Hargeisa (Somalia Today) — Somaliland’s aviation minister has acknowledged that airlines are still demanding Somalia’s electronic travel authorisation from passengers travelling on international flights bound for Hargeisa, conceding that Mogadishu’s new system is being enforced in practice despite Hargeisa’s rejection of federal authority.
Fuad Ahmed Nur, Somaliland’s minister of aviation and airports, told the BBC Somali interview that neither the long-running airspace dispute with Somalia nor the rift over the federal e-visa has been resolved.
He said Hargeisa will pursue legal channels to challenge Mogadishu’s position. “These are legal matters, and we will pursue them,” he said.
Somalia introduced its mandatory electronic travel authorization (eTA) regime on Sept. 1, 2025. It requires foreign passport holders to obtain approval online through the official eTAS system before travel.
A Somali aeronautical information circular stipulates that, from that date, all foreign passport holders must possess a valid eTA to enter the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Compliance at the gate
Nur’s remarks highlight a central tension in the dispute. Somaliland insists Somalia’s digital authorization has no legal standing in the territory it controls, yet international carriers and handling agents treat it as a mandatory condition of carriage.
Somaliland officials reaffirmed that the territory will continue to issue visas on arrival at Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport. They said they will not recognize visas issued by Mogadishu.
Nevertheless, the minister conceded that carriers require passengers to present a federal e-visa or eTA at check-in and during boarding.
He said Somaliland is trying to persuade international partners that Somalia lacks jurisdiction in Somaliland.
“We are making it clear to the world that Somalia has no legal authority over Somaliland,” he said. He added: “Any visa they issue does not operate in Somaliland.”
Airlines typically align boarding requirements with entry rules communicated by internationally recognized state authorities. They do so to avoid fines, operational restrictions, or the obligation to repatriate passengers deemed insufficiently documented.
Somaliland officials have characterized this dynamic as indirect enforcement. In their view, Somalia’s e-visa functions less as a border-control instrument and more as a de facto boarding requirement imposed before arrival. They say airlines apply it before Somaliland authorities can use their own immigration procedures.
Airspace dispute persists
The e-visa conflict intersects with a broader, long-standing struggle over control of Somali airspace. It also shapes the regulatory messaging airlines receive.
Nur asserted that Somalia has misused a 2012 coordination arrangement to imply federal authority over Somaliland’s airspace. Hargeisa has repeatedly made that claim, but Mogadishu rejects it.
“Unfortunately, the 2012 agreement has been misused in a way that suggests they control Somaliland’s airspace,” he said.
Somalia has consistently maintained that both airspace management and immigration policy are sovereign responsibilities of the federal government.
Mogadishu rejects Somaliland’s assertions as invalid. It has warned airlines against parallel compliance regimes that could disrupt international aviation operations.
International aviation practice generally expects operators and passengers to comply with entry and clearance regulations. This is reflected in the Chicago Convention and ICAO facilitation standards grouped under Annex 9.
These standards aim to balance border security with streamlined procedures for passengers and cargo. However, the Somaliland-Somalia quarrel centers on which authority has the right to define the rules for a destination that Somaliland says Mogadishu does not control.
Travellers face confusion
For travelers, the dispute has translated into uncertainty at departure points and en route. Somaliland maintains that visitors can still obtain a local visa on arrival in Hargeisa.
At the same time, Somalia’s circular formalizes a pre-travel eTA requirement for foreign passport holders. Many airlines treat this as applicable to flights entering Somali airspace or those internationally classified as heading into Somalia.
This dual reality leaves passengers facing potential delays, additional costs, and confusion about which documents will be required at each stage of the journey.
Nur argued that the requirement cannot last. He described the federal e-visa demand as “a barrier” and said: “It will not continue, and it will be removed.”
The federal e-visa rollout has also faced scrutiny after authorities confirmed a data breach that exposed sensitive applicant information.
A Somalia Today report, citing an Al Jazeera investigation, said the system still permitted bulk retrieval of personal details. The report said officials had claimed they resolved earlier security issues.
The report said the episode triggered warnings from several foreign missions. It also revived debate over data protection as Somalia shifts border controls toward digital systems.
Next steps unclear
Somaliland officials insist they want Mogadishu’s e-visa requirement for travel to Hargeisa removed. They maintain they will continue processing visitors under their own visa-on-arrival policy.
However, the minister’s admission serves as a candid acknowledgment. Somaliland cannot, on its own, stop airlines from applying Somalia’s digital authorization as a boarding condition while federal aviation and immigration notices remain in force.
In the immediate term, the dispute is likely to remain a test of competing authority exercised through compliance.
Somaliland controls the physical immigration desks in Hargeisa. Mogadishu’s rules still influence who is allowed to board a plane to reach Hargeisa.
