Immigration and Citizenship Agency of Somalia: passports, visas and borders

What it does

The agency "is mandated with the management of migration in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia and other laws of the country" (Immigration and Citizenship Agency, About). Its listed duties include (same source):

• issuing all Somali travel documents: passports, visas, temporary stay and residence permits;
• checking passports and travel documents at entry and exit points, and collecting travellers' details at airports;
• registering refugees and asylum seekers on arrival and passing their details to the refugee agency, the agency for internally displaced people and the security services;
• checking applications from foreigners for Somali citizenship;
• stopping people barred from travel by a court or government order from leaving, and deporting people where the law allows;
• following the international conventions on migration and refugees that Somalia has signed.

It has two divisions, Immigration and Citizenship, and an executive office for the Director General (same source).

Who leads it

Hussein Qasim Yusuf became Director General in February 2026, after a formal handover at the agency's headquarters (ICA, February 2026). Coverage in 2025 named Mustafa Sheikh Ali Dhuxulow as Director General (Standard Media).

The money

The federal budget lists the agency as the "Immigration Department" under the Ministry of Internal Security (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted):

The fees it handles bring in more than it costs. In 2025, passport fees raised US$10.48 million, visa fees US$8.52 million and the registration of arrivals and departures US$918,650 (same source).

What it reports doing

• E-visas: since 1 September 2025, foreign nationals must apply online for an electronic visa, the ETAS, before they travel, not on arrival. The only official site is etas.gov.so, and the agency warns against unofficial websites and agents (ICA, ETAS). Holders of diplomatic and UN passports, residence permits and multiple-entry visas, and citizens of countries with visa-free arrangements, were reported as exempt (Eastleigh Voice). President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said anyone entering with a foreign passport needs a visa, including Somalis holding foreign passports, and reports described confusion among the diaspora (Eastleigh Voice).
• New passport: on 15 January 2026 the agency announced a new national passport for 2026, with stronger security features and full alignment with ICAO standards. Current passports remain valid (ICA, January 2026).
• Somaliland: the e-visa rules led to a dispute with Somaliland, which in November 2025 began requiring its own overflight permits (Somali Guardian). See Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.

How to use it

• Visa to visit Somalia: apply at etas.gov.so before travel and carry a copy of the approval (ICA).
• Passport: apply at the agency's offices or a Somali embassy. See The Somali passport.
• Contact: the agency lists phone +252 61 0555001, WhatsApp +252 61 446 5000 and call centre 2000, open Saturday to Thursday, 8 am to 4 pm (same source).

Its legal basis

The 2012 Provisional Constitution (Article 8 on citizenship), as amended in 2024 and 2026, Somalia's citizenship law, and the international refugee conventions Somalia has signed.