We advise against travelling after dark in rural areas, where road signage/road barriers are scarce

Tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia are high. There were serious military clashes across cheap car rentals san diego the Eritrean border in March 2012 and May 2012. Reports suggest that a large number of people were killed or taken prisoner. See Safety and Security cheap car rentals san diego - Local Travel.
We advise against all travel within 25 kms of Eritrea's border with Ethiopia and Djibouti; to Eritrea s border with Sudan, including the town of Tesseney; and in the area north and west of Nakh'fa, Ak'ordat and Barentu. See Safety and Security - Local Travel.
The Ethiopia-Eritrea border remains closed and unmarked. Incidents periodically have taken place in 2010 along the border, particularly in the areas of Humera, Tsorona and Zalambessa. The latest incident in September cheap car rentals san diego 2011 took place around Senafe. See Safety and Security -  Local Travel.
All foreign nationals are required to apply in advance for travel permits to leave Asmara. This includes diplomats, whose applications are often refused. You should therefore be aware that we are unlikely to be able to provide consular support outside the capital, and take this into consideration cheap car rentals san diego when deciding whether or not to travel. See Safety and Security - Local Travel cheap car rentals san diego - Travel Permits and General – Consular assistance outside Asmara . Dual British/Eritrean nationals should be aware that, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the British Embassy is unable to offer assistance in Eritrea. The Eritrean authorities consider all British nationals holding either Eritrean or PFDJ identity documents (including cheap car rentals san diego out of date documents) as Eritrean nationals.
There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. See our Terrorism Abroad page.
Street crime such as theft and robbery is relatively rare in Asmara and other cities and towns, but appears to be on an upward cheap car rentals san diego trend. Take normal and sensible precautions with regard to personal safety. We advise against walking around any town, late at night alone. cheap car rentals san diego Valuables, particularly cameras and passports should be kept out of sight.
There were serious border clashes between Eritrea and Ethiopia in March 2012 and May 2012. Tensions cheap car rentals san diego remain high. There is a risk that British Nationals could be caught up in violence close to the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, or as a result of wider retaliation.
We advise against all travel within 25 km of the border with Djibouti. In 2008 there was fighting between Djibouti and Eritrea after an incursion of Eritrean forces into the disputed Djibouti border region leading to casualties on both sides. The situation remains unresolved.
The Ethiopia-Eritrea border remains closed and is reported to be mined. Several cheap car rentals san diego security incidents took place in 2010 along the border, particularly in the areas of Humera, Tsorona and Zalambessa. The latest incident took place in September 2011 when a landmine exploded on the road between Senafe and Afoma killing five people. There is risk of cross-border tensions cheap car rentals san diego increasing and the security situation deterioting rapidly.
We advise against all travel within cheap car rentals san diego 25 km of the border with Djibouti. In 2008 there was fighting between Djibouti and Eritrea after an incursion of Eritrean forces into the disputed Djibouti border region leading to casualties on both sides. The situation remains unresolved.
We advise against all travel to Eritrea s border with Sudan, including the town of Tesseney; and the areas north and west of Nakh'fa, Ak'ordat and Barentu.  In 2009, an attack on an International Mining Company vehicle to a road 35km north of Keren caused the deaths cheap car rentals san diego of one employee and two contractors.
There are extensive mine fields in Eritrea, particularly near the border with Ethiopia. Driving on main roads outside of the border areas is generally safe, though a landmine killed eight and injured several people along the same road in 2008.  We advise cheap car rentals san diego against driving on non-metalled roads, off-road driving and walking or hiking in the countryside.
We advise against travelling after dark in rural areas, where road signage/road barriers are scarce and steep drops common. You should be aware that in many parts of the country roads are difficult or impassable during the rainy season.
Te lephone networks are often unreliable and may only work for limited periods each day outside Asmara and larger towns. There are no agreements between Eritrean mobile telephone providers and International mobile phone providers. You will not be able to receive or send calls or SMS text messages from any overseas mobile phone network on arrival in Eritrea.  Nor can local SIM cards be purchased without a resident's cheap car rentals san diego permit.
