Ethiopian Airlines, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and FlyDubai have released updated travel advisories confirming that passengers travelling to Somaliland are eligible for visas on arrival at Hargeisa Egal International Airport (HGA) and Berbera Airport (BBO). The clarification comes amid a major cyber breach affecting Somalia’s e-Visa system, prompting a security warning from the United States.
According to Ethiopian Airlines, Somalia’s e-Visa regulations “do not apply to passengers arriving at Berbera (BBO) or Hargeisa Egal International (HGA),” reiterating that Somaliland maintains its own independent immigration procedures.
IATA also updated its global travel database, explicitly listing Somaliland airports as entry points where travellers can obtain visas upon arrival. The updated guidance differentiates Somaliland’s system from Somalia’s centralized e-Visa platform.
FlyDubai followed with its own revised notice confirming visa-on-arrival for passengers travelling to both Hargeisa and Berbera. The airline emphasized the distinction between Somaliland’s immigration policy and Somalia’s e-Visa requirements.
These updates came shortly after the U.S. Embassy in Somalia issued an urgent alert confirming that hackers had breached Somalia’s e-Visa platform. The compromise reportedly exposed the personal data of more than 35,000 applicants, including thousands of American citizens. The leaked information includes passport photos, dates of birth, email addresses and home addresses.
The United States has advised its citizens who used Somalia’s e-Visa service to contact the nearest embassy and remain vigilant for potential identity theft or fraudulent activity.
