South Africa passport → Somalia

Somalia visa for South African citizens

e-Visa

e-Visa · 30 days

South African citizens need an e-Visa for Somalia, applied for online before the trip. It covers stays of up to 30 days. Do not travel: the UK advises against all travel to Somalia, including most of Somaliland, and Germany warns against all travel and urges its citizens to leave, because of terrorism and armed conflict.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
e-Visa
Max stay
30 days
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

30 days is about a month. If you arrive on 1 November 2026, your last legal day is 30 November 2026, because the arrival day is day one. Use the stay calculator for your own dates.

For a longer base you need an extension, if one exists, or a different visa from the start. Repeated back-to-back entries are at the officer's discretion.

How Somalia counts your stay: As granted on your visa.

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • Somalia eVisa (for Mogadishu and federal Somalia) — Before departure; Shown on the portal. Required before arriving in Mogadishu. The UK warns of a reported data breach on the eVisa system. A letter of invitation stating the purpose of your visit may be needed. Official site
  • Separate Somaliland visa (optional) — Before travel or on arrival in Hargeisa; Fee charged. The Somalia eVisa is not valid for entry to Somaliland. A one-month single-entry visa is sold on arrival in Hargeisa; airlines may still ask to see the Somalia eVisa at boarding. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Passport valid at least 6 months from arrival
  • Letter of invitation or employer letter; without it entry can be refused
  • Visas may not be recognised at every crossing point

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Plan to leave a day or two early. With 30 days, book your exit before the last legal day so a cancelled flight doesn't push you over.
  • Extend before you run out. Not applicable for tourism: leave the country.
  • Penalties. Our data does not list the overstay penalty for Somalia. Ask the immigration authority before you risk it: fines, deportation and entry bans are common elsewhere.

Good to know

Official details are shown in English.

  • Only in Awdal, Maroodijeh and Sahil (Somaliland) does the UK lower its advice to 'all but essential travel'. Travel insurance may be void if you travel against official advice. There is no in-person consular help.

Questions

Do South African citizens need a visa for Somalia?

South African citizens need an e-Visa for Somalia, applied for online before the trip. It covers stays of up to 30 days.

How long can South African citizens stay in Somalia?

Up to 30 days, according to Bordr's data. As granted on your visa.

Can I extend my stay in Somalia?

Not applicable for tourism: leave the country.

What do I need at the border in Somalia?

Passport valid at least 6 months from arrival; Letter of invitation or employer letter; without it entry can be refused; Visas may not be recognised at every crossing point.

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for Somalia against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

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