Somalia is undertaking efforts to modernize its national identification and passport system, with the new passport expected to help address long-standing challenges faced by Somali citizens regarding international travel.
A key question that has arisen is whether the new Somali passport will enable citizens to enter member states of the East African Community (EAC) without a visa.
Somalia officially joined the bloc in December 2023, after meeting the membership requirements, becoming the eighth country to join the organization.
However, membership alone does not automatically grant citizens full rights to free movement, as there are specific agreements, regulations, and procedures that member states must ratify and implement.
When asked about this, the Director of the Somali Immigration and Nationality Agency, Hussein Iidow, stated that while Somalia has completed many of the required procedures, some steps still remain to be finalized. He noted that the movement of people between Somalia and East African countries is currently good, and that it will improve further once the procedures and systems for the new passport are implemented.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government and the Parliament are tasked with finalizing the legal regulations and procedures necessary to facilitate the movement of Somali citizens and those from other member states of the organization.
The new passport, expected to be issued by the end of this year, is anticipated to improve the situation for Somali citizens—who have long faced travel-related challenges, particularly regarding obtaining visas and the verification of identity documents.
Since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, the Somali passport has faced challenges concerning international credibility and recognition.