Somaliland to Offer Visas-on-Arrival to Visitors

Somaliland Immigration Department has made changes to its visas, this week, and announced that almost all tourists and visitors coming from all over the world can get visa-on-arrival.

In a letter dated March 10, the department informed all the travelers to Somaliland about the changes regarding the requirements of visa process and application.

The Commissioner of Immigration Department Gen, Mohamed Osman Alin (Dayib) signed the new circular, indicating that the changes came to the need of improving the service delivery, attracting foreign direct investment and tourism, and also to ensure the compliance of international standards.

Two categories of passport holders will get their visas on-arrival at all Somaliland ports.

“Category A” consists of all diplomatic passport holders, workers of humanitarian agencies, business travelers invited by the Ministry of Trade and in addition to the travelers of Somali ethnic origin with foreign travel documents.

Also in “Category A” are other travelers who wiil get their visas-on-arrival. They are from different nationalities, such as EU Countries, USA, China, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Arab Gulf countries, IGAD region countries and some other African Countries.

The decision to relax the visa regime will likely be beneficial for the country’s request for international recognition and also the hospitality and tourism sectors.

This move will also increase the traffic to Egal International Airport, the country’s main airport at Somaliland’s capital city, Hargiesa. There are also important land border-crossings at Wachale, the border with Ethiopia and Lawyaddo at Somaliland-Djibouti border.

Here is attached the new Circular from Somaliland Immigration Department, Ministry of Interior Affairs.