Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
2 August 2024 Lido Beach terror attack
On 2 August 2024, there was an attack on Lido Beach in central Mogadishu, killing and injuring many civilians, claimed by terrorist group al-Shabaab. This follows an attack on Top Coffee Restaurant in central Mogadishu on 14 July, which also targeted civilians.
If you are in Mogadishu, we strongly encourage you to stay aware of your surroundings and avoid crowded areas.
If you have been affected by this attack, please contact the FCDO. Please refer to the Support from the FCDO section below.
Areas where FCDO advises against travel
Parts of Somalia, including eastern Somaliland
FCDO advises against all travel to Somalia, including the 3 eastern regions of Somaliland – Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool – and excluding the 3 western regions of Somaliland – Awdal, Maroodijeh and Sahil. This is due to the threat from terrorist groups and continuing violence.
Western Somaliland
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the 3 western regions of Somaliland – Awdal (including Boorama), Maroodijeh (including Hargeisa) and Sahil (including Berbera).
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
Support from FCDO
Support from FCDO is severely limited in Somalia, including Somaliland, with no support in person from staff at the British Embassy Mogadishu or the British Office Hargeisa.
If you need urgent help from the UK government, for example if you’ve been arrested or you’re concerned about forced marriage, contact:
If you’re in the UK and are concerned about a British national in Somalia, including Somaliland, call FCDO on 020 7008 5000.
People of Somali descent, including Somaliland descent
The government of Somalia and the authorities in Somaliland will consider any British national of Somali (including Somaliland) descent to be a dual national. FCDO can offer only limited consular support in these cases.
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide and any specific travel advice that applies to you:
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
About FCDO travel advice
FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated.
