Looking for reliable ATMs in Eritrea that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
For anyone traveling to Eritrea, I cannot stress this enough: bring all the money you need in cash. There are no ATMs that work for foreigners. I had a friend who thought they could get by with just a credit card and had to have a family member wire them money through a local bank, which was a huge hassle. Save yourself the stress and just bring US dollars. You can exchange some at the airport, and the rest can be changed in the major city centers, like Asmara, at a bank.
Don't even bother looking for ATMs in Eritrea. It's a completely pointless exercise. The country's banking system is not set up for international transactions. The only way to get cash is to bring it with you. I carried about $800 in crisp US dollar notes and exchanged them at the official exchange office at the airport when I arrived in Asmara. The process was straightforward, and they gave me a receipt, which you should hold onto for your departure. Credit cards are also not an option; even big hotels won't take them.
I was surprised to find out that there is essentially no ATM infrastructure for foreign cards in Eritrea. I tried my luck at a few banks in Asmara, including the Commercial Bank of Eritrea, and none of them accepted my credit or debit card. They are not connected to international networks like Visa or Mastercard. It's a non-starter. My best advice is to carry a mix of new US dollar bills-make sure they are in pristine condition-and exchange them for Nakfa as you need them at a bank.
Here's the deal on Eritrea: there are no international ATMs that work with foreign cards, period. The economy is almost entirely cash-based. You absolutely must bring all the cash you'll need for your entire trip in either US Dollars or Euros. I recommend US Dollars as they are the most widely accepted. You can exchange your foreign currency for Eritrean Nakfa (ERN) at the official exchange bureaus at the airport or at the banks in Asmara. The official rate is usually around 20-25 ERN to 1 USD, but don't rely on getting cash once you're there.