Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has emphasized that it will no longer be acceptable for anyone to enter the country with a foreign passport without obtaining a visa.

Speaking in Mogadishu on Wednesday night at an event showcasing the cabinet’s achievements over its three-year term, President Mohamud highlighted Somalia’s progress toward digitalization, noting that several public services have now moved online.

“You cannot enter another country with a Somali passport without a visa. In the same way, a foreigner—or a Somali citizen with a foreign passport—cannot enter our country without a visa,” the President said.

He clarified that holders of Somali passports do not require visas to enter Somalia, but individuals using foreign passports, regardless of ethnicity, must comply with visa regulations.

“A person with a foreign passport, whether Somali or white, is the same,” he said. “I ask you, is there a Somali passport that allows you to go to any foreign country without a visa? The answer is no. Likewise, you cannot enter Somalia without a visa on a foreign passport.”

The President’s remarks follow the launch of Somalia’s E-Visa program on September 1, which makes it legally binding for both foreigners and Somalis with foreign passports to obtain visas before entering the country.