Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Do not travelAvoid all travel
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Mogadishu and Lower Shabelle
Reconsider travelCapital city and surrounding regions remain volatile. Al-Shabaab attacks occur sporadically; kidnapping and armed robbery are serious risks.
Avoid: Southwest Mogadishu, Baladweyne, Middle Shabelle region
Common scams: Robbery at gunpoint, kidnapping of foreigners, currency fraud involving counterfeit shillings
Source: UK FCDO, US State Department · Verified 2026-07-06
Somaliland (Northern Region)
Exercise increased cautionDe facto independent Somaliland is significantly more stable than southern regions. Hargeisa and Borama have functioning institutions and lower incident rates, though the political status remains contested internationally.
Avoid: Eastern border regions near Puntland, disputed areas
Common scams: Overcharging foreigners, unofficial checkpoint demands
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Puntland (Northeast)
Reconsider travelPiracy activity has declined but armed groups and clan conflicts remain active. Kidnapping of international personnel is a documented risk.
Avoid: Coastal regions from Eyl southward, disputed border with Somaliland
Common scams: Extortion by armed militia, ransom demands
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO, US State Department. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Police
police
The police number published by UK FCDO, which cautions that emergency numbers in Somalia can be unreliable. The second number reaches the Somali Red Crescent, which the Foreign Office lists as a free line covering all emergency services and which is worth trying when the first goes unanswered.
SourceFire service
fire
The fire number published by UK FCDO, with the Somali Red Crescent line as the alternative.
SourceAamin Ambulance
ambulance · Mogadishu
Describes itself as the only semi-public free 24-hour ambulance service in Mogadishu, and it functions in practice rather than only on paper. Its hotlines are 999 and 3800. The Somali Red Crescent operates a free line for all emergency services on 446. UK FCDO cautions that emergency numbers in Somalia can be unreliable.
SourceBenadir Hospital
hospital · Mogadishu
Jidka Afgooye, Mogadishu
One of the two hospitals the UK Foreign Office names for Somalia. The Foreign Office publishes the list for convenience and endorses no provider.
SourceMedina Hospital
hospital · Mogadishu
Dagmada Wada Jir, Mogadishu
The second hospital on the same UK Foreign Office list. Both are in Mogadishu, and the list names nothing outside the capital, which is itself worth knowing before travelling anywhere else in the country.
Source