COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: October 2025
The analysis below is based on the following EUAA COI reports and query: Country Focus 2025, 2.1., 2.2., 2.3.; Security 2025, 2.3., 2.6.1., 2.8.2.; COI Update 2025, 4.; Country Guidance should not be referred to as a source of COI.
If the criterion of ‘safety’ is satisfied, as a next step, it has to be established whether an applicant can safely and legally travel and gain admittance in the suggested IPA location.
Travel in Mogadishu raises significant challenges due to insecurity and poor infrastructure. Frequent Al-Shabaab attacks, especially at checkpoints, create constant threats, particularly near government buildings and strategic areas like Villa Somalia and the Aden Adde International Airport. Roads are often in disrepair, with some being further damaged by recent floods as of March 2025. Although limited road rehabilitation has been undertaken, many routes remain partially closed due to security concerns. The surge in vehicles, especially unregulated ones driven by unlicensed individuals heightens vulnerability to attacks using vehicle-borne explosives.
Garowe International Airport serves as a key hub for both domestic and international travel. Road access to Garowe is generally open, while checkpoints at city entrances, controlled by Puntland police, operate with relatively loose controls, tightening only during specific alerts. Within the city, there are no permanent checkpoints, with only ad hoc ones set up by the police. Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal International Airport is the main entry and exit point for flights to/from Somaliland.
Road conditions in Hargeisa are generally poor despite rehabilitation efforts. Public transport is widely used, while checkpoints are limited mostly to customs checks at main entrances and security near the presidential palace.
To access Somalia by air or land, Somali citizens require a passport. One source noted that Somalis can access Somalia also with a public ID and, depending on an individual's network and connections, it could be possible to even 'circumvent the need for documents'. It is possible to apply for a passport at a Somali embassy.
Somalis arriving in Mogadishu by air must present valid passports and follow standard entry procedures at the airport, while those arriving by land pass through city checkpoints but are not always required to show ID. To settle in the city, individuals must register with local authorities, including background checks by NISA, while formal registration is also required to rent or purchase property.
For documents required to access Garowe, see general information on access to Somalia, above. Somalis who settle into Garowe have to provide an ID and register with the local government. In practice, however, people can also settle through personal connections.
Anybody travelling to Hargeisa by air from abroad requires a valid passport for entering the territory of Somaliland. Somalilanders travelling with a passport issued by the Somaliland state administration do not require a visa. All other Somalis travelling with a passport issued by the FGS, require a visa. For the granting of the visa, sometimes a letter of invitation or travel justification is also required. On arrival’ visas are awarded for stays of up to 30 days.
While Mogadishu is less segregated by clan compared to other parts of Somalia, clan affiliation remains influential, with the Hawiye clan holding most powerful positions. Minority groups and individuals from non-dominant clans often face exclusion and discrimination. The city also hosts a large population of IDPs, many of whom lack clan support or a local power base, leaving them particularly vulnerable.
Garowe, traditionally the homeland of the Darood/Harti/Majeerteen/Ise Mahamoud clan, has a diverse population that includes members of other clans, Hawiye businesspeople, and former IDPs from southern Somalia.
Members of the Isaaq clan-family currently make up most of Hargeisa’s population. While people belonging to different clans or ethnic origins can generally reside across the city, certain districts are dominated by specific groups. When settling in the city, no particular formal requirement is needed to buy land or properties or engage in business and other legal activities, provided that the individual is informally ‘identified’ by the hosting community through clan or local contacts. ID and other formal documentations are instead needed in case people intend to officially register. In this case, women need to be escorted by a male guarantor and witness, in whose absence two female witnesses are needed.
It is concluded that there are some security concerns with regard to the safety of travel to Mogadishu. With regard to Garowe and Hargeisa, it is concluded that, in general, a person can access these cities without serious risks.
The existence and/or possibility to issue relevant identification documents should be given due consideration. The possession of appropriate identification and/or travel documents is required to access Somalia and Somaliland. When passing through checkpoints to travel to Mogadishu, Garowe, and Hargeisa, and to circulate in the three cities, the lack of identification documents may render the applicant vulnerable to ill-treatment at checkpoints. The possession of a 30-day visa would not be sufficient to consider that the applicant can settle in Hargeisa.
Clan affiliation does not constitute a legal requirement to travel and gain admittance in Mogadishu, Garowe and Hargeisa, however it would be a crucial factor to take into account when examining the reasonableness to settle in one of these cities.
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