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Hiiraan Online Today from Hiiraan Online: Somali Music advertisements Somaliland passengers stranded as Somalia enforces new e-visa requirement FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramEmail Tuesday October 21, 2025 Mogadishu (HOL) — Dozens of travellers bound for Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, have been stranded in foreign airports after airlines enforced Somalia’s new electronic visa system, deepening tensions between the two rival administrations. The Federal Government of Somalia recently made it mandatory for passengers travelling to Mogadishu, Hargeisa, and other Somali cities to apply for entry visas online. The rule has sparked confusion among travellers headed to Somaliland, which operates independently and does not recognize Somalia’s authority over immigration. Abdirahman Adan, a member of the Somaliland diaspora travelling from Dubai, told Galaydh TV that he and several others were barred from boarding their flight after being told to obtain Somalia’s e-visa. “When I reached the check-in counter, they said I didn’t have a visa,” he said. “I showed a document stating we could get visas upon arrival, but they said they didn’t recognize Somaliland’s law.” Adan said the travellers were stranded for several days as the Somali government’s online visa system became inaccessible. When they eventually secured visas and arrived in Hargeisa, local authorities required them to pay an additional $60 per person, rejecting Mogadishu’s visa as invalid. “Every day, around 40 Somalilanders are being denied flights because of this,” he said. “It’s unfair to the public.” Mahmoud Hashi Abdi, chairman of Somaliland’s opposition KAAH party, also reported being delayed at Dubai International Airport after being asked to present a Somali visa. He urged Somaliland’s administration to introduce its own e-visa platform to ease travel restrictions. “Our government must act quickly,” he said. “People are being caught in the middle of political disputes.” Somaliland’s government has formally rejected Somalia’s new e-visa system, insisting that only entry permits issued by the Somaliland Immigration Authority remain valid. On September 9, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports in Hargeisa announced that the long-standing Visa on Arrival policy at Egal International Airport would continue unchanged. “This reaffirmation reflects Somaliland’s steadfast commitment to open travel, regional connectivity, and passenger convenience,” Civil Aviation Minister Fuad Ahmed Nuh said in a statement, directing airlines to notify passengers that no electronic travel authorization from Somalia would be accepted. The disagreement has drawn international attention. On September 16, Germany became the first country to issue travel guidance explicitly distinguishing between the two systems. Berlin advised its citizens traveling to Hargeisa, Berbera, Borama, Burao, or Erigavo to follow Somaliland’s entry rules rather than Somalia’s e-visa procedure. The e-visa rollout has intensified long-standing disputes between Somalia’s federal institutions and its autonomous regions over jurisdictional authority. Puntland’s Information Minister Mahmoud Aydiid Dirir called the scheme “illegal,” accusing Mogadishu of overreach and asserting that regional states retain the right to regulate their own airports unless a negotiated agreement is reached. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognized internationally, maintains its own government, security forces, and immigration system. The clash over visa authority illustrates the ongoing political divide that continues to complicate relations between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, as well as the travel plans of ordinary citizens caught between two administrations enforcing rival rules. While Mogadishu argues that all international arrivals must comply with federal immigration policy, Hargeisa rejects any system it sees as infringing on its autonomy, leaving travelers and airlines struggling to navigate conflicting regulations. Airlines operating routes between Dubai and Hargeisa have expressed uncertainty over which regulations to follow. Industry sources say carriers are erring on the side of compliance with Mogadishu’s directive to avoid penalties or denied landing rights. Opinion| Privacy Policy|Sports|Somali Music|Somali Map All Rights Reserved Copyright. © 1999-2025, www.hiiraan.com
