Somalia has officially joined the East African Community (EAC) passport system, becoming the bloc’s sixth member to issue the regional travel document. The move is expected to ease cross-border movement, boost trade, and strengthen regional integration.
- Somalia has officially joined the East African Community (EAC) passport system as its sixth member.
- This move is expected to ease cross-border movement, boost trade, and strengthen regional integration among EAC countries.
- Somalia received formal approval in Dar es Salaam, with key officials present at the ceremony.
- The current EAC members whose citizens already use the passport are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The approval was handed over on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam during a ceremony attended by Somalia’s ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC, Ilyas Ali Hassan, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, and Immigration Director General Mustafa Dhuhulow.
The ambassador formally handed over the authorisation document, giving Somalia the green light to produce a passport recognised across all EAC member states.
Issuance of the East African e-Passport began in 2017 as member states moved to modernise regional travel documents. Kenya led the rollout on September 1, 2017, followed by Tanzania (January 31, 2018), Burundi (May 31, 2018), Uganda (December 18, 2018) and Rwanda (July 1, 2019).
South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still implementing the system.
“This is a key moment for Somalia and its engagement with regional institutions,” Ilyas said. “The handover reflects ongoing efforts to align Somalia’s travel systems with EAC standards. This marks another milestone in facilitating the movement of EAC citizens.”
Somalia Prepares to Roll Out EAC Passports
With the green light, Somalia can now begin technical and administrative preparations for producing the passport. This includes aligning its immigration systems with regional standards, establishing printing processes, and coordinating recognition procedures with partner states once issuance begins.
The development comes a day after Somalia and Tanzania signed a memorandum of understanding on immigration cooperation, introducing visa-on-arrival for holders of diplomatic and service passports and simplifying entry for ordinary travellers under agreed conditions.
Officials said the framework will reduce administrative barriers while promoting trade, education, and professional exchanges.
The MoU also establishes coordination channels between immigration authorities, including information-sharing, implementation reviews, and mechanisms to resolve operational challenges, ensuring smoother cross-border mobility.
