Somalia Travel Risk Overview
Official US advisory · Level 4
Do Not Travel
This decision takes precedence over the analytical baseline composite.
Is Somalia safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Somalia scores 83/100 on our travel risk index (Extreme). The US State Department rates Somalia Level 4 (Do Not Travel, updated 21 May 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country (updated 4 Jun 2026); Canada says: avoid all travel. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Somalia has a Travel Risk Calculator score of 83 out of 100 (extreme risk tier); city-level files are available for 42 cities. The score combines five layers (security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards, current alerts) built from government advisories and open data. This page also covers nine safety categories (crime, disease & health, government advisory, political & civil unrest, natural disaster & weather, transport & route, environmental, digital security, money safety), the current US State Department advisory, GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices for Somalia, recent news headlines, plus links to every city we have an editorial file for.
Run a personalized Somalia assessmentAI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Somalia maintains an extreme baseline risk score of 83 out of 100, alongside a Level 4 travel advisory from the US State Department. The region is currently affected by an ongoing drought disaster alert. Additionally, travelers face a Level 1 global dengue health notice from the CDC.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 09:34 UTC
How safe is Somalia to visit in 2026?
Somalia is currently under a US State Department Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory. That official decision takes precedence. The 83/100 extreme baseline composite remains visible only as analytical context and must not be read as permission to disregard the advisory. The full live US State Department advisory text for Somalia, current GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices, and recent news headlines are shown in the Live conditions section below. For city-specific files (Mogadishu, Baidoa, Caracase), see the City Risk Files section below — they include neighborhood-level scam patterns, transport notes, and medical-access details where available.
Country score
Driven by: security (95/100) and crime and scams (90/100). Governments disagree: US Level 4, UK Level 2, Canada Level 4.
Somalia's score of 83 is higher than the scores of 100% of the 241 countries we cover.
Data file
| Source | calibrated 2026-05-09 v1.0 (knowledge-based; high uncertainty due to data scarcity) |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 2026-05-09 11:01:52 |
| City files | 42 |
Assessment memory
Anonymous assessments help Travel Risk Calculator identify which country and city files deserve deeper review.
| Saved assessments | 0 |
|---|---|
| Average composite | No saved signal yet |
Score layers
Safety categories
Official Government Travel Advisories
Cross-referenced official travel advice from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, normalized to a unified 1–4 risk scale.
Official travel advice differs across governments (spread of 2 risk levels). For example, one ministry recommends normal caution (Level 2) while another recommends avoiding travel (Level 4).
Department of State
Do not travelto Somalia due to risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, health, landmines, systematic mistreatment of women, systematic mistreatment of gay…
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
FCDO travel advice for Somalia. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
Global Affairs Canada
Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño
UK content contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canadian advice provided by Global Affairs Canada under open government terms. US advice provided by the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Entry Requirements & Local Laws
Official travel advice summary from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
🛂 Entry Requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, who choose to travel despite FCDO advice. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Somalia’s current rules for the most common types of travel. The authorities in Somalia set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Somalian Embassy in the UK. Passport validity requirements To enter Somalia, including Somaliland, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been rep
Summary of UK FCDO advice, updated Jun 4, 2026 · Full requirements →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Travel Advisory Level History
Historical official advisory level changes over time.
What Changed This Month in Somalia
Chronological record of verified security, advisory, health, and hazard updates over the past 30 days.
- Jul 3, 2026 GDACS Alert Drought is on going in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Chad (orange).
- Oct 2, 2026 CDC Notice Level 1 - Global Dengue (Watch).
- Sep 23, 2026 CDC Notice Level 2 - Global Polio (Alert).
- Oct 7, 2026 Score Change Afgooye risk score moved from 82 to 77 (Daily recalculation (scoring v2)).
- Oct 7, 2026 Score Change Baardheere risk score moved from 82 to 81 (Daily recalculation (scoring v2)).
- Oct 7, 2026 Score Change Aw Dheegle risk score moved from 82 to 78 (Daily recalculation (scoring v2)).
City Risk Files in Somalia
Showing 42 destination files with city-specific safety data in Somalia, ranked by demand and population.
