The arrival terminal at the airport in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital. File photo, 2016. (Photo: Clay Gilliland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

SOMALIA · TRAVEL

Somalia’s federal government said on Wednesday 21 October that the Somaliland visa row is over, after more than a year of clashes about electronic visas. Caasimada Online, a Mogadishu news site that reports in Somali, carried the statement.

For US travellers, the news may ease boarding checks on flights to Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital. The State Department still rates Somalia Level 4, do not travel, so the security warning stands.

What Somalia’s Government Announced

Axmed Macallin Xasan, who heads the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, said on Wednesday that the e-visa dispute had been settled through mutual understanding. The federal government added that Somaliland is now satisfied with how the system is run, Caasimada Online reported.

He said the system is open to Somali businesspeople, including those working in Hargeisa. Immigration offices there and in other regions can use it, he added.

Axmed said questions about national laws and the sharing of resources must still go through the country’s normal procedures. Asked about taxes on air tickets, he called the system unified and usable across the whole country.

How the E-Visa Fight Began

The Somaliland visa row began after Somalia introduced its e-visa on 1 September 2025, ch-aviation reported. Somaliland, which has governed itself since 1991, never applied it in Hargeisa and charges its own visa on arrival.

In October 2025 the Somali Guardian, a news site, reported an e-visa cost of about US$64 and denied boarding for some Hargeisa travellers. Critics called it a dual-visa burden, because arrivals at Hargeisa’s airport also paid a Somaliland fee.

In early November 2025 Somaliland’s civil aviation ministry told airlines not to enforce the e-visa and warned that carriers doing so would be banned. It also ordered every international flight using its airspace to obtain an overflight permit from 10 November 2025.

Somalia’s government answered that flying passengers to any part of Somalia without an e-visa breaks its sovereignty and aviation laws. Its aviation authority accused flydubai and Ethiopian Airlines of letting Hargeisa-bound passengers board without one.

What Changes for Airlines and Travellers

Flydubai and Ethiopian Airlines, two carriers serving Hargeisa, first complied with Mogadishu’s directive in 2025. They then went back to allowing visas on arrival after Somaliland’s warning, which left passengers unsure which paperwork gate staff would check.

The federal system is run by Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency through the etas.gov.so website, according to the US State Department. The department says Somaliland officials do not recognise that e-visa and tells Americans to buy a separate Somaliland visa on arrival.

Passengers and baggage handlers on the apron at Hargeisa airport. File photo, 2010. (Photo: YoTuT, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Why Somaliland Matters Beyond Visas

Somaliland, a self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia, broke away in 1991. Israel became the first UN member to recognise it, on 26 December 2025.

An earlier Rio Times explainer sets out why it wants recognition, the larger setting of the Somaliland visa row. Its port of Berbera lies near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a gateway for Suez Canal shipping.

What Prediction Markets Say

On Polymarket, a US betting platform, traders put 4.2% odds on President Trump recognising Somaliland before 2027 (21 October, 4:09 p.m. ET). The market has US$182,895 traded, and the price rose 0.8 points in 24 hours.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What It Means for US Readers

The State Department rates Somalia Level 4, do not travel, in an advisory issued on 21 May 2026 and updated on 3 June. It says the US government has no permanent consular presence in the Somaliland region, which limits its ability to help Americans there.

The department also warns that hackers entered the Somali e-visa system in November 2025, possibly exposing data on at least 35,000 people, Americans included. Business travellers should confirm visa rules with their airline and Somaliland immigration before booking.

What Is Not Known

Somaliland’s government has not yet been quoted on the end of the Somaliland visa row, so its own view is open. No written text of the understanding and no date for any talks have been published.

It is not clear whether Somaliland will drop its overflight permits or keep selling its own visa on arrival. Nor is it known whether airlines will stop asking Hargeisa passengers for the federal e-visa.

More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Somalia announce about Somaliland on 21 October?

Somalia’s federal government said the e-visa dispute with Somaliland had been resolved through mutual understanding. Axmed Macallin Xasan, head of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, said the Somaliland visa row is over. He said the system is open to businesspeople in Hargeisa.

Do I need a Somalia e-visa to fly to Hargeisa?

The US State Department says airlines may ask for a federal Somalia e-visa, but Somaliland officials do not recognise it. Americans are told to buy a separate Somaliland visa on arrival, so confirm the rule with your airline before you fly.

Why did Somaliland reject the Somali e-visa?

Somaliland governs itself and treats entry to its territory as its own decision. Its civil aviation ministry said in November 2025 that its airspace order reaffirmed its complete jurisdiction and exclusive sovereignty.

How much did the Somalia e-visa cost?

The Somali Guardian reported in October 2025 that the e-visa cost about US$64, with extra fees in some cases. The 21 October statement did not mention any change in price.

Is it safe for Americans to travel to Somalia or Somaliland?

The State Department rates Somalia Level 4, do not travel, and notes that crime also occurs in Somaliland. It has no permanent consular presence in the Somaliland region.

Sources: Caasimada Online, DF Soomaaliya oo shaacisay heshiis ay la gaartay Somaliland, 21 October 2026; US State Department, Somalia Travel Advisory, 3 June 2026; ch-aviation, Somalia and Somaliland spar again over visas and airspace, 6 November 2025; Somali Guardian, Somaliland to enforce overflight permits as visa feud escalates, 3 November 2025; Somali Guardian, Somalia e-visa causes travel confusion in Somaliland, 20 October 2025.

Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error