Turkey leaves Somalia out of expanded African e-Visa access
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has opened its electronic visa (e-Visa) system to citizens of nine African nations, but Somalia — one of Ankara’s closest diplomatic and security partners on the continent — is not among them.
The expanded arrangement allows citizens of Algeria, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa to submit Turkish e-Visa applications online.
Somali passport holders remain excluded from the programme, requiring them to apply through Turkish diplomatic missions or authorised visa application centres.
The omission has stirred questions in Somalia, where Turkey plays a significant role across security, military training, healthcare, education, infrastructure, humanitarian assistance, and investment.
Commercial links are also substantial. Turkish Airlines has served Mogadishu with regular flights for years, and thousands of Somalis visit Turkey each year for medical care, study, business, tourism, and other purposes.
Somalia’s absence from the list underscores a disconnect between the countries’ strategic partnership and the travel privileges available to Somali nationals.
It has also prompted scrutiny over why Somalia was overlooked despite its longstanding political, economic, and security relationship with Turkey.
Somali officials are expected to raise the issue with Ankara and seek the inclusion of Somali passport holders in the electronic visa programme. Such a change would simplify travel for students, businesspeople, patients, and other visitors.
AXADLETM
