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UAE residents need a visa for Somalia, and travel there carries serious warnings. The Somali immigration agency requires all foreign visitors to apply online. UK government advice is against all travel to Somalia except three regions. We check the rule and the warnings with you first, and we do not promise a visa.
The warning first
UK government travel advice for Somalia was updated on . It advises against all travel to Somalia, including Somaliland, except Awdal, Maroodijeh and Sahil, where it advises against all but essential travel. The reasons given are terrorist groups, continuing violence, and fighting between al-Shabaab and the government near the capital.
It also says consular help is severely limited, and that travel insurance may be invalid if you go against the advice. We read one government's advice only. Check your own country's advice and your insurer's terms before you decide.
What the entry rule says
- Visa required. UK advice: you must have a visa to enter Somalia, including Somaliland.
- Online application. The immigration agency says that from all foreign visitors must apply online at etas.gov.so before travelling. You upload your passport and other documents, pay the fee and wait for approval by e-mail.
- Passport. Expiry at least 6 months after the day you arrive.
- Hargeisa. The eVisa may be needed to board but is not valid on arrival. A single entry visa bought at the airport is valid for one month.
Source: Somalia Immigration and Citizenship Agency and UK FCDO entry requirements, checked .
Fee and data risk
We could not confirm the eVisa fee from an official page, because the portal blocked our fetch. A search summary showed USD 65, but treat that as unverified. We found no Dubai agency price range for Somalia.
UK advice also reports that the eVisa system had a data breach that exposed names, photos, dates of birth, e-mail and home addresses, and calls it ongoing. If you apply, enter only what is required, and use a passport photo you are happy to have stored.
Who should not rely on us
We will not file a Somalia visa for travel to a region the advice warns against unless you have read these warnings and still decide to go. For work or aid travel, your employer or organisation will have its own security rules, and those come first.
If you are Somali and live in the UAE, your own passport matters for the rest of the trip. See Dubai visa for Somalis for family visits to Dubai.
How it works with us
Send a photo of your passport page and tell us why and when you want to go. Our adviser reads you the current rule and warnings, tells you what we can and cannot do, and gives one total price if we can help. Nothing is filed until you agree. If we file, the team prepares the application with you and follows it up. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, and the Somali authorities decide.
If the eVisa is refused, the government fee is not returned. Before payment, the adviser writes down whether any of our own charge would come back.
Official sources
- Somalia Immigration and Citizenship Agency: online application for all foreign visitors
- UK FCDO, Somalia travel advice: warning level and regions
- UK FCDO, Somalia entry requirements: visa, Hargeisa, data breach, passport
All destinations: visas from Dubai. Closer to the UAE and easier: visa-free countries for UAE residents. Nearby: Ethiopia visa for UAE residents.
