1

Most Phone shops have a cheap lower end Nokia or Samsung phone for under $25. The SIM card can be purchased at the Hilton bookstore for under $10. You need a copy of your passport and maybe a couple of photos that you will have to bring with you. Photocopies are available from the Hilton Business Center down the hall

EW

2

As indicated, you can get a SIM card and credit with your cellphone in the shop at the Hilton in Addis for a small sum, which is what I did over there in late Oct 2012. You needed your passport and a photocopy of it and one ID photo. I would recommend coming along with a set of 2 or 3 photos to be on the safe side.

Cellphones work well in the country, at any rate in the capital and the north, where I was.

3

I was at the Hilton this morning for a meeting and checked the price. It is 30 birr (about $1.65) and you need a passport sized photo and copy of passport.

4

Hi,

I purchased a SIM card at the end of 2010. The cost was 85 EBR. I bought it at the end of Bole Road, at the ETC building close to the awful half plane close to the junction with the street of the Somaliland liaison office.

It was easy but you need photography (I didn’t remember well the number) and a copy of the first page of your passport including the visa (if my brain is ok…)

I used it again less than one year later (2011)

You can purchase mobile phone easily.

It’s best to arrange in Addis before leaving the city.

Michel

5

I agree it is better to deal with it in Addis. I got the SIM card at the Hilton and it took 15 mins or so (there was a fairly lengthy form to fill out...). I used a mobile phone I bought in South Africa a year earlier, at a cost of less than £10 at the time.

So, it is cheap and convenient. With texting contacts in the UK/Europe being relatively cheap, it enables you to keep in touch with friends and family back home, which can be handy when web connections may be haphazard (in Axum, when I was there, the local internet café I had been using had no connection over a 2-day period or so).

6

This is good. Thanks for the info.

7

Much easier than it used to be.
Everyone is saying Hilton..BUT
LOADS of small shops eg stationers now sell them.
ASK at your guest house or hotel for nearest shop that does them.
You need TWO passport size photos and a p/c of your passport main page and 30 birr. you can get pp photos done in photo shops here in 15mins for 30 birr. NO MACHINES.......
All phones here are @unlocked@ and as said a cheap Nokia is cheap......
All malls have mobile shops........BUT get the sim card first so you can check phone u r buying is OK.....
IF you are booked into a placeand I have time i might be able to advise on nearest seller....send me a pm.