Somalia Launches e-Visa System as Part of Its Digital Revolution

Somalia is making a bold leap into the digital era, this time through travel. On Sunday, August 24, 2025, the government officially launched its e-Visa system, a modern, streamlined gateway for international visitors. The platform, developed with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), enables travelers to apply for visas online, foregoing the old-school embassy visits and tedious paperwork.

At the launch event in Mogadishu, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre framed the e-Visa rollout as a milestone in national rebranding. “With this system, Somalia opens its doors to the world with confidence and security,” Barre remarked, signalling a strategic pivot toward transparency and digital-first governance. This move promises an easier, more predictable visa application experience for tourists, business professionals, and the Somali diaspora, while reinforcing robust digital screening protocols.

But the e-Visa is just one thread in Somalia’s rapidly expanding digital tapestry. In July 2025, the Central Bank of Somalia introduced SOMQR, a unified national QR-code standard designed to harmonize mobile payments across banks and mobile money platforms. That followed another game-changer earlier in the year: the rollout of NFC-enabled wearable payment devices, allowing users to tap and go with a flick of the wrist, Somalia’s first such innovation in the region.

This cluster of initiatives reflects a deliberate, whole-of-society shift toward integrated digital infrastructure. With e-Visa, digital payment systems, and even wearable tech now in play, Somalia is positioning itself as a testbed for digitally enabled statecraft, from day-to-day financial transactions to welcoming visitors.

The implications are powerful and far-reaching:

• Travel and tourism get a facelift, attracted by ease and efficiency.
• Trade and investment draw confidence from clearer, quicker cross-border processes.
• Diaspora engagement surges, as access becomes simpler and more straightforward.
• Border integrity strengthens, with digital verification reducing fraud and improving data accuracy.
• The e-Visa project signals Somalia’s intentional shift from reactive governance to proactive, digitally anchored state systems. It’s a bridge connecting future-ready infrastructure with the country’s broader goals of economic recovery, inclusivity, and regional integration.

What’s Next?

• Will the e-Visa rollout catalyze more seamless regional travel partnerships or even expanded visa-free corridors?
• Can Somalia build on this momentum to scale digital healthcare, e-education, or public IDs?
• And how will this shift impact perceptions of Somalia as a secure, modern state in the global arena?