Layover in Ethiopia en route to South Africa - yellow fever

Hi there I have layovers in Addis with Ethiopian Airlines fairly often, and I don’t recall ever being asked for a yellow fever certificate. Never at any of my stops.

My husband and I are heading to South Africa in April on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Paris, so we’ll have a layover in Ethiopia!

Is the layover with an overnight stay in Ethiopia?

Hello, just a layover, but if for any reason we end up stuck for more than 12 hours!

1-Vaccination isn’t required when coming from Europe 2- No risks in Addis. Risks exist in the humid areas of the south of the country

Yellow fever vaccination isn’t currently required upon arrival in Addis Ababa if you’re coming from Europe. Although it’s not mandatory, it’s still recommended (except for medical contraindications, particularly for senior travelers), mainly for those visiting the tribal regions in the south.

https://www.voyageursdumonde.fr/voyage-sur-mesure/voyages/guide-voyage/ethiopie/sante

It’s pretty common to have a layover of more than 12 hours in Addis, and I’ve never had any issues either

Okay, thanks for your feedback

In South Africa, when arriving from a country affected by yellow fever, it's not uncommon to have to produce your vaccination record. Ethiopia is one such country, and immigration won’t consider regional specifics. Sure, the officer might be understanding if your layover exceeded 12 hours, but they’re not obligated to be.

How long is your layover scheduled for? Are both flights operated by the same airline?

(Say, your username was prophetic 😉)

Hi there,

We regularly fly Ethiopian Airlines (Frankfurt - Addis Ababa - Victoria Falls) and we’ve never been asked for a vaccination certificate, neither in ADD nor in JNB.

Hi Voyajou, our layover should only last 2h, but if there’s a problem and the flight gets delayed... We’re taking the same Ethiopian Airlines from Paris all the way to Cape Town

Hi Max68, how long does your layover in Ethiopia usually last on average?

Hi Laetitia,

Generally, it takes about 3 hours. It's an airport that runs smoothly, and you can make a quick transfer. Since your flights are connected, if there’s an issue, they’ll wait for you at the plane’s exit to guide you to your next flight. I really like this airport because there are passengers from all over the world, which makes for a very colorful atmosphere. If you have time, it’s a great opportunity to grab an Ethiopian coffee.

Hi there,

The topic is interesting but involves making personal trade-offs and weighing the stakes. If the connection is a true connection, under customs, and the second flight is on time or reasonably delayed, there’s no possible issue. Now, you can always imagine a very long delay—exceeding 12 hours—or some incident that forces you to leave the customs zone and actually "enter" Ethiopia. In that case, still quite unlikely, the question is whether South Africa might hassle a passenger over it? 🤪 The cost of this tiny risk is a vaccination that’s still fairly inaccessible—you can’t just get it at a pharmacy, it might require travel, a special day off—and it comes with a significant price tag. Not to mention that for first-time injections after age 60, you really need to think twice and have a genuine reason, a real risk. Not just an airport transit.

Other than weighing the factors yourself based on your own situation—which won’t be the same as someone else’s—there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Michel

Hi,

Great summary, thanks! 🙂

Max68 thanks for your reply, 😊

Tatra, thanks for your reply! 😊 Unfortunately, we’ve traveled a lot and have already been stuck for 24 hours due to a plane door malfunction, bad weather, or strikes. But what’s the probability of that happening? You’re right, though.

Ethiopian Airlines and Addis Ababa have this unique thing where you actually enter Ethiopia because you leave the airport to spend the night before continuing the next day. Every time you stay overnight with Ethiopian (which is very common since you usually arrive in the evening from all over the world before morning departures to complete the journey), the next morning, you just have to go for boarding since check-in was already handled the night before. The formalities are very simple because Addis wants to become a hub between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East (and it’s doing pretty well compared to Nairobi, which had the same ambition at one point). Everything is smooth and goes really well. And as I can attest since I use them often, sometimes it takes a few hours and sometimes much longer (even beyond 12 hours), but I’ve never had any issues with yellow fever in either Ethiopia or the arrival country (Europe, Africa, or even the Middle East).

Just noting that, in any case, in the African countries I travel to (except Mauritius), no one has asked me for my yellow fever certificate in a long time (the last time was about 10 years ago when crossing on foot to Goma in the DRC).

For South Africa, I can only rely on the advice of those who know better, but it would take a particularly tricky official to pay attention to whether a layover lasted longer than expected in relation to yellow fever.

Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it. But as they say, the advisors aren’t the ones paying, so it’s up to those concerned to decide. The risk is practically zero, though.

In short, it’s either the risk of the layover being extended and South African authorities demanding proof of vaccination, or the risk of getting vaccinated after 60 (what does your doctor think?).

The certificate is now valid for life. Is this the first time you’ve encountered this situation?

For my part, 1 it almost never happens anymore that they ask for the yellow fever certificate in a ton of countries, and 2 you’ll just say that you’re coming from France if they ask.

Never heard of or seen such a level of vigilance and precision when someone checks this yellow fever aspect, including the hypothesis of a longer layover due to a delay that could potentially mean you enter the country.

In all scenarios, I really don’t see how there could be an issue.

Except in Mauritius, where I’ve experienced *super* meticulous checks. You can understand why—they’re an island.

Hi Agnes,

In short, it’s either the risk that the layover gets extended and South African authorities demand proof of vaccination, or the risk of getting vaccinated after 60 (what does your GP think?). The certificate is now valid for life. Is this the first time you’ve encountered this situation?

The administrative risk is honestly very theoretical. Getting vaccinated after 60—I’d be surprised if a doctor would take that risk for just a few hours of layover in Addis. Could a medical exemption certificate be an option? Probably yes.

Michel

Thanks also for your interesting feedback

Hi Attila, I was actually thinking of making a meet-up with our doctor as soon as tomorrow. It’s a bit of a risk, indeed. This has never happened to us before since we’ve never had a layover with "health concerns" before.

Hi Laetitia,

we’ve never had a layover "that poses a health risk"

Nor have we visited any of the countries that require this vaccination or any of the countries where it’s strongly recommended—usually those in Latin America or equatorial Africa. 😉

I got vaccinated to enter Brazil from Bolivia (overland crossing). At the time, it was officially mandatory on paper, but I don’t remember if they actually asked for the vaccination record.

You might want to think longer-term than just this trip and consider that if you don’t get vaccinated now at just 60, you probably never will—and that means you’ll have to rule out future trips to certain countries.

Your doctor will certainly be able to give you the best advice to help you decide.🙂

I’d be surprised if a doctor would take the risk of vaccinating someone over 60 just for a few hours’ layover in Addis

No idea—I’m not a doctor.

What I’m taking away from this discussion is that if you want to travel anywhere, it’s better to get vaccinated before age becomes a risk factor. 😐

What I mainly take away from this discussion is that if you want to travel everywhere, it's better to get vaccinated before age increases the risk. 😐

It's not the vaccine that's mandatory, it's the stamp.

Michel

You're absolutely right, I thought of that too. Thanks for your reply

it’s the stamp.

Maybe so, but I don’t feel like a forger at heart, and while I’m not obsessed with zero risk, I get vaccinated when I think the shot’s worth it for my health.

I’m not suggesting you fake anything. If the destination isn’t high-risk, it’s just a layover formality, and it’s medically risky, a certificate should still be possible. Weigh the pros and cons and decide.

Michel

Everything’s already been covered in this thread.

Everything has already been said in this thread.

I don’t know, that’s just what you’re saying.

You don’t like the idea I suggested about a medical exemption certificate, but it’s not at all certain they’ll agree to vaccinate you "just in case" without a clear, imminent, and proven need—just because you feel your 60th birthday approaching. Is that even part of the protocol? Or will you have to lie and come up with a fake travel plan to a risk area?

Michel

Hi there It seems you can get vaccinated against yellow fever pretty easily, even without an appointment, at designated vaccination centers. It's straightforward if you're not too far from our bigger cities. This one, for example. You can even get a medical exemption certificate if needed. Practical info & rates - Paris République Vaccination Center (formerly Air France) | ELSAN

That said, when it comes to this particular trip, I really don’t see the necessity for it.

Now, we can still imagine a very long delay, exceeding 12 hours, or any incident that requires leaving the customs area to truly "enter" Ethiopia. In this case, which is still quite unlikely, the question arises whether in South Africa they could hassle a passenger for that?

1/ It turns out that the best expert on ADD airport explains before your comment that this isn’t rare. 2/ It’s not about "hassling a passenger": you seem to have trouble understanding that uniformed staff in advanced countries (i.e., where they earn a salary) enforce the rules and regulations in place. Nothing more, nothing less, and they don’t care about your arguments.

Hello,

The expert on ADD mainly explains that:

In South Africa, I can only rely on the advice of those who know better, but you’d really need a particularly sneaky agent to pay attention to whether a layover lasted longer than planned due to yellow fever.

Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it. But advisors aren’t the ones footing the bill, so it’s up to those involved to decide. The risk is practically zero, though.

... Which is basically what I said, just put another way. The rules are applied with common sense and in their spirit in the vast majority of cases—especially in "developed countries," no less.

Michel