Monday November 3, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has warned the airline Flydubai to fully comply with Somalia’s visa requirements after it was discovered that a passenger flown to Hargeisa did not have the required electronic visa (e-Visa).
According to an official letter signed by SCAA Director General Ahmed Moallim Hassan on Sunday, the authority said the incident violated Somalia’s immigration and aviation regulations and posed a potential threat to border and national security.
The SCAA ordered the airline to immediately implement strict verification procedures to ensure all passengers traveling to Somalia, particularly to Hargeisa, obtain a valid Somali e-Visa before departure.
The agency warned that failure to comply could result in legal action, including financial penalties, suspension of Flydubai’s flights to Hargeisa, or a review of the airline’s operating permit within Somali airspace.
The authority emphasized that adherence to immigration laws is not only a legal requirement but also a demonstration of mutual respect for national sovereignty and international aviation standards.
In response, Somaliland’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Development issued a new order requiring all civil aircraft — scheduled, non-scheduled, and commercial — to apply for an overflight permit before entering, transiting, or flying over Somaliland’s airspace.
The directive, set to take effect on November 10, 2025, was announced to “reflect Somaliland’s full sovereignty over its land, airspace, and seas,” according to the ministry’s statement.
The e-Visa enforcement marks the latest flashpoint in the long-running sovereignty dispute between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, complicating travel, diplomacy, and regional cooperation. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained international recognition. Despite multiple rounds of talks since 2012 — held in London, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Djibouti — no political settlement has been reached.