Frequently asked questions

The eTAS is an electronic travel authorisation that you must obtain before travelling to Somalia. It replaced visa-on-arrival at Mogadishu.

Only on the official government portal, etas.gov.so.

The fee was US$64 at the time of writing. Check etas.gov.so for the current amount.

Bring clean, recent US dollar notes. Most prices are quoted in dollars and mobile money is widely used.

EVC Plus is Hormuud Telecom's mobile-money wallet, the most widely used payment method in Mogadishu.

No. Flights from London connect once, most often in Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Addis Ababa or Nairobi.

Usually 13 to 20 hours door to door at the airports, depending on the hub and connection time.

Fly from MSP to a large gateway such as Chicago, New York or Washington, connect to Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates or Ethiopian, then take the final leg to Mogadishu from their hub.

Usually two: one in the US or Europe and one at a hub such as Istanbul, Doha, Dubai or Addis Ababa.

No. You connect once, most often in Istanbul, Doha or Dubai.

Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Qatar Airways via Doha and Emirates via Dubai (final leg with flydubai) are the usual choices.

Connect once — usually in Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, Dubai with Emirates and flydubai, or Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines.

Usually 20 to 26 hours, depending on the hub and connection time.

US dollars in clean, newer-series notes. Mobile money is also widely used once you have a local SIM.

The supply is 220 V and you will find both European two-pin and UK three-pin sockets, so a universal adapter is best.

Yes, if they travel on a foreign passport — each traveller needs their own eTAS. Children on a valid Somali passport do not.

It is strongly recommended. Carry a signed letter from the absent parent with a copy of their passport.

Ramadan 1448 is expected to start around 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 10 March 2027, subject to the moon sighting.

Many close during the day and open at sunset for iftar. Hotels generally continue to serve their guests.

Aden Adde International has a single asphalt runway, 05/23, about 3,184 metres long and 45 metres wide.

The IATA code is MGQ and the ICAO code is HCMM.

The Turkish consortium Favori has managed the airport since September 2013 and opened the new terminal in January 2015. Aviation is regulated by the Somali Civil Aviation Authority.

Email scaa@scaa.gov.so or call +252 1 853 675. For flight or baggage issues, contact your airline.

Aden Adde International Airport uses the IATA code MGQ and the ICAO code HCMM.

Foreign travellers must obtain an approved eTAS online before travelling. Check etas.gov.so for the current rules.

Pre-arrange a pickup with your hotel or a vetted transfer company. Street taxis at the airport are not recommended for first-time visitors.

Plan to reach the outer airport checkpoint at least three hours before international departures and two hours before domestic flights.

First-time visitors should pre-book a pickup through their hotel or a vetted transfer company rather than looking for a taxi on arrival.

Mainly Jubba Airways and Daallo Airlines, to cities including Hargeisa, Bosaso, Garowe, Galkayo, Kismayo and Baidoa.

About two hours.

SOMINVEST, the Somali Investment Promotion Office within the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development.

Yes. Somalia signed the accession treaty in December 2023 and became an EAC member in 2024; integration of EAC rules is ongoing.

Yes. Somalia reached the HIPC Completion Point in December 2023, securing about US$4.5 billion in debt relief.

Yes. Federal Somalia's Somali Business Registration System at ebusiness.gov.so handles name reservation, registration and changes online.

Yes. Sector licences are issued by the relevant ministry and renewed every year; you also need a tax identification number.