Somalia has officially joined the East African Community (EAC) passport system, making it the sixth member to issue the regional travel document. The measure is expected to improve cross-border movement, trade, and regional integration.
The clearance was presented on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam at 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 authorization document, giving Somalia permission to produce a passport recognized by all EAC member states.
The East African e-Passport was first issued in 2017, as member states sought to modernize regional travel documents. Kenya initiated 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.”
With the green light, Somalia can immediately begin technical and administrative preparations for passport production. This includes bringing its immigration systems in line with regional norms, developing printing methods, and coordinating recognition procedures with partner jurisdictions once issuance begins.
The news comes a day after Somalia and Tanzania signed a memorandum of understanding on immigration cooperation, which includes visa-on-arrival for holders of diplomatic and service passports and simplified entrance for regular travelers under certain situations.
Officials stated that the framework will remove administrative hurdles while encouraging trade, education, and professional interactions.
The MoU also develops coordination channels between immigration agencies, such as information sharing, implementation evaluations, and mechanisms for resolving operational issues, resulting in smoother cross-border mobility.