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July 6 2025
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has enacted a new court fee regulation—Federal Courts Court Fee Regulation No. 1/2024—which officially repeals the previous regulation that had been in effect since 1952. This new regulation introduces a structured and detailed framework for court fee payments applicable in all federal courts, including the Federal First Instance Court, Federal High Court, and Federal Supreme Court. It also applies to federal matters adjudicated in the courts of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, as well as in state courts exercising concurrent jurisdiction.
Court Fee Obligations and Payment Methods
Under the new regulation, any party filing a suit—whether a statement of claim, counterclaim, appeal, cross-appeal, cassation, or execution application—is required to pay a court fee unless exempted by law. The fee must be paid before the case file is opened and numbered. Payment can be made through various methods including cash, bank transfer, credit card, debit card, or electronic payment systems, depending on what the court deems acceptable
Fee Structure for Monetary Claims
For suits involving monetary claims—defined as cases involving a specific amount of money or property that can be valued in monetary terms—the court fee is calculated as a percentage of the claim amount. The percentage decreases as the claim amount increases. The following is a summary of the fee schedule:
| Claim Amount (Birr) | Fee Percentage |
| 0 – 20,000 | 10% |
| 20,001 – 40,000 | 9% |
| 40,001 – 60,000 | 8% |
| 60,001 – 80,000 | 7% |
| 80,001 – 100,000 | 6% |
| 100,001 – 200,000 | 5% |
| 200,001 – 300,000 | 4.9% |
| 300,001 – 400,000 | 4.8% |
| 400,001 – 500,000 | 4.7% |
| 500,001 – 600,000 | 4.6% |
| 600,001 – 700,000 | 4.5% |
| 700,001 – 800,000 | 4.4% |
| 800,001 – 900,000 | 4.3% |
| 900,001 – 1,000,000 | 4.2% |
| 1,000,001 – 2,000,000 | 4.1% |
| 2,000,001 – 3,000,000 | 4.0% |
| 3,000,001 – 4,000,000 | 3.9% |
| 4,000,001 – 5,000,000 | 3.8% |
| 5,000,001 – 6,000,000 | 3.7% |
| 6,000,001 – 7,000,000 | 3.6% |
| 7,000,001 – 8,000,000 | 3.5% |
| 8,000,001 – 9,000,000 | 3.4% |
| 9,000,001 – 10,000,000 | 3.3% |
| 10,000,001 – 20,000,000 | 2.9% |
| 20,000,001 – 30,000,000 | 2.8% |
| 30,000,001 – 40,000,000 | 2.7% |
| 40,000,001 – 50,000,000 | 2.6% |
| 50,000,001 – 60,000,000 | 2.5% |
| 60,000,001 – 70,000,000 | 2.4% |
| 70,000,001 – 80,000,000 | 2.3% |
| 80,000,001 – 90,000,000 | 2.2% |
| 90,000,001 – 100,000,000 | 2.1% |
| 100,000,001 – 200,000,000 | 1.9% |
| 200,000,001 – 300,000,000 | 1.8% |
| 300,000,001 – 400,000,000 | 1.7% |
| 400,000,001 – 500,000,000 | 1.6% |
| 500,000,001 – 600,000,000 | 1.5% |
| 600,000,001 – 700,000,000 | 1.4% |
| 700,000,001 – 800,000,000 | 1.3% |
| 800,000,001 – 900,000,000 | 1.2% |
| 900,000,001 – 1,000,000,000 | 1.1% |
| Over 1,000,000,000 | 1.0% |
Fee Structure for Non-Monetary Claims
For claims that cannot be valued in monetary terms, the regulation sets fixed fees depending on the court level:
Additional fixed fees include:
Fees for Appeals and Execution
Appeals are generally charged at 50% of the fee paid at the lower court. For example:
Execution of Judgments and Foreign Decisions
Additional Fees for Court Services
Exemptions from Court Fees
The regulation exempts the following categories:
Disputes on the Amount of Court Fee
If there is a disagreement between the applicant and the court officer regarding the amount of the court fee:
This regulation is now in effect and applies to all new cases filed in federal courts. For clients seeking to initiate or respond to legal proceedings, understanding the applicable court fees is essential for proper case planning and budgeting.
Download the Full Federal Courts Court fee Regulation 1_2024