All foreign nationals are required to have a travel permit to leave Asmara. Those working outside Asmara are also required to have a travel cheap car rentals san diego permit to leave their area of residence or work. Applications cheap car rentals san diego for such travel permits in Asmara are handled by the relevant Ministry. For business travellers, applications are dealt with by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Applications outside Asmara are handled by the local Zoba (Region) Administration Offices. Permission may take several days to be granted and is sometimes refused or delayed. Tourists seeking to travel outside Asmara should apply for travel permits at the Ministry of Tourism located on Harnet Avenue in Asmara. Such permits usually take around 24 hours to process. There is no guarantee that permits cheap car rentals san diego will be issued.
Restrictions on travel by foreign nationals apply equally to foreign diplomats. cheap car rentals san diego Staff from the British Embassy may therefore find it difficult or impossible  to  provide any consular assistance to British nationals outside Asmara. This potential lack of any assistance outside Asmara is something you should take into account fully before travelling.
There are international flights (some direct) from Asmara to Cairo (Egyptair), Frankfurt cheap car rentals san diego (Lufthansa), Sana'a (Yemenia), Khartoum (Sudan Airways). See the airline websites for specific details on flight schedules, ticketing and other information.
There have been attacks of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Horn of Africa area.  Mariners are advised to be vigilant and to take appropriate precautions. Mariners should be aware that permissions and entry visas must be sought in advance before seeking to land in Eritrea.  See our River and Sea Safety page.
British nationals need a visa to enter Eritrea. Ensure that any necessary travel documentation (including exit visas) remain valid for the duration of your stay. The Eritrean authorities take breaches of their immigration laws seriously and travellers who have overstayed can face lengthy delays in regularising their position before departure or even detention.
Dual British/Eritrean nationals cheap car rentals san diego who enter Eritrea will be classed as Eritrean nationals by the Eritrean authorities. The British Embassy is unable to gain consular cheap car rentals san diego access to or obtain information on such dual nationals if they are detained by the authorities or otherwise in need of assistance. Dual nationals who enter Eritrea on an Eritrean identity card rather than an Eritrean passport should be aware that they are required to obtain an exit visa from the Immigration cheap car rentals san diego Office in Asmara before they are able to leave Eritrea.
All foreign visitors are required to declare all foreign currency upon entering the country - filling in a form and showing funds. cheap car rentals san diego There is no limit on the amount that can be brought in. Ensure that you have had your completed foreign currency declaration form approved and stamped before cheap car rentals san diego you leave the airport.
On departure, you will have to show (using your foreign currency declaration form) that any foreign currency missing was exchanged at a branch of "Himbol", the State foreign currency exchange. It is permissible to spend dollars only at a small number of officially-recognised hotels, cheap car rentals san diego from which you must have a receipt of the expenditure cheap car rentals san diego to present along with the currency declaration form. Failure to comply cheap car rentals san diego with these regulations means you may face prosecution leading to a heavy fine, as well as a delay to your departure from Eritrea.
Contact your GP around eight weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures. Country specific information and advice is published by the National Travel Health Network cheap car rentals san diego and Centre , and useful information about healthcare abroad, including a country-by-country guide of reciprocal health care agreements with the UK, is available from NHS Choices .
There are three public hospitals in Asmara. Public hospitals in other towns are often poorly equipped.  Elsewhere medical facilities are even more limited. If you are travelling away from the large towns, we advise that you carry a comprehensive medical cheap car rentals san diego pack with you.
In the 2010 Report on the Global cheap car rentals san diego AIDS Epidemic cheap car rentals san diego the UNAIDS/WHO cheap car rentals san diego Working Group estimated that around 22,000 adults cheap car rentals san diego aged 15 or over in Eritrea were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 0.8% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%.  You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure cheap car rentals san diego to HIV/AIDS. See our HIV and AIDS page.
If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 122244 and ask for an ambulance. cheap car rentals san diego You should contact your insurance/medical assistance cheap car rentals san diego company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. Check for any exclusions and ensure that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Ensure also that your medical cheap car rentals san diego insurance covers cheap car rentals san diego the cost of air ambulance cheap car rentals san diego evacuation out of Eritrea in the event of a serious accident or illness. See our Travel Insurance page.
There are serious constraints on  what the British Embassy can do to assist British nationals in Eritrea. Diplomats in Asmara must apply ten days