Somalia has become the sixth member state to join the EAC e-passport system
BY: Nadeem Faisal Baiga
ISLAMABAD: For nearly a decade, the promise of a single East African passport has embodied both the ambitions and the frustrations of regional integration under the East African Community (EAC). While policy frameworks were signed and summits convened, implementation lagged, and cross-border travel often remained subject to tight scrutiny.
Somalia’s formal adoption of the EAC e-passport this week signals a decisive shift from aspiration to execution, demonstrating how incremental policy alignment is steadily transforming integration from political rhetoric into operational reality.
Formal Adoption
Somalia has officially become the sixth member state to join the regional e-passport system, following formal approval granted in Dar es Salaam. The authorisation allows Mogadishu to begin issuing passports that will be recognised across all EAC partner states, marking a significant step in the country’s reintegration into regional economic and governance frameworks.
Ceremony and Official Statements
The milestone was formalised 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.
Ambassador Ilyas described the approval as “a significant step in Somalia’s regional engagement,” noting that it reflects sustained efforts to align the country’s travel documentation systems with EAC standards and facilitate easier movement for Somali citizