MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Flydubai has become the second international carrier to ignore Somalia’s mandatory e-visa requirement for travelers heading to Somaliland, deepening tensions between Mogadishu and the self-declared republic.
The United Arab Emirates’ national carrier reportedly allowed passengers to fly into Hargeisa on Saturday without requesting the Somali federal government’s e-visa, a move that follows Ethiopian Airlines’ earlier decision to drop the requirement.
Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu had introduced a compulsory electronic visa for all foreign passport holders entering any part of the country, including Somaliland. The policy was designed to centralise control over Somalia’s borders and streamline revenue collection.
However, authorities in Hargeisa rejected the measure, instructing all airlines serving Somaliland to stop enforcing the federal e-visa rule. Carriers that failed to comply were warned they would be banned from the region within 15 days.
The dispute has once again highlighted the political divide between Mogadishu and Hargeisa. Somaliland has operated independently for more than three decades, maintaining its own government, military, currency, and institutions, yet it remains unrecognised internationally.
By defying the Somali e-visa order, international airlines have effectively acknowledged the region’s de facto autonomy, undermining Mogadishu’s attempt to assert control over entry points nationwide.
The policy clash also carries financial implications, as the Somali government stands to lose visa revenue from travellers entering through Somaliland.
While the e-visa requirement continues to apply in other parts of Somalia, the decision by major regional airlines to disregard it for Somaliland marks a significant challenge to Mogadishu’s authority – and a further complication in its efforts to present a unified national administration.
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