Before You Go to Somaliland

What to know before you go to Somaliland, in five simple steps: the visa, getting there, money and data, where to stay, and how to make the most of your days. Each step links to our full guide.

TRAVEL · START HERE

By the GO Somaliland editors · Updated 14 November 2026

1. Before you book

Most visitors get a Somaliland visa on arrival. Somaliland’s immigration department offers it at Hargeisa and Berbera airports, with the fee paid on arrival. Somalia’s federal e-visa is not valid for entry at Hargeisa, so don’t pay for the wrong one. Then check the latest official travel advice and pick your season.

Stained-glass window in the roof of the passenger terminal at Hargeisa airport

Somaliland visa and entryFees, documents, airline checks

Shoppers and stalls along a busy street market in Hargeisa

Is Somaliland safe?What official advice says

A green 'Welcome to Somaliland' arch over a street in Hargeisa

Best time to visitWeather, seasons and events

Street mural in Hargeisa showing people raising the Somaliland flag

Somaliland vs SomaliaWhat the difference means for you

2. Getting there and around

Most international visitors fly into Egal International Airport in Hargeisa, and our guide lists the airlines and routes. Inside the capital, taxis and the Dhaweeye ride-hailing app are easy to use. Beyond it, you travel with a local driver and a police escort, arranged through your hotel.

Egal International Airport terminal in Hargeisa

How to get to SomalilandFlights and the overland route

A colourful minibus decorated with Somaliland flags on a street in Hargeisa, a common way of getting around Somaliland

Getting around SomalilandTaxis, apps, drivers and escorts

A local guide looks out from a painted rock shelter at Laas Geel

Seven-day itineraryHargeisa, Berbera and Sheikh

Things to do in Hargeisa10 best sights and 48 hours

3. Money and staying connected

Bring US dollars in cash as well as a card. In Hargeisa you can withdraw dollars from ATMs with international cards, but carry cash for trips outside the city. A local SIM costs little and opens the door to mobile money, which many shops prefer.

Money changers with stacks of banknotes at the money market in Hargeisa

Money in SomalilandDollars, shillings and ZAAD

A Telesom sign at the roadside in the village of Abaarso near Hargeisa

Somaliland SIM cardWhere to buy, data bundles

Women preparing dough for laxoox pancakes at a market in Hargeisa

Somali phrasesGreetings, numbers and food words

A glass of shaah rinji, plain spiced Somali tea, on a saucer

Somali teaShaah, coffee and café culture

4. Where to stay

Hargeisa is the natural base, with everything from simple city hotels to an international five-star hotel. Many hotels are not on booking sites, so book directly and ask your hotel to arrange the airport pick-up and your driver. On the coast, Berbera makes a good second base.

The Serene Sarovar Premiere hotel in Hargeisa

Where to stay in HargeisaAreas and hotels compared

The war memorial in Hargeisa's Freedom Square, with Somaliland flags

Hargeisa travel guideArrival, safety, money and tips

The beach at Berbera on the Gulf of Aden

BerberaWhere the desert meets the sea

A stone school building in Sheikh, Somaliland, under a blue sign reading SOS Hermann Gmeiner Secondary School Sheikh

SheikhThe mountain town above the clouds

5. Make the most of your days

Give Hargeisa two days for its markets, museum and tea houses, then drive out to the rock art of Laas Geel and on to the coast. A few Somali phrases and a little local etiquette go a long way, and so does an appetite for laxoox and spiced tea.