Letter from Mogadishu: The new e-visa controversy sours relations

Somalia's Immigration and Citizenship Agency Director General Mustafa Sheikh Ali Dhuxulow during the launch of the eVisa system. [Courtesy, IcaSomalia]

The Somali Federal Government on September 1, 2025 through the civil aviation authority introduced its new electronic visa system in what it said was aimed at modernizing immigration, enhance financial transparency and improve security oversight.

While rolling out the system, Somalia’s internal security minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag it will make it easier for foreigners to apply for a visa from anywhere in the world.