 35 × 45 mm uploaded passport photograph. The serving mission’s passport and photo requirements control; other missions phrase their validity rules differently.Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗
  • ·Washington requests local residence/permanent-resident evidence for non-US citizens. Prepare the actual category’s purpose, financial and supporting documents and arrange original-passport mailing/return as instructed.Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗
  • ·Check any required entry-health certificate for the actual itinerary. Washington publishes a yellow-fever certificate requirement for travellers from its listed countries; confirm the applicable documentation with the serving authority rather than treating a regional list as every traveller’s medical requirement.Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗
  • ·Resident reference’s actual details and ability to follow up in Eritrea, purpose and financial means.Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗
  • ·For the Washington under-24 Eritrean-parent case, birth certificate and parents’ Eritrean-ID copies; follow actual applicant/parent/guardian signature requirements.Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗
  • ·Melbourne initially uses its named family-visit form, passport copy and reference details; after approval/contact it requests the original passport, photo, fee, return envelope and tentative itinerary.Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC ↗

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Establish actual ID/exemption status and arrange the resident family/friend reference and purpose evidence.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Obtain the actual serving mission’s complete category checklist and any required prior approval, and prepare its documents.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Follow the actual online/payment/original-passport submission sequence and wait for the issued visa before travel.

  4. After approval

    Check the grant’s validity, stay, activity and any extension or further-authorisation requirements.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Family / Friends Visit Visa, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Family / Friends Visit Visa instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Eritrea

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read the current Family / Friends Visit Visa checklist ↗

    Choose the actual named category and read its own fees, clock and evidence.

    Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC · verified

  2. ApplyApplicant
    Open the official-linked Washington portal ↗

    Public access was checked; no private application or payment was tested.

    Eritrean consular affairs / Washington embassy · verified

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check Consulate of the State of Eritrea, Melbourne instructions ↗

    Confirm the actual regional approval, submission sequence and category assessment.

    Consulate of the State of Eritrea, Melbourne · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Does visiting family provide family residence?+

No. These mission pages describe temporary entry visits. A separate family-residence programme or automatic work right was not established by the visit checklist.

Is the Washington procedure entirely online?+

No. Its published process combines online application/payment with mailing the original passport. Other missions may require approval and contact before accepting payment or the original.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in Eritrea

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Embassy of the State of Eritrea, Washington DC

Last checked: 15 November 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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