Entry rules · Somalia passport

Do Somalia passport holders need a visa for Canada?

Canada currently suspends or refuses short visits for Somalia passport holders, apart from narrow exceptions.

Checked against official sources on 10 Oct 2026. Two independent checks agreed.

The rule

Entry
No admission. Short visits are currently suspended or refused, apart from narrow exceptions.
Status
Verified 10 Oct 2026
Official source
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Applies to
A short tourist visit with an ordinary Somalia passport.

What the official sources say

The passages the two checks relied on, with where they come from. Quotes are shown as published, in the source’s language.

Entry: no admission

accepted by us (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca — Valid passports and other travel documents needed to come to Canada · Your passport or travel document is considered valid if it’s · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

The following documents are considered unreliable and are not valid for travel to Canada:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca — Valid passports and other travel documents needed to come to Canada · Documents we don’t accept (unreliable travel documents) · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

any passport issued by Somalia

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca — Valid passports and other travel documents needed to come to Canada · Documents we don’t accept (unreliable travel documents), first item · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026
More quotes (10)

Regulations are current to 2026-09-21 and last amended on 2026-07-15.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), consolidated text, Justice Laws Website (Department of Justice Canada) · Consolidation header · Law, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

50.1 (1) The Minister may designate, individually or by class, passports or travel or identity documents that do not constitute reliable proof of identity or nationality.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), consolidated text, Justice Laws Website (Department of Justice Canada) · s. 50.1(1) · Law, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

(3) A passport or travel or identity document that has been designated under subsection (1) is not a passport or travel or identity document for the purpose of subsection 50(1) or 52(1).

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), consolidated text, Justice Laws Website (Department of Justice Canada) · s. 50.1(3) · Law, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

(4) The Minister shall make available to the public a list of all passports or travel or identity documents designated under subsection (1).

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), consolidated text, Justice Laws Website (Department of Justice Canada) · s. 50.1(4) · Law, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

52 (1) In addition to the other requirements of these Regulations, a foreign national seeking to become a temporary resident must hold one of the following documents that is valid for the period authorized for their stay:

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), consolidated text, Justice Laws Website (Department of Justice Canada) · s. 52(1) · Law, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

the Somali passport has been designated as a document that is not acceptable for travel to Canada. This means that we do not accept the validity of the Somali passport.

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), Research Directorate — Discussion on travel documents from Somalia with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (transcript, 18 October 2017) · Transcript, IRCC manager’s introduction · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

So that is why we do not issue Canadian visas or fixed Canadian visas to any Somali passport.

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), Research Directorate — Discussion on travel documents from Somalia with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (transcript, 18 October 2017) · Transcript, IRCC manager’s introduction · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

Your passport or travel document is considered valid if it’s: legal not expired, and accepted by us (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) · Opening validity requirements · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

The following documents are considered unreliable and are not valid for travel to Canada: any passport issued by Somalia

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) · Documents we don’t accept (unreliable travel documents) · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

Documents we don’t accept: any passport issued by Somalia

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) · Gather your required documents > Travel documents · Government page, retrieved 10 Oct 2026

Canada for other passports

Visa-freeUp to 6 months
United States
eTAUp to 6 months
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City
Visa required
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macao, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How this rule was checked

On 10 Oct 2026 we checked this rule against the official sources that govern entry to Canada, chiefly Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Two independent checks reached the same result.

Public visa data (as of 17 Feb 2026) said the same; the check confirmed it.

See this check in the log of checks and changes, and how verification works in the methodology.

Something here is wrong or out of date? Report a wrong rule.

Government travel advice for Canada

United States
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
United Kingdom
No advice against travel
Canada
No advice published

What these governments tell their own citizens about travel to Canada as a whole, as of 30 Sept 2026. It is not about visas, and it reflects each government’s relations and consular reach as well as conditions on the ground.

Plan your trip

Before you travel

This page answers whether you need a visa and how long you can stay on a short tourist visit. It does not cover passport validity, other documents or permission to work. Entry rules change, sometimes without notice, and border officials make the final decision: confirm the requirements for your trip with the official immigration website or embassy of Canada.