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Dozens of travelers heading to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, have been left stranded at foreign airports after airlines began enforcing Somalia’s new electronic visa system. The move has heightened tensions between the Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland, two administrations that continue to clash over authority and governance.
The Somali government recently made it mandatory for all passengers flying to cities like Mogadishu, Hargeisa, and others in Somali territory to apply for an entry visa online. However, the new rule has created confusion for travelers bound for Somaliland, which runs its own government and immigration system and does not recognize Mogadishu’s authority.
Among those affected is Abdirahman Adan, a member of the Somaliland diaspora who was traveling from Dubai. He told Galaydh TV that he and several others were denied boarding because they lacked a Somali e-visa. “When I reached the check-in counter, they said I didn’t have a visa,” Adan said. “I showed a document saying we could get visas on arrival in Hargeisa, but they refused to accept it.” He added that travelers were stuck for several days as Somalia’s online visa system became inaccessible. When they finally obtained visas and reached Hargeisa, Somaliland authorities rejected them and charged an additional $60 per person for local entry permits. “Every day, around 40 Somalilanders are being denied flights because of this confusion,” he said.
Mahmoud Hashi Abdi, chairman of Somaliland’s opposition KAAH party, also faced delays at Dubai International Airport for not having a Somali visa. He called on Somaliland’s government to introduce its own e-visa system to prevent such travel disruptions. “Our government must act quickly,” he said. “People are getting caught in political disputes that have nothing to do with them.”
In response, Somaliland’s government has firmly rejected Somalia’s e-visa policy, saying that only permits issued by its own immigration authority are valid for entry. On September 9, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports in Hargeisa reaffirmed that visitors can still obtain visas on arrival at Egal International Airport. “This decision reflects Somaliland’s commitment to open travel and convenience for passengers,” said Civil Aviation Minister Fuad Ahmed Nuh. He instructed airlines to inform passengers that any electronic visa issued by Somalia would not be accepted in Somaliland.
The standoff has drawn attention from the international community. On September 16, Germany became the first country to issue travel guidance distinguishing between the two systems. German authorities advised travelers heading to Hargeisa and other Somaliland cities to follow Somaliland’s entry requirements, not Somalia’s.
The rollout of Somalia’s e-visa has also reignited disputes between the federal government and regional administrations like Puntland, which called the system “illegal.” Puntland’s Information Minister Mahmoud Aydiid Dirir said Mogadishu was overstepping its authority and argued that regional states have the right to manage their own airports unless a formal agreement is reached.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains internationally unrecognized, has its own government, military, and border control system. The dispute over visa regulations highlights the deep political divide that continues to separate Mogadishu and Hargeisa. For ordinary travelers, the disagreement has turned routine trips into stressful ordeals, with conflicting rules leaving both passengers and airlines uncertain about which laws to follow.
Airlines flying routes between Dubai and Hargeisa say they are unsure whose regulations to obey. Many have chosen to comply with Mogadishu’s directives to avoid fines or flight restrictions, even if it means stranding passengers who hold only Somaliland documents. The situation remains unresolved, with travelers, airlines, and governments all caught in a complex web of political rivalry and bureaucracy that continues to complicate movement between the two regions.