Wednesday August 6, 2025
Somali Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag (center) chairs a high-level coordination meeting with officials from the Immigration and Citizenship Agency and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) at HSJ headquarters in Mogadishu on August 6, 2025. The meeting focused on implementing new national ID requirements for passports and domestic travel. (NIRA/Handout)
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia will require all citizens to present a national ID card to apply for a passport starting September 1, and to travel domestically starting January 1, 2026, federal authorities announced, expanding a nationwide push to digitize public services and verify citizen identities.
The new policy, issued jointly by the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (HSJ) and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), represents the most consequential move yet in Somalia’s adoption of a unified digital identification system. Officials say the initiative will enhance security, reduce fraud, and standardize access to government services.
The announcement followed a senior meeting held at HSJ headquarters in Mogadishu, chaired by Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag. The gathering, titled “Cooperation and Enhancement of the Somali Passport’s Credibility,” brought together senior officials from both agencies to discuss ways to improve the integrity of civil documentation.
“This step moves us closer to building a modern, trusted ID system and improving service delivery across government institutions,” the agencies said in a joint statement following a coordination meeting in Mogadishu.
The passport requirement follows a string of federal mandates tying access to public and financial services to NIRA-issued ID cards. As of September 1, all new bank accounts in the Banadir region must be opened using a national ID, per a directive from the Central Bank of Somalia. The policy, developed with the Somali Bankers Association, is expected to roll out nationwide in phases.
In June, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation became the first federal body to enforce the ID requirement, making it mandatory for driver's licenses, vehicle registration, transport company verification, and other services.
These moves follow an April directive by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre instructing all federal ministries to adopt the national ID system. He described it as essential to restoring public trust, reducing identity fraud, and laying the groundwork for digital governance.
Despite these mandates, the national ID has not yet replaced legacy documents in the passport application process due to unresolved technical issues. Applicants must still provide birth certificates, citizenship records, and CID clearance letters, the Immigration Agency confirmed in last month.
Technical challenges persist as well. Although biometric platforms like e-Aqoonsi and Hubiye have been launched in Mogadishu, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, and Las Anod, registration remains limited in rural areas due to weak digital infrastructure. As of June 2025, only a fraction of Somalia’s estimated 17 million citizens had been enrolled.
NIRA says that work is underway to link the ID and passport systems, but no completion date has been announced.