On November 11, 2025, reports surfaced that Somalia’s electronic visa system was breached by unidentified hackers. The incident may have exposed the personal data of at least 35,000 individuals, with thousands of U.S. citizens possibly affected. Information leaked in the breach includes names, photographs, dates and places of birth, email addresses, marital status, and home addresses of visa applicants.
The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu stated it cannot confirm whether specific individuals’ data were compromised but advised anyone who has applied for a Somali e-visa to consider themselves potentially impacted.
"While Embassy Mogadishu is unable to confirm whether an individual’s data is part of the breach, individuals who have applied for a Somali e-visa may be affected," according to the embassy.
The embassy recommended monitoring updates from the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency regarding the e-visa system. It also directed those seeking guidance on responding to data breaches to consult resources provided by the Federal Trade Commission at https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/data-breach-resources.
For assistance or more information, U.S. citizens can contact the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi or reach out to State Department Consular Affairs via phone numbers listed for both domestic and international callers. Additional information about Somalia and traveler safety can be found on official government websites such as https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Somalia.html and through enrollment in programs like the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https://step.state.gov/.