South Africa to Somalia visa requirements

South African ordinary passport holders need an eVisa (eTAS) to visit Somalia. Since 1 September 2025, Somalia requires all foreign visitors to obtain an approved electronic visa online before travel; South Africa is not on the visa-free or visa-on-arrival list. As of 30 May 2026, a South African ordinary passport holder traveling to Somalia for tourism or a short visit must obtain a Somalia eVisa (issued through the eTAS electronic travel authorization system) before departure. Somalia overhauled its visa regime in 2025: the eTAS/eVisa platform launched on 28 August 2025 and became mandatory for all foreign visitors from 1 September 2025, replacing the old visa-on-arrival arrangements for most nationalities. Only a short list of countries (e.g. Rwanda and Malaysia for visa-free entry, and certain African and Arab states such as Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda for visa-on-arrival) retain special access. South Africa appears on none of these lists, so South African travelers must apply online via the official portal (evisa.gov.so / etas.gov.so), pay the fee, upload documents and receive an approval by email to present on arrival. The standard tourist eTAS is a single-entry authorization, typically valid for 90 days from issue with a permitted stay of up to 30 days, and the government fee is around USD 60-65. Travelers should also be aware that security conditions in much of Somalia are volatile and many foreign ministries advise against non-essential travel; Somalia is not part of the Schengen area, so the 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply. Verify the latest requirements directly on the official ICA Somalia portal before booking.