Mogadishu
Tier BBanaadir
Baidoa
Tier BBay
Caracase
Tier BGedo
Hargeysa
Tier BWoqooyi Galbeed
Boosaaso
Tier BBari
Aw Dheegle
Tier BShabeellaha Hoose
Garoowe
Tier BNugaal
Beledweyne
Tier BHiiraan
Garbahaarrey
Tier BGedo
Qoorlugud
Tier BTogdheer
Kiridh
Tier BTogdheer
Jawhar
Tier BShabeellaha Dhexe
Ceel Dheere
Tier BGalguduud
Buraan
Tier BSanaag
Bura
Tier BGedo
Baraawe
Tier BShabeellaha Hoose
Wanlaweyn
Tier BShabeellaha Hoose
Ceel Baraf
Tier BShabeellaha Dhexe
Afgooye
Tier BShabeellaha Hoose
Godinlabe
Tier BGalguduud
Baxdo
Tier BGalguduud
Saylac
Tier BAwdal
Buur Gaabo
Tier BJubbada Hoose
Gaalkacyo
Tier BMudug
Boorama
Tier BAwdal
Cadaado
Tier BGalguduud
Buurhakaba
Tier BBay
Luuq
Tier BGedo
Buqda Caqable
Tier BHiiraan
Ceerigaabo
Tier BSanaag
Eyl
Tier BNugaal
Dhuusamarreeb
Tier BGalguduud
Qardho
Tier BBari
Kismaayo
Tier BJubbada Hoose
Jilib
Tier BJubbada Dhexe
Xuddur
Tier BBakool
Baardheere
Tier BGedo
Berbera
Tier BWoqooyi Galbeed
Marka
Tier BShabeellaha Hoose
Jamaame
Tier BJubbada Hoose
Bu’aale
Tier BJubbada Dhexe
Burco
Tier BTogdheer
All towns in Somalia (31 additional local facts pages)
These localities carry verified regional geography, nearest hospitals, airports, and natural hazard records with the country baseline risk score.
Live conditions in Somalia
Country-scoped real-time data — official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For city-specific weather and air quality, open any city page below.
Official travel advisory
Level 4 · Do Not Travel
Somalia - Level 4: Do Not Travel
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Track Somalia’s advisory
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Traveller notes from government advice
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Somalia. LGBT+ partners should not show affection in public.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 4 Jun 2026. Full advice
Local laws and customs
Personal ID
Always carry your passport and visa with you as ID. Somali nationals should consult local authorities in Somalia on personal ID requirements.
Ramadan
Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims. The dates vary by year and country. During this time, do not:
eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public in the daytime, including in your car
play loud music or dance
swear in public
Get more advice when you arrive from your tour guide, hotel or business contacts.
You should also:
check opening hours of shops and restaurants
be aware that if hotels and restaurants are providing food or drink in fasting hours, they may separate you from Islamic guests, for example with screens
follow local dress codes – clothing that does not meet local dress codes may cause more offence at this time
be aware that fasting can cause tiredness, particularly during the later afternoon and…
Read the full UK government advice
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 4 Jun 2026. Full advice
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, who choose to travel despite FCDO advice. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Somalia’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Somalia set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Somalian Embassy in the UK.
Passport validity requirements
To enter Somalia, including Somaliland, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 4 Jun 2026. Official entry requirements
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Drought is on going in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Chad ORANGE · country-wide · 2026-07-03
The Drought notification level is Orange.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 09:34:27 UTC
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Diphtheria in Sub-Saharan Africa WATCH · 2026-08-25
There are outbreaks of diphtheria in several countries in Africa. Vaccination against diphtheria is essential to protect against the disease. Country List : Chad, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Somalia Country List : Chad, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Soma
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
Recent headlines
No recent national headlines were returned for Somalia. This is not evidence that conditions are quiet; check local and official sources.
Automated safety monitor
Recent safety-relevant news for Somalia
Headlines are an early-warning monitor, not risk assessments. Verify material developments with official authorities and the linked publisher.
