Somalia e-Visa (eTAS): requirements and how to apply

All foreign visitors, including infants and children, must hold an approved eTAS before the journey begins, unless they are exempt. Rwandan and Malaysian passport holders enter visa-free; citizens of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Burundi, Mauritania, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Comoros receive a free visa on arrival; holders of a multiple-entry visa, a residence permit or a UN laissez-passer are also exempt. All other nationalities apply for the eTAS online before travelling.

Diplomats and government officials travelling solely on official duty cannot use a visitor eTAS. They must obtain a diplomatic visa, submitted through the Diplomatic Visa Arrangement option on the portal with a note verbale.

The portal accepts visit applications for tourism and visiting family or friends; business, including sports and entertainment; transit; a permitted paid engagement; short-term study of up to six months, including recreational courses; private medical treatment; marriage or civil partnership; and academic visits, including teaching and exchanges.

The ICA states that all foreigners must have a sponsor and an invitation letter. Applicants choose whether they apply as a foreigner or as a Somali of the diaspora holding a foreign passport, based on nationality at birth.

Prepare a passport valid for at least six months after your planned arrival with at least one blank page, a selfie or passport-type photo, your email address and phone number, your arrival and departure itinerary, accommodation booking confirmation and a means of payment. The form also asks you to upload a scan of the passport, a sponsor letter and the travel booking, and to name your host or institution in Somalia with their contacts.

Travellers visiting family are asked for an invitation letter and a copy of the inviting company's registration. The form ends with security questions on criminal records, past refusals or deportations and earlier asylum claims, and a declaration that the information is true.

The application fee must be paid in full before processing starts; the portal accepts card payment, M-Pesa and wallet payments. Once payment is completed the fee is generally non-refundable, card payments cannot be reversed by chargeback, and a corrected application after errors is charged again. The ICA's terms add that if the application centre declines an application at its discretion, the fee is refunded by the original payment method.

The eTAS is a single-entry permit. Its validity begins on the arrival date you entered, and you must enter Somalia within 180 days of that date; the start and end dates are printed on the authorisation. The approved PDF is sent to the email you nominated and can also be downloaded from the Application Tracking page.

Passport control can check the eTAS electronically, but carry a printed or digital copy in case of system outages. You must leave before your permitted stay ends; the ICA offers visa extensions for lawful visitors.

The portal lists a support line, +252 613339998, and email support for application and technical issues. General enquiries go to the ICA at info@immigration.gov.so or +252 61 0555001. The ICA advises relying only on the official platform and on its own communications.