There are laws that surprise the traveler when they encounter them for the first time. One of them appears in Ethiopia and features seemingly harmless objects: binoculars. What in many countries is part of the usual luggage of a tourist, especially those traveling to observe birds or wildlife, is subject in Ethiopia to specific security checks.
And it is not a simple recommendation for travelers. Ethiopian authorities establish different categories based on the characteristics of the device. Some binoculars cannot enter or leave the country; others require prior permits and security authorization; and there is a third group that also needs authorization to be used. Given this, any tourist attempting to enter the country with binoculars will be detained.
Any tourist attempting to enter the country with binoculars will be detained at the border
The restriction is included in a specific circular about the types of binoculars allowed and prohibited in Ethiopia, disseminated to inform international passengers entering or leaving the country. Ethiopian Airlines maintains this documentation within its customs regulation information.
Are all binoculars prohibited in Ethiopia?
No. This is the first nuance that should be made. The regulation establishes a classification based on magnification capacity and objective diameter. The models considered to be of higher risk appear within a category of “very high security risk”, identified with the red level.
Among them are binoculars of 12x50, 15x15, 22x50, 30x60, 35x70, 20x80, 40x60, and 60x70, in addition to those exceeding those capacities within the classification. The circular indicates that these models are prohibited from entering, leaving, or being used in Ethiopia.
To understand the nomenclature, a 10x42 model, for example, offers ten magnifications and has an objective of 42 millimeters. The greater the observation capacity at a distance, the greater the security consideration that the device receives.
And that is where a tool designed for observing birds can end up sharing regulatory space with much less innocent devices.
Other binoculars can enter, but with permission
The Ethiopian regulation also establishes a second category, considered of high risk. In it appear models such as 7x30, 8x30, 7x50, 8x32, 8x42, 8x56, 10x25, 10x30, 10x32, 10x42, 10x50, 10x56, and 12x42.
In these cases, the traveler is not faced with an absolute prohibition. The circular requires having permission from the Ethiopian Space Science Society and with an agreement and security authorization from the Information Network Security Administration (INSA).
There is even a medium risk category, identified as green level. For certain lower power binoculars, the regulation allows their entry and exit from the country as long as the corresponding authorization from INSA is available.
The recommendation for a tourist, therefore, is simple: do not assume that personal binoculars can cross the border just like that. The British government currently includes binoculars among the items whose import or export requires prior authorization, while the U.S. Department of State warns that they may be confiscated if introduced without the necessary authorization.
Why does Ethiopia consider binoculars a security issue?
The regulation does not provide an extensive explanation in the circular about the specific reason for each category. What it does make clear is the criterion used: binoculars are classified as equipment subject to different levels of security risk and the authority responsible for the authorizations is INSA, the agency responsible for information security and technologies.
The connection to security is not exclusive to binoculars. The official recommendations for traveling to Ethiopia place within the same prior authorization regime other devices such as satellite phones, night vision goggles, walkie-talkies, radios, GPS devices, transmitters, and drones.
Additionally, in 2022 a representative of INSA explained that certain devices, including surveillance cameras, drones, satellite phones, communication equipment, and high-capacity binoculars, could pose security risks and be subject to controls.
Therefore, the most reasonable explanation is that the regulation does not treat binoculars as a simple tourist object, but as optical instruments that, depending on their features, can have applications for surveillance or remote observation. This last one is an interpretation of the meaning of the regulation, not a literal explanation provided in the circular.
An especially important precaution for tourists
The peculiarity of this norm takes on special importance in a country that attracts numerous travelers interested precisely in nature and the observation of wildlife and birds.
The problem is not limited to carrying binoculars in the backpack. Official U.S. documentation states that personal optical instruments, including binoculars, require prior authorization from Ethiopian authorities and warns that unauthorized items may be confiscated.
The British government offers a similar recommendation and expressly states that the import and export of binoculars requires prior authorization.
Ethiopian Airlines' own documentation refers to a specific circular regarding the restrictions on binoculars, which shows that we are not facing an anecdotal peculiarity of a specific airport, but a formal regulation that affects international passengers.
Ethiopia and other laws that surprise the traveler
The regulation on binoculars fits into a category of norms that often bewilder visitors: laws that regulate everyday objects that in other countries receive little attention from authorities.
One of the most well-known examples is in Singapore, where the importation of chewing gum is prohibited with exceptions for certain dental or therapeutic products and some specific cases. The prohibition is included in the import and export regulations and remains in effect in 2026.
The comparison serves to understand an important issue: many of these norms do not necessarily mean that the object is completely prohibited within the country. They may refer only to its importation, exportation, use in certain circumstances, or need for prior authorization.
In Ethiopia, that is precisely what happens with binoculars. The surprise for the traveler arises from encountering an everyday object included in a security classification. And the key is that not all binoculars are prohibited, but none should be assumed to be allowed without first checking their characteristics and the required permits.
For those preparing a trip, a rule that seems so small can become an important practical matter: before packing the binoculars in the suitcase to observe birds, landscapes, or animals, it is advisable to first check if the specific model is allowed and if it needs authorization.
Because in Ethiopia, looking from afar can also require permission.