Somalia
Travel Destination – Somalia
Somalia occupies a long stretch of the Horn of Africa, bordered by Ethiopia and Kenya to the west and facing the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden along its extensive coastline. The country holds historical and cultural significance, with ancient trading ports, prehistoric rock art, and a Somali-Arab architectural heritage that speaks to centuries of Indian Ocean commerce.
In Somaliland, the autonomous northwestern region, the cave paintings at Laas Geel, estimated at around 5,000 years old, and the port city of Berbera with its abandoned ships and Ottoman-era architecture draw a small number of international visitors each year. Mogadishu, the capital, holds the Mogadishu Cathedral and the Hamarweyne market, and its beaches at Liido and Gezira attract local visitors. Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland, offers vibrant markets and a more accessible urban experience for visitors to the north.
Security conditions in Somalia remain serious. Australians should follow the advice at the Australian Government's Smartraveller website and undertake thorough health preparation before travel.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
Anyone travelling to Somalia should arrange a travel medicine consultation well before departure, ideally at least six to eight weeks ahead. This allows time to review vaccinations, plan malaria prevention, and address individual health needs.
Healthcare capacity is limited, particularly outside major centres, with restricted access to medicines, equipment, and specialist care. Travellers should carry enough prescription medicines and any prescribed antimalarials for the entire stay. Given the security situation, standard travel insurance may not apply; appropriate specialist insurance should be arranged before departure, including cover for medical evacuation and other relevant security risks.
Insect avoidance
Malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquitoes are active throughout Somalia, primarily feeding at dusk and after dark. The Aedes mosquito, which spreads dengue and chikungunya, bites during daylight hours. Mosquito bite prevention requires protection at all times of day.
Use an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin on exposed skin and reapply as directed. Wear long sleeves and trousers, particularly from dusk onwards, and choose accommodation with effective screens or air conditioning where possible. A permethrin-treated bed net is recommended where rooms are not well protected from mosquitoes, while treating outer clothing with permethrin can provide additional protection, particularly in rural areas.
Food and water hygiene
Food and water hygiene is particularly important in Somalia, where gastroenteritis and hepatitis A are important travel-related risks and sanitation infrastructure is limited. Somali cuisine reflects African, Arab, and Indian influences, with foods such as canjeero, spiced stews, seafood, camel meat, and sambuus. Local dishes can be enjoyed, but careful food and water choices are essential.
Tap water should not be considered safe to drink. Use bottled, boiled, or appropriately treated water for drinking and brushing teeth, and avoid ice unless its water source is known to be safe. Choose food that has been freshly cooked and served hot, while avoiding raw, cold, or previously prepared foods that have been sitting at room temperature. Fruit should be peeled yourself immediately before eating.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet, and carry alcohol-based hand sanitiser where handwashing facilities are unavailable. Appropriate vaccination for hepatitis A and typhoid should be discussed with a travel doctor before departure.
Rabies prevention
Rabies presents as a risk in Somalia and is carried by dogs and other mammals. The rabies virus is essentially always fatal once clinical symptoms develop, making preventive therapy after an animal bite or scratch vital.
All physical contact with animals during the visit should be strictly avoided, including stray dogs encountered in urban areas and any wildlife in rural environments. Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is recommended for most travellers to Somalia given access to preventive therapy in Somalia may be limited.
Any bite, scratch, or contact of broken skin with animal saliva requires the wound to be washed immediately and thoroughly with soap and running water, followed by prompt medical assessment, regardless of rabies vaccination status.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for Somalia?
Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection transmitted through contaminated food or water, causing fatigue, nausea, and jaundice, with more serious illness possible in older travellers and those with pre-existing liver conditions.
Hepatitis A vaccination is well tolerated and affords long-lasting protection, and is recommended for most previously unvaccinated travellers to Somalia.
Typhoid
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Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria transmitted through contaminated food and water.
Typhoid vaccination is recommended for most travellers, particularly those going to smaller cities, villages, and rural areas outside usual tourist routes.
Typhoid fever causes sustained high fever, headache, and abdominal pain that can progress to serious complications without antibiotic treatment. Food and water hygiene is an important complementary measure regardless of vaccination status.
Rabies
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Rabies presents as a risk in Somalia and is carried by dogs and other mammals. The rabies virus is essentially always fatal once clinical symptoms develop, making preventive treatment after an animal bite or scratch vital.
All physical contact with animals during the visit should be strictly avoided, including stray dogs encountered in urban areas and any wildlife in rural environments. Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is recommended for most travellers to Somalia.
Any bite, scratch, or contact of broken skin with animal saliva requires the wound to be washed immediately and thoroughly with soap and running water, followed by prompt medical assessment, regardless of rabies vaccination status.
Measles
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Measles outbreaks continue to occur globally, and all international travellers should be fully protected before departure. The virus spreads through the air and can cause serious complications, including pneumonia.
Australian travellers born in 1966 or later need two documented doses of a measles-containing vaccine, and vaccination status should be confirmed with a travel doctor before leaving.
Polio
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Polio spreads through contaminated food and water and can cause permanent paralysis. Adults who completed a childhood vaccination series should discuss whether an adult booster dose is required with their travel doctor based on individual records.
Hepatitis B
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Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids, including via unprotected sexual contact, non-sterile medical instruments, and tattooing or piercing with contaminated equipment.
Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for most travellers visiting Somalia. Many Australians received this vaccine through childhood programs, but some adults remain unprotected, and status should be confirmed with a travel doctor.
Cholera
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Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae and produces sudden, profuse watery diarrhoea that can cause severe dehydration and become life-threatening without rapid treatment.
Outbreaks are reported regularly across Somalia, and whilst cholera is rare in travellers, oral cholera vaccine may be appropriate depending on itinerary, activities, and individual risk. A travel doctor can advise on suitability.
Yellow Fever
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Yellow fever vaccination is generally not recommended for travel to most regions of Somalia, and no vaccination certificate is required for entry.
However, vaccination could be considered for a subset of travellers aged nine months to under sixty years who are at increased risk, such as those spending extended time outdoors in forested or semi-arid environments.
A travel doctor can assess whether vaccination is appropriate based on individual circumstances and planned itinerary.
Routine vaccinations
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All standard immunisations should be confirmed fully current before travel to Somalia, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, hepatitis B, and polio. A tetanus booster is advisable if more than ten years have passed since the last dose.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all travellers aged six months and over. COVID-19 vaccination should be current in accordance with Australian public health guidance, including booster doses for those aged 65 and over or with relevant underlying health conditions.
Somalia
Other health risks in Somalia
Malaria
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Malaria risk due predominantly to Plasmodium falciparum exists throughout the year in the entire country. Risk is relatively low and seasonal in the north, and higher in the central and southern parts of the country.
Plasmodium falciparum is the malaria species responsible for the great majority of severe and fatal cases globally. Chloroquine resistance is established throughout Somalia, so specific antimalarial choice is essential. Prescription antimalarial medication must be obtained and started before departure.
The parasite enters the body through the bites of infected mosquitoes after dark, infecting red blood cells and producing fever, chills, headache, nausea, and muscle aching. Without prompt treatment, severe falciparum malaria can progress rapidly to life-threatening illness. Any fever developing during travel or within four weeks of returning home requires immediate medical assessment with full travel history disclosed to the treating clinician.
Gastroenteritis
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Gastroenteritis and other gastrointestinal illness can be caused by ingestion of contaminated food and water by travellers in Somalia, where sanitation and food safety can be variable. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites all contribute to travellers' diarrhoea, producing stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea within one to three days of exposure.
Oral rehydration is the primary treatment for uncomplicated cases. Medical attention should be sought for severe or persistent symptoms.
Dengue and chikungunya
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Both dengue and chikungunya are mosquito-borne viral infections transmitted by daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes and can occur in Somalia. Dengue typically causes sudden fever, severe headache, and marked muscle and joint pain, while chikungunya is particularly associated with joint pain that may persist for weeks or months. Consistent daytime mosquito-bite prevention the main form of protection.
Schistosomiasis
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Schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia)is a parasitic infection acquired when larvae released by infected freshwater snails penetrate intact skin during contact with contaminated water. Rivers, ponds, and slow-moving freshwater bodies across Somalia carry this risk. Contact with freshwater bodies including wading, swimming, and bathing should be avoided throughout the country.
No preventive vaccine or medication is available. Any traveller concerned about freshwater exposure should seek testing on returning to Australia, where effective treatment can be provided.
Tuberculosis
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Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial lung infection spread through the air when a person with active disease coughs, speaks, or sings nearby, producing a persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and progressive weight loss.
Somalia has higher rates of tuberculosis than the global average, compounded by the limitations of routine healthcare services and population displacement across much of the country.
Travellers in healthcare, humanitarian, or community settings face a meaningful level of exposure risk. TB screening before departure and after returning to Australia is advisable for those in higher-risk categories. Any unexplained persistent cough following a visit to Somalia should be assessed by a general practitioner with full travel history provided.
Non-infectious conditions
Crime and unrest
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Security conditions in Somalia can vary by region and may change with little warning, including in areas such as Puntland and Somaliland. Piracy also remains a concern in waters around Somalia, the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean.
Check the Australian Government's Smartraveller website for current advice before and during travel. For those who go, specialised travel insurance and a reliable evacuation plan are essential.
Safety on the roads and elsewhere
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Road travel anywhere in Somalia carries serious risk beyond standard road safety concerns. Illegal roadblocks are widespread, and armed groups operate throughout the country. In Mogadishu and other urban areas, even short journeys require armed escorts and armoured vehicles for foreign nationals. Intercity road travel should not be undertaken without professional security planning and a full escort. Night driving anywhere in the country must be avoided. Any movement outside established security perimeters should be assessed and approved by professional security personnel.
Somalia is among the countries where landmines and unexploded ordnance remain present in rural and conflict-affected areas. Travellers should remain strictly on established routes and tracks, and avoid any unknown metal objects in the field.
Deep vein thrombosis
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Reaching Somalia from Australia involves long-haul flights through multiple connections, typically via Middle Eastern or East African hubs, with total journey times commonly exceeding fifteen to eighteen hours. Sitting immobile across these flights slows venous blood return from the lower limbs and raises the risk of clot formation in the deep leg veins, called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Moving about the cabin regularly, performing simple seated exercises such as calf raises and ankle rotations, and drinking water consistently throughout the journey reduce this risk. Travellers with predisposing factors including prior blood clots, recent surgery, pregnancy, hormonal contraceptive use, or significant excess weight should discuss whether compression stockings are appropriate with a travel doctor before departure.