Eligibility Quiz
Do you currently hold a valid foreign passport?
Requirements
Eligibility for the Yellow Card is strictly defined by heritage or marital connection to Ethiopia. You qualify if you fall into one of the following categories:
- By Direct Origin: You were previously an Ethiopian national but have since acquired foreign citizenship.
- By Descent: You were born abroad and have never held Ethiopian citizenship, but at least one of your parents or grandparents is (or was) an Ethiopian national.
- By Marriage: You are a foreign national married to an Ethiopian citizen or a Yellow Card holder. You must have been married for at least two years to be eligible.
- Children: Children under the age of 18 are typically included under their parents' status, though they can be issued their own cards if they hold a foreign passport.
Note on Nationality: There is no restriction based on how your original Ethiopian status was acquired; if you were a naturalized Ethiopian citizen before moving abroad, you remain eligible for the Yellow Card provided you can prove your prior status.
Conditions & Warnings
Ethiopia does not recognize dual citizenship; this card provides quasi-citizenship rights but excludes voting and national security employment.
Foreign documents like birth or marriage certificates must be authenticated by both the issuing country's foreign office and the Ethiopian Embassy.
Holders are increasingly required to link their Yellow Card to the Fayda (National ID) biometric system for banking and SIM card services.
Qualifications
No language requirement for the Yellow Card.
Fees
Standard adult fee including processing; renewal is approximately $340 USD.
Program Details
Ethiopia is on our roadmap
We can notify you when we're ready to support Ethiopia.
Key Developments
The Council of Ministers Regulation No. 550/2024 significantly increased service fees for immigration documents, including a new fee of $200 for Ethiopian Origin ID (Yellow Card) applications.
ics.gov.et ↗The Ethiopian government enacted the Immigration Amendment Proclamation No. 1339/2024, which updates the legal framework for immigration services and the rights of foreign nationals of Ethiopian origin.
haymanotbelay.com ↗