Ethiopia or South Africa
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Ethiopia | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 4 years | 10 years |
| Partner can work | — | no |
| Parents | — | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | difficult |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | 14 days |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 848 · estimate | $ 633 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 29,6 | $ 26,0 |
| Life expectancy | 67.6 | 66.31 |
| Homicides/100k | 8.51 | 39.72 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Ethiopia — 17, South Africa — 24. Types present in both: work, study and investment. South Africa adds: family, talent and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Ethiopia: fees range from 32 to 1,002 USD. Routes with a published decision deadline: 10; the shortest is 3 days. South Africa: fees range from 425 to 1,520 ZAR. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes stating an income threshold: 2; the lowest is 8,500 ZAR a month.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: South Africa after 5 years; the other country publishes no term. Citizenship: Ethiopia after 4 years, South Africa after 10 years. South Africa allows a second citizenship, Ethiopia does not.
Ethiopia in brief
Immigration Proclamation No. 354/2002 defines nine visa types — including business, immigrant, student, tourist and transit — issued by the Authority for Security, Immigration and Refugee Affairs; some are available through the evisa.gov.et e-portal. No separately named "investor visa" was found in law: the Ethiopian Investment Commission directs investors to the general business visa, valid from 30 days to 12 months. The law introduces the status of a temporary or permanent residence permit, but the conditions for moving between them and the number of years of waiting are not defined in the text of the law itself — they are assigned to separate Regulations, unavailable in open sources this session. Naturalisation on the general ground requires domicile and at least 4 years' residence in the country, knowledge of one of the nations' and nationalities' languages, a lawful source of income, no criminal record, and renouncing prior nationality (Ethiopian Nationality Proclamation No. 378/2003); for spouses of Ethiopian citizens the period is reduced to 2 years from the marriage with at least 1 year of residence. Dual nationality is not permitted by law: voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality is deemed a voluntary renunciation of Ethiopian nationality. For persons of Ethiopian origin in that situation, a separate status is provided — the Yellow Card (Proclamation No. 270/2002), granting a broad range of rights and privileges without nationality itself; a decision on the application is made within 30 days, and the card is valid for 5 years. The Constitution establishes land as the state and common property of the country's nations, nationalities and peoples: it may not be sold or otherwise alienated by anyone, including citizens, and private investors receive only a right of use on lease terms. Importing pets requires a permit from the relevant agency under the general agricultural regulation (Animal Health and Welfare Proclamation No. 1376/2025) — an import permit, an international veterinary certificate, and entry through a designated crossing point — but the specific quarantine period and antibody-titre requirement for dogs and cats are not defined in the open text of the law. The country has been landlocked since 1993 and lives by its own calendar, running 7–8 years behind the Gregorian one. The five cities in this reference guide are Addis Ababa (the capital, at an elevation of about 2,355 m), Dire Dawa (the second-largest city and a railway hub), Mekelle (administrative centre of the Tigray region), and Lalibela and Gondar — two stops on the historic tourist route with UNESCO World Heritage sites.
South Africa in brief
South Africa builds its intake around scarce occupations: the Critical Skills Work Visa is issued for up to 5 years, but the occupation must be on the current list and the qualification must be assessed by SAQA with an NQF level stated. The constraints are the time limits and family: the processing standard for a spousal visa is 120 working days, work on it without a separate permit is not allowed, and citizenship comes after 10 years.
Other comparisons
Ethiopia or… Nigeria · Rwanda · Tunisia · Algeria · Tanzania · Kenya · Angola · Gabon
South Africa or… Madagascar · Sierra Leone · Uganda · Zambia · Eswatini · Lesotho · Mozambique · Republic of the Congo
More on each: Ethiopia · South Africa. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.