- General Эфиопия на грани войны Фонд стратегической культуры fondsk.ru · Oct 16, 2026 01:15 UTC · via GDELT
- General 한국 군함 , 호르무즈 코앞까지 간다 ?… 軍 , 청해부대 작전 확대 검토 edaily.co.kr · Oct 16, 2026 01:15 UTC · via GDELT
- General 중동 바다 지키는 한국 군함 .. 호르무즈 인근까지 확대 검토 wikitree.co.kr · Oct 15, 2026 23:00 UTC · via GDELT
- General Somalia Constitution Bill Due in 2 Months riotimesonline.com · Oct 15, 2026 22:45 UTC · via GDELT
- General Who will be most affected by El Niño ? How to help | International Rescue Committee rescue.org · Oct 15, 2026 21:15 UTC · via GDELT
- General Trump noemde haar vuilni , nu ligt migratiedossier onder vergrootglas : wie is Democrate Ilhan Omar ? vrt.be · Oct 15, 2026 19:00 UTC · via GDELT
- General Madaxweynaha Somaliland oo caddeeyey mowqifka dowladdiisa ee xiisadda ka taagan gobolka bbc.com · Oct 15, 2026 19:00 UTC · via GDELT
- General Trump Administration Reportedly Trying to Denaturalize and Deport Ilhan Omar truthout.org · Oct 15, 2026 18:30 UTC · via GDELT
This country currently has a Level 4 US advisory. Compare the high-risk-country watchlist →
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Somalia
The most weather-stable two-month window for Somalia is July–August, when typical daily temperatures run from about 24°C to 27°C and monthly rain averages 38 mm.
No threshold-level heat, cold, wind, or cyclone flag appears in the stored normals; May is the wettest typical month at about 71 mm.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Aug 22, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Diplomatic assistance
Embassies in Mogadishu
Embassy of Djibouti and Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and 3 other embassies are mapped in Mogadishu.
OpenStreetMap coverage is a location aid, not an official diplomatic directory. Before travel, save the address and emergency contact details published by your own foreign ministry.
Emergency Numbers
| Police | 888 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 999 |
| Fire | 555 |
| General emergency | 888 |
Latest AI-assisted briefing for Somalia
Official decision override: Do Not Travel. Mogadishu presents severe security and health risks, including active screening at Mogadishu airport following an imported Bundibugyo Ebola virus case in neighboring Kenya.
Top risk drivers
-
Airport Health Screening for Ebola
· health
Somalia's federal government has deployed health staff at Mogadishu airport to screen arrivals from African countries after Kenya confirmed an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.
-
Severe Advisory and Political Instability
· advisory
The destination maintains a Level 4 Do Not Travel official advisory due to critical safety conditions, mirrored by extreme scores in advisory and political categories.
-
Government advisory
· Advisory
Official advisories indicate caution.
-
Political / unrest risk
· Political
Unrest, protest activity, or instability raise contextual risk.
-
Elevated crime exposure
· Crime
Higher reported levels of crime affecting travelers.
Recent intelligence
- Somalia Screens Travelers After Kenya Confirms Imported Ebola [source]
- Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Mogadishu, Somalia [source]
Live intelligence cited 8 public-source snippets. Every claim above is grounded in one of them — verify any specific detail by following the snippet links on the full assessment page.
Frequently asked questions
How safe is Somalia?
Somalia currently scores 83/100 on our composite travel risk index (extreme risk; lower is safer). The US State Department and Government of Canada advise against all travel here, so the score is held at 75 or higher. Official advice can change quickly, so check it again shortly before you travel.
Is Somalia safe to visit right now?
Follow the current official advisory. The baseline composite is analytical context and does not weaken that decision. Composite baseline: 83/100 (Extreme risk). Always cross-check with your home country's foreign-ministry advisory within 7 days of departure; the live US State Department advisory is shown above. Last refreshed October 2026.
What is the current travel advisory for Somalia?
The current US State Department advisory level for Somalia is shown in the Live conditions section above and is re-fetched every 6 hours from the official RSS feed. UK FCDO, Canada GAC, and Australia DFAT also publish advisories — for high-stakes trips, cross-check at least one foreign-ministry advisory in addition to your home country's. See our travel advisory guide for how to read each tier system.
When is the best time to visit Somalia?
July–August is the most weather-stable two-month window in the stored 1991-2020 normals. The most weather-stable two-month window for Somalia is July–August, when typical daily temperatures run from about 24°C to 27°C and monthly rain averages 38 mm.
What is the rainy, hurricane, or severe-weather season in Somalia?
The stored 1991-2020 normals do not cross this site's seasonal hazard thresholds; check a short-range forecast before departure.
Community Safety Sentiment
Have you visited Somalia recently? What was your safety experience?
Vote to share your experience with travelers.
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.