Updated: How to cross the borders of Egypt and Sudan into Ethiopia. I started this adventure in April 2016 as part of my 125 day, 13 country journey from Luxor to Cape Town. How to Backpack Overland in Africa from Luxor to Capetown
The reason for going north to south was due to the difficulty of obtaining a Ethiopian Visa in Kenya for making a land crossing, and the length of time taken to get a Sudanese Visa in Ethiopia (Up to two weeks).
Allowing for inflation and changes of procedure, this post should still be pretty relevant in 2019.
Monastry of St Simeon, Aswan, Eygpt.
If you have seen this post before, that’s because I put it up on Trip Advisor and Lonely Planets Thorn Tree sites in May 2016.
There was not a lot of up to date information at the time for an actual border crossing by bus from Egypt to Sudan, due to road closures, as it was usually done by ferry.
HOW I DID IT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- EGYPT TO SUDAN
- SUDANESE VISA
- BUS TICKET
- EGYPTIAN BORDER CROSSING
- SUDANESE BORDER CROSSING
- HINDSIGHT
- MORE PAPERWORK!
- ONWARDS TO ETHIOPIA
- KHARTOUM TO METEMA
- METEMA TO GONDER
- WELCOME TO ETHIOPIA
- RESOURCES
EGYPT TO SUDAN
SUDANESE VISA
You can easily get a Sudanese Visa from their consulate in Aswan for US$50 (Apparently has now increased to US$150) for a single entry 1 month visa, and a wait of 2-3 working days.
The website below has more up to date information regarding process and cost. Againstthecompass/visa-for-sudan
The office is open Mon, Tue, Thur, Sun 09:00 to 12:30.
A Copy of the information page of passport, Egyptian visa, and 2 photos required.
I am using a New Zealand passport so my sponsor was NZ Embassy on the form, so no problem.
Aswan issued Sudanese Visa
Sudanese Consulate address is: 12 El – Sadat, Qism Aswan, Egypt.
BUS TICKET
I purchased a bus ticket at the Kelany Hotel reception in Aswan for 220 EGP. The ticket included transport to the bus and the ferry ending in Wadi Haifa. Hostelbookers.com
The bus I caught was the Cairo to Khartoum bus which comes through Aswan between 03:30 and 04:00 so I was actually dropped at a bus stop area near the High Dam to get on.
EGYPTIAN BORDER CROSSING
It was a 2.5 hour bus trip from Aswan to the Abu Simbel ferry crossing.
A more recent experience of the border crossing. Againstthecompass/egypt-sudan-border-overland
Just before the Egyptian side of the border a 50 EGP Egyptian departure tax is collected from all the passengers. A receipt was given out at the border while we waited to be processed.
Customs and Immigration for both sides was long and painful with 3 hours on the Egyptian side and 4 hours on the Sudanese side. This is due to the Egyptian side not using computers but large books to check if you are wanted or not, and the huge amount of goods that the Sudanese passengers were taking home. All the goods were unloaded from the bus and X-rayed.
There was a bit of confusion about which counter to hand in your departure card (Which says arrival) and have your visa stamped. You have to go around the fence opposite to where the bus pulls in next to the X-Ray hut.
SUDANESE BORDER CROSSING
It is about 200 meters from the Egyptian Border.
The Bus pulls up, unloads passengers. You go to immigration to receive a Visa entry stamp then to the next counter to receive a travel permit (free), the form you fill out. Then walk through to customs, where they will check your bag and put a sticker on it.
While waiting for all your fellow passengers to have their luggage inspected and customs duties bargained and paid for, you can change money in the Immigration hall or later outside. US$1 = 13 SDG. Also easy to change any remaining EGP. 1 EGP = 1.3 SDG. (2016 rates).
A total of 4 hours waiting time on the Sudanese side before finally driving the remaining 30 minutes to Wadi Halfa to find accommodation for the night (Aneel Hotel 20 SDG bed/80 for fan room, share facilities).
Basic accommodation, Wadi Halfa.
Note: There was another fee, 50 SDG but they gave up as their computers were down so they could not process it. I think it was an entry tax.
HINDSIGHT
You could do the process faster in say 1.5 hours on the Egyptian side and then walk across to the Sudanese side to complete the process in 30 mins then walk out and catch a ride into Wadi Halfa to arrive by midday, not 17:00.
Meroe Royal Tombs, Sudan.
MORE PAPERWORK!
SUDANESE REGISTRATION
The registration can be completed in Wadi Halfa if you would like to stay there longer, or wait until Khartoum. It is not a problem being over the 3 day period to register in, as it was 5 days before I registered in Khartoum.
The Alien Registration Office (Open 08:00 to 14:15) is a 40 SDG taxi ride south of Central Khartoum.
Alien Registration, Khartoum, Sudan
On arrival (A large pale blue complex) you walk in and to the left are booths with photocopying machines. At the first booth I had my passport and visa page copied. I filled out the registration form, handed over my travel permit plus 1 photo and 400 SDG registration fee + 150 SDG service fee,(The service fee also includes them acting as your sponsor they will fill in the details on the form and give you their email and phone number as contact details if required. Saves running back to your hotel) waited 30 minutes for an assistant to walk into the main building to complete the process and return.
For a more recent experince. Canseeitall/Registration-sudan
ETHIOPIAN VISA
From the Sudanese Alien Registration Office it was 20 SDG Tuk Tuk ride north to the Ethiopian Consulate (Open 08:30 to 15:30 Sun to Thur). On arrival I completed the visa application form 5 SDG, 2 photos (white background only), a copy of passport information page and Sudanese visa page. Only then after a search was I allowed into the main Consulate building.
Read for a more recent experience. Bunchofbackpackers/how-to-ethiopian-visa-in-khartoum-sudan
Less than 2 hours later, and US$40 lighter I had my Ethiopian Visa.
Ethiopian Visa.
NOTE:
Both the Alien registration and Ethiopian Visa completed by midday.
ONWARDS TO ETHIOPIA
KHARTOUM TO METEMA
A three wheeled taxi from Khartoum to Minas Al Barras Bus Station 40 SDG.
The bus for Khartoum to Gallabat 145 SDG, took 9 hours. Stopping in Gallabat by 18:00.
We slept in a compound where you could also change money US$1 = 21 Birr.
Up early the next day, breakfast then at 06:00 moved down to the Customs area to wait for customs to open 07:00.
Make sure that you are standing at the front of the line. They said just ‘go’ to me without checking anything, so I walked 50 meters and entered the immigration office. Filled out the departure form, passport stamped, then walked over to the Ethiopian Immigration Office on the other side of the bridge in Metema. No forms to fill. Entry stamp. Walked to the Customs stand, a brief inspection of my bag and a conversation. Then off. All throughout this process people asking if you want to change money.
For a more recent experience. Canseeitall/2018/01/22/sudan-to-ethiopia-border-gadarif-gonder
METEMA TO GONDER
I walked from the border to the minibus stop which is about 2 kms. Negotiated a fee down to 110 birr, the locals paying about 80 birr. It was 4 hours to Gondar.
WELCOME TO ETHIOPIA
I welcome any information that could update this blog by any readers who have recently completed this journey. Please use the comments section below. Thank you.
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Thanks for sharing..