Before you start

Private medical cover or an institutional scheme
A named clinic before you need one
Evacuation membership or policy cover

Step-by-step

1
Take the first two weeks at altitude gently
Breathlessness, disturbed sleep and fatigue are normal for one to three weeks at 2,355 metres. Hydrate more than feels necessary, avoid alcohol early on, and postpone anything strenuous — including Entoto.
In personWho: YouFirst 1–3 weeks
2
Confirm what cover you actually have
AU, UN and diplomatic staff are usually on an institutional scheme; ordinary employees need a private policy. Check the annual limit, the outpatient position and whether dependants are included.
Via employerWho: Your employer
3
Register with a clinic in your first fortnight
The Nordic Medical Centre, MCM Korean Hospital, Washington Medical Center and Hallelujah General are the common choices. Registering while well is far easier.
In personWho: You
4
Arrange evacuation cover
Referral for complex cases goes to Nairobi or Dubai. Confirm your policy covers air evacuation and out-of-country treatment, not just Ethiopian bills.
OnlineWho: You
5
Get travel-specific advice for trips out of Addis
Malaria risk in the city is low because of altitude, but it rises sharply in lower-lying regions. Take advice per trip rather than per country, and carry a plan for anywhere remote.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and residence permit
Private insurance or institutional scheme card
Evacuation membership details
Vaccination certificates including yellow fever
Any regular prescriptions, with generic names

Things most newcomers don’t know

2,355 metres is high enough to change how you feel for weeks.

Addis is among the highest capital cities in the world, and new arrivals reliably underestimate it. Expect breathlessness on stairs, broken sleep and unusual tiredness for one to three weeks, and expect alcohol to hit noticeably harder. Anyone with a cardiac or respiratory condition should take medical advice specifically about the altitude before committing to a move.

Source: altitude physiology; standard advice for Addis arrivals

The same altitude means malaria is not a city risk here.

Transmission is limited above roughly 2,000 metres, so Addis itself is low-risk in a way Kampala and Dar es Salaam emphatically are not. That flips as soon as you travel to lower regions. The mistake runs both ways — people take daily prophylaxis in the city unnecessarily, or travel to the lowlands without any.

Source: Ethiopian health advisories, altitude-related transmission

Bring your medicines and their generic names, not just the brand.

Supply of specific imported pharmaceuticals in Ethiopia can be inconsistent, and brand names differ. Arrive with a supply and a prescription written with the generic name so a pharmacist can find the local equivalent. This is a small piece of preparation that prevents a genuinely stressful search later.

Source: community-reported, consistently

An institutional scheme is not portable, and postings end.

AU, UN and mission staff are often on excellent employer schemes that stop the day the contract does. If you plan to stay in Ethiopia afterwards on an ordinary work permit, you will be buying private cover as an individual, at individual rates, possibly with pre-existing exclusions. Ask about that before the posting ends, not after.

Source: standard practice for international organisation staff

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the altitude as a curiosity and scheduling a hard first week.
Taking malaria prophylaxis in Addis while travelling to the lowlands without it.
Relying on cover that excludes evacuation and out-of-country treatment.
Arriving without a supply of regular medication and a generic-name prescription.
Assuming an institutional health scheme will continue after the posting.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Make it your personal checklist

Globe Quest turns this into a tracked, AI-personalized plan for Addis Ababa — timed to your move date, with reminders so nothing slips. Free to start.