Turkey has expanded its electronic visa (e-Visa) system to citizens of nine African countries, but Somalia, one of Ankara’s closest strategic partners on the continent, has been excluded from the list, prompting questions among Somali officials and travellers.
Under the new arrangement announced this week, citizens of Algeria, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa can now apply for Turkish e-Visas online. Somali passport holders, however, remain ineligible and must continue applying through Turkish diplomatic missions or authorised visa application centres.
The exclusion has drawn particular scrutiny in Mogadishu, where Turkey is one of Somalia’s most significant international partners. Ankara has invested extensively in Somalia’s security sector, military training, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and humanitarian assistance. Turkish Airlines operates regular flights to Mogadishu, and thousands of Somalis travel to Turkey annually for medical treatment, education, business, and tourism.
The decision comes less than a year after Somalia and Turkey agreed to deepen migration cooperation, with Ankara pledging to facilitate easier residence permit procedures for Somali nationals and granting visa-on-arrival access to holders of Somali diplomatic passports. Turkey has not publicly provided a specific explanation for why Somalia was excluded from the e-Visa programme.
The Turkish e-Visa system allows eligible travellers to complete the visa application process online without visiting an embassy or consulate. For nationals of countries excluded from the programme, applying for a Turkish visa generally involves submitting documents directly through an embassy or authorised visa centre — a process that can require additional time and paperwork.
Somali officials are expected to seek discussions with Ankara on expanding the electronic visa system to include holders of Somali passports, a move that would ease travel for students, businesspeople, patients, and other travellers. Neither the Federal Government of Somalia nor Turkish authorities have issued formal statements on the matter.
