Somalia and Azerbaijan set course for visa free travel by 2026

Somalia and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum in Kampala in mid October 2025 granting mutual visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders. Officials say the waiver for service passports will follow in the coming months, with ordinary passports targeted for 2026, pending the usual legal steps. Until the broader waiver takes effect, ordinary travelers must continue to use existing visa channels, including Azerbaijan’s ASAN eVisa and Somalia’s new ICA eVisa system. Key details like duration of stay under the new waiver for each passport class will be confirmed once ratification and implementation procedures are completed.

What changed and when

• On October 15 to 16, 2025, at the Non Aligned Movement ministerial meeting in Kampala, Somalia and Azerbaijan signed an MoU granting mutual visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic passports.
• Media quoted Somalia’s non resident ambassador to Azerbaijan stating that service passports will be added in the coming months and ordinary passports by 2026, moving to a full visa-free regime. This timeline is an official statement to media and will require the usual bilateral procedures to enter into force.

Who is eligible now

• Visa free today: holders of Somali and Azerbaijani diplomatic passports under the Kampala MoU. Specific permitted stay will be clarified upon publication of the agreement text.
• Not yet visa free: holders of service and ordinary passports. The expansion is planned but not yet in effect as of October 20, 2025. Travelers should use existing visa routes until government sites list the change.

Current options for ordinary travelers

• To Azerbaijan: most eligible nationalities can apply for a single entry ASAN eVisa, typically valid for stays up to 30 days, with standard processing in 3 working days or expedited in about 3 hours. Apply through the official portal.
• To Somalia: apply online through the Immigration and Citizenship Agency’s eVisa portal. Somalia’s Nairobi embassy notes visitor stays up to 90 days, subject to approval and purpose of travel.

Apply now

• Azerbaijan ASAN eVisa: evisa.gov.az
• Somalia ICA eVisa: immigration.evisa.gov.so

Permitted stay and visa types

• Diplomatic passport waiver: duration has not been published for the Somalia Azerbaijan MoU. Many of Azerbaijan’s recent diplomatic and service passport waivers set 90 days within 180 days, but this is an inference and may differ here until the text is released.
• Azerbaijan eVisa: single entry, stay up to 30 days for tourism, business and other short visits.
• Somalia visas: ICA lists multiple entry categories including work, business, residence, medical, student, transit and tourist visas. Embassy guidance indicates visitor visas are typically issued for visits up to 90 days.

Passport validity and entry rules

• Azerbaijan: your passport should be valid at least three months beyond the end of the visa validity. Registration at place of stay is required if staying more than 15 days.
• Somalia: the Nairobi embassy advises at least 6 months passport validity and notes that visa processing can take several working days.

Practical traveler notes

• Check status before you book: Azerbaijan’s MFA maintains an updated list of visa-free countries and notes that such lists are adjusted as agreements enter into force. Until Somalia appears on the official lists, ordinary travelers should obtain a visa.
• Beware third party sites: use the official ASAN eVisa portal for Azerbaijan and the official ICA portal for Somalia to avoid extra fees or delays.

Policy context and outlook

The Kampala MoU fits a broader pattern of Azerbaijan expanding reciprocal waivers and simplifying short term entry via ASAN, while Somalia digitizes its own entry process through the ICA eVisa platform. Both steps point to closer diplomatic ties and easier official travel, with a stated goal of ordinary passport visa-free travel by 2026, subject to ratification and publication on official government channels. Travelers should monitor the Somalia MFA and Azerbaijan MFA pages for the formal start dates and permitted stays for each passport category as updates are posted.

Key official websites

• Somalia Immigration and Citizenship Agency visa information and eVisa access.
• Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa pages and visa-free country lists.
• ASAN eVisa portal for Azerbaijan.

Sources

• Somalia MFA announcement on the Kampala MoU for diplomatic passports. (web.mfa.gov.so)
• Report.az coverage of the signing and the ambassador’s timeline toward a full visa-free regime. (report.az)
• Caspian Post report on the phased expansion to service and ordinary passports by 2026. (caspianpost.com)