When IT resellers and integrators import network equipment into Ethiopia, most enquiries start with one question. Does this firewall, switch or server need a security permit before it ships? Since 27 July 2026, the answer often depends on a number on the datasheet, and a branch rollout may need no security permit at all while a core switch in the same box does.
The short version. Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Agency (INSA) applies Proclamation No. 1310/2023, and its restricted list of 27 July 2026 sets thresholds of 1 Tbps for switches, 10 Gbps for routers and gateways, 20 Gbps for firewalls and 5.0 GHz for servers. IP phones, hardware security modules and some other kit stay restricted at any capacity, and some items are prohibited. The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) runs a separate type approval for switches, routers, wireless access points and communications servers.
Carra Globe provides importer of record, exporter of record, delivered duty paid and freight forwarding services, so we have a commercial interest in your answer. What follows is written to be usable whether or not you ever speak to us.
Who decides when you import network equipment into Ethiopia
INSA controls security clearance. Proclamation No. 1310/2023 was published in the Federal Negarit Gazette on 6 March 2024. It splits IT products into prohibited items, which are generally barred, and restricted items, which need an INSA security clearance permit. Article 5(3) allows a narrow permit route for prohibited products used in education or research and development, which is not a route for commercial shipments.
ECA controls type approval. ECA prohibits importing equipment that needs type approval without first obtaining it, and lists network switches, routers, wireless access points and communications servers among that equipment. Where both regimes apply to a product, satisfying only one may not be enough to release it.
Selected INSA thresholds for network and server hardware
The restriction now attaches to measurable performance. INSA revises its lists annually under Article 4 of the Proclamation, and published the current Restricted Technology Product Lists on 27 July 2026. The table covers the categories resellers ship most often.
| Product | Restricted at or above | How to read the datasheet |
|---|---|---|
| Network switches | 1 Tbps switching capacity | Use switching capacity, not port count |
| Routers and gateways | 10 Gbps throughput or capacity | Use the maximum rated throughput for the exact model |
| Firewalls | 20 Gbps raw packet filtering | Use raw packet filtering, not threat protection, IPS or VPN figures |
| Servers | 5.0 GHz processor speed | The list does not say whether boost clocks count, so confirm with INSA or your importer |
| IP phones, media gateways, managed video conferencing, HSMs, IP network monitoring | Any capacity | Treat as restricted whatever the model |
This table is not the full list. INSA’s restricted list runs to 65 items and also covers high-performance computing systems, advanced computing architectures, VSAT systems and satellite phones, among others. Check both current lists for every product in the shipment.
Wireless access points have dropped off the INSA list. An older INSA control list included them, so do not rely on a supplier’s past experience, and remember they still need ECA approval. The HS code for routers and switches will not tell you which side of a threshold a product sits on either.
What this means for a typical order
| Order type | INSA permit | ECA approval |
|---|---|---|
| Branch rollout (access switches, small firewalls, access points) | Often not needed, but check every model | Applies to switches, routers and access points |
| Core or data centre network (spine switches, carrier routers, firewalls above 20 Gbps) | Usually needed | Applies to switches and routers |
| High-frequency servers | Needed at 5.0 GHz or more | Applies to communications servers |
| Mixed consignment | Screen every line by model number | Screen every line by model number |
Check the prohibited list as well. Low earth orbit satellite terminals, network hacking peripherals, digital forensic tools and jamming equipment are all prohibited, and bundling any of them with ordinary network kit can hold up the whole consignment.
How the INSA security clearance permit works
Article 6 sets out four permit types. These are pre-import, import, export, and manufacturing, sale and other permits. Which ones a shipment needs, and in what order, depends on the product and INSA’s procedures, and sending kit back out for a return for repair raises the export permit question.
Article 7 says who can apply. The applicant needs identity or legal personality documents, legal capacity, a permanent address and the technical requirements INSA sets for the product, and foreign nationals also need residence, work or visa status. Permits carry an expiry date, Article 9 provides for renewal under INSA’s procedure, and restricted products cannot pass to a third party without INSA’s permission.
Penalties depend on the offence. Under Article 19, dealing in restricted products without a valid permit carries 3 to 5 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Birr, with lower penalties for negligent cases and up to 10 years and 500,000 Birr for large quantities or organised activity. Article 18 lets INSA seize and forfeit illegally used products with the Customs Commission.
Not sure which lines on your order need an INSA permit? Send Carra Globe the packing list and datasheets, and we will screen each model against the current lists before you book freight. Request an Ethiopia pre-shipment check.
ECA approval, the second gate
Falling below an INSA threshold does not free a product from ECA. The Ethiopian Communications Authority assesses safety, electromagnetic compatibility, spectrum use, interoperability and data protection, and may accept approvals from international testing bodies it designates. For wireless products, list every radio interface, band and power level before you ship, since one unapproved band can stall an access point that otherwise clears.
The same thinking applies to telecom equipment generally, and products with strong encryption may also raise encryption import questions.
Who can act as the importer in Ethiopia
The named importer must meet Ethiopia’s customs, tax, licensing and product-control requirements. That makes it hard for a foreign reseller to simply appear on the paperwork, and there are three routes in practice.
- Invest in import trade. Investment Board Directive No. 1082/2025 opened import trade to foreign investors, subject to a verified due diligence report and other legal requirements. It is an investment route, not a one-shipment option.
- Use your customer as importer. This works only if they hold the licences and can obtain the INSA permit, and it puts the compliance risk on them.
- Use an importer of record. An importer of record already structured for Ethiopia is usually the fastest route, as it is wherever you import IT equipment without a local entity.
Payment runs through an Ethiopian bank. Since 25 May 2026, National Bank of Ethiopia Directive FXD/05/2026 lets banks approve letters of credit and cash against documents on acceptance for institutions holding foreign currency accounts, including retention account holders, without prior central bank approval. Payment still waits for document verification.
A five-step pre-shipment check
- Screen every model against both current INSA lists, using the thresholds in force at dispatch, not only those in this guide.
- Confirm ECA type approval for switches, routers, access points and communications servers.
- Fix the importer before you book freight, since an INSA permit cannot pass to another party without INSA’s permission.
- Align the documents. Model numbers, quantities and values must match across invoice, packing list, datasheets and permits, or you risk a customs hold.
- Model the landed cost from the HS code and declared value before you quote your customer.
How Carra Globe handles Ethiopia shipments
We work through an established local partner who handles INSA and ECA requirements daily. Carra Globe acts as importer of record for network and server hardware entering Ethiopia. On a recent server shipment, every required permit was in place before the goods arrived, and the shipment cleared customs the same day with no issues. That came from screening and permitting before dispatch, not luck at the border.
Where equipment later leaves Ethiopia, Carra Globe can act as exporter of record, and our wider coverage sits on the IOR by country page.
Carra Globe works through importer-side registrations and local importing structures appropriate to the goods and destinations it accepts, its own in some markets and established local structures in others. Approvals falling outside the available structure are flagged before a delivery date is agreed.
If you are shipping network or server hardware into Ethiopia, start by sending us the model list, the end customer and the delivery date. Reach us at info@carraglobe.com.
Ethiopia · Network Equipment · Importer Of Record
Send the model list. We will tell you which lines need INSA, ECA or both.
Most Ethiopia orders mix kit that sits below the INSA thresholds with kit that does not, and the datasheet figure decides which is which. So the useful conversation is which lines need a security permit, which need ECA approval, who can act as importer, and what has to be applied for before the goods move. Where an approval sits outside the structure available, you hear that before a delivery date is agreed.
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Shipping switches, firewalls or servers into Ethiopia? Send the model numbers with their datasheets, the end customer and your delivery date. We will come back on which permits each line needs, who answers as importer, and where the timing risk sits.
Check my Ethiopia shipmentFrequently asked questions
Do I need an INSA permit to import a firewall into Ethiopia?
Under the July 2026 restricted list, yes, where raw packet filtering throughput is 20 Gbps or more. Use that specific figure, not threat protection, IPS or VPN throughput.
Are wireless access points restricted by INSA?
They are not on INSA’s July 2026 restricted list, although an older list included them. ECA still lists them among the equipment that needs its approval.
Which servers need an INSA permit?
Servers with a processor speed of 5.0 GHz or more. The list does not say whether boost clocks count, so confirm each configuration with INSA or your importer.
What happens if I import restricted equipment without a permit?
Depending on the offence, 3 to 5 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Birr under Proclamation No. 1310/2023, and INSA can seize and forfeit the goods.
Can a foreign company import directly into Ethiopia?
Directive No. 1082/2025 opened import trade to foreign investors, subject to due diligence and other legal requirements, but that is an investment route. For one project, an importer of record is usually faster.
How often does INSA change its lists?
Article 4 requires INSA to revise them annually. The lists in force at 14 October 2026 date from 27 July 2026, so recheck before every dispatch.
Adjacent ground: importing into a new country without a local entity, importer of record for small shipments and how long customs clearance takes.
Sources and verification
Checked against INSA’s official documents and the other primary sources below on 14 October 2026.
- The law: Information Technology Products Security Clearance and Control Proclamation No. 1310/2023, Federal Negarit Gazette, 30th Year, No. 18, 6 March 2024.
- The articles relied on. Article 4 for annual list revision, Article 5 for prohibited and restricted activity and the 5(3) exception, Articles 6, 7 and 9 for permit types, applicants and renewal, Article 18 for seizure and forfeiture, and Article 19 for penalties.
- The lists. INSA Restricted Technology Product Lists and Prohibited Technology Product Lists, both published 27 July 2026.
- Type approval. Ethiopian Communications Authority, type approval service requirements.
- Foreign importers. Ethiopian Investment Board Directive No. 1082/2025.
- Payments. National Bank of Ethiopia Directive No. FXD/05/2026, effective 25 May 2026.
- Verification note. INSA revises its lists annually and its procedures sit in directives, so check the current versions before relying on any threshold here. Nothing here is advice on your shipments.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, customs or trade compliance advice. INSA revises its lists annually and ECA requirements vary by product. The position described is as at 14 October 2026. Confirm the current position for your exact models with the competent authority or your importer of record before shipping.