Horn-of-Africa outlet The Abyssinian Times reports that, as of 3 July 2026, the UAE’s e-Channels visa platform now recognises passports issued by Somaliland – the self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991 – while simultaneously blocking new visa applications from Somali citizens. Although Abu Dhabi has not issued a formal diplomatic note, immigration software updates effectively allow Somaliland nationals to apply for short-stay, work and residency permits on the same footing as other recognised jurisdictions. Somali passports, by contrast, trigger an automatic rejection code introduced in January 2026 amid wider security-screening changes covering Afghanistan, Lebanon, Libya and Sudan. Analysts read the divergence as a calculated signal of support for Somaliland’s autonomy, driven by geopolitical competition for Red Sea port access and logistics hubs. UAE firms already operate the port of Berbera under a DP World concession, and preferential travel access will ease movement of ship crews, engineers and customs officials between Berbera and Dubai. For global mobility practitioners the immediate takeaway is compliance: employees carrying Somali passports – including dual nationals travelling on Somali documents – can no longer obtain new UAE visas and should switch to an alternative travel document or third-country residence permit. Somaliland citizens, meanwhile, must still meet standard financial and security checks but benefit from an application pathway that did not exist 48 hours earlier. Risk-management consultancies advise monitoring for retaliatory measures by the federal government in Mogadishu, which may include restrictions on UAE citizens or companies operating in Somalia-controlled ports and airports.
Source: The Abyssinian Times
