ART. 01 — GET STARTED

Open your account.

መለያዎን ይክፈቱ

Six steps. One afternoon. Your earnings in your name.

01
STEP 01 / 06

Choose Your Bank

ባንክዎን ይምረጡ

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) and Dashen Bank both offer FX retention accounts under FXD/04/2026. CBE has the widest branch network. Dashen has faster international card issuance.

→ Recommended: Dashen Bank for faster international card

02
STEP 02 / 06

Gather Your Documents

ሰነዶቷን ያዘጉጁ

You need four things. All freelancers qualify — no business registration required under the new directive.

Valid Ethiopian IDTaxpayer ID (TIN)Proof of foreign income (Upwork/Fiverr/Toptal statement)Passport photo

No business license required. Freelance contracts accepted.

03
STEP 03 / 06

Visit the Branch

ቅርንጧፉን ይጎብኙ

Go to any CBE or Dashen branch and ask specifically for a ‘Foreign Currency Retention Account’ — use that exact phrase. Some tellers may be unfamiliar with FXD/04/2026. Show them the directive reference if needed.

All documents from Step 02

→ Print the FXD/04/2026 summary from our free docs package

04
STEP 04 / 06

Complete the Application

ማመልከቻውን ይምሉ

The bank will give you their account opening form. In the account type field, write: ‘Foreign Currency Retention Account — FXD/04/2026’. Processing time: 1–3 business days.

Bank’s account opening formFXD/04/2026 reference
05
STEP 05 / 06

Receive Your Account & Card

መለያዎን ይቀበሉ

You will receive an ETB account, a USD retention account, and an international Visa or Mastercard. The card works for online subscriptions, international purchases, and ATMs abroad.

→ This card is in your name. For the first time.

06
STEP 06 / 06

Start Getting Paid

ክፍያ መቀበል ይጀምሩ

Your FX account is open — but platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal don’t support Ethiopian bank payouts yet. That’s the gap. Netsalancer is building a payment gateway — like PayPal — designed for Ethiopian freelancers. Your clients pay through Netsalancer, and we route the funds directly into your FX retention account in Addis. Legal, in your name, from day one. Join the waitlist to get early access.

→ Every payment builds your bank statement history and your visa application.

Download the complete package.

ሙሉ ጥቅሉን ያውርዱ

Cover letter, document checklist, FXD/04/2026 summary, and a pre-filled application timeline. Free. No account needed.

↓ Download Free Package

Processing time — 1–3 business days

Card issuance — 5–10 business days

First withdrawal — available immediately

Bank statement history — starts day one