Ethiopian embassy services, from here
Renewing an Ethiopian passport, the Origin ID (yellow card), a power of attorney for something back home, getting a US paper accepted in Ethiopia, and taking a loved one home for burial — what the embassy needs, step by step, from Las Vegas or Atlanta.
Power of attorney & papers
Since 2 April 2026 both are done online through Digital MoFA, not at the embassy counter. A US document needs the US Department of State's stamp first.
Power of attorney (ውክልና) for something in Ethiopia
Anyone who needs a relative or lawyer in Ethiopia to act for them: sell or manage property, collect a pension, sign for a bank, represent them in court.
Give only the powers needed, for only as long as needed. A general power of attorney over property, with no end date, is how families lose houses.
What you need
- Your ID: an Ethiopian passport or Origin ID; a US citizen without either can use two US IDs (driver's licence, green card, state ID). For property, the Origin ID or Ethiopian passport is needed.
- The agent's full name and details, and exactly which powers you are giving, with start and end dates.
How it goes
- Install Digital MoFA (App Store or Google Play) and create an account. Since 2 April 2026 the embassy does not do this in person.
- Choose the country, enter yourself as principal, add the agent, pick the powers (or paste your own wording), set the dates, sign in the app and upload your ID.
- Your agent collects the approved power of attorney at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa with the reference number and their ID — about 24 to 48 hours after approval.
- The fee
- Paid in the app. The embassy's consular portal lists US$62 with an Ethiopian passport or Origin ID and US$95 for others; check the app's price before paying.
- Ask on
- (202) 587-1684 Consular phone lines: 2:00–4:00 PM Eastern (11 AM–1 PM in Las Vegas)
- Embassy of Ethiopia — Power of attorney service
- Digital MoFA — Power of Attorney
- Digital MoFA — Support Center
Read from Embassy of Ethiopia — Authentication & Legalization (walk-in ended 2 April 2026) · Checked October 20, 2026
Get a US document accepted in Ethiopia
Anyone sending a US birth, marriage, death or divorce certificate, a diploma, a court order or a notarised letter to be used in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is not in the apostille system, so the paper goes through two authentications.
What you need
- The original document, certified the way the US Department of State requires for its kind (a state-issued record is first certified by that state's Secretary of State; a notarised paper by the county or state first).
- Form DS-4194 and US$8 per document for the Department of State's Office of Authentications.
- Your ID for the Ethiopian step: Ethiopian passport, Origin ID, green card or US driver's licence.
How it goes
- Step 1, the US side: send the certified document with DS-4194 and the fee to the Office of Authentications (mail-in takes about 12 business days).
- Step 2, the Ethiopian side: scan the authenticated document and submit it in the Digital MoFA app; the embassy verifies it and it reaches Addis Ababa in 24 to 48 hours.
- The other direction — an Ethiopian document for use in the US — is authenticated by Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs first, then the embassy; Digital MoFA also verifies Ethiopian birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates.
- The fee
- US$8 per document to the US Department of State, then the embassy's fee in the app (its consular portal lists US$59 with an Ethiopian passport or Origin ID, US$90 for others).
- Ask on
- (202) 587-1684 Consular phone lines: 2:00–4:00 PM Eastern (11 AM–1 PM in Las Vegas)
- US Department of State — Requesting authentication services
- Digital MoFA — Document authentication and legalization
- Digital MoFA — Vital documents
Read from Embassy of Ethiopia — Authentication & Legalization · Checked October 20, 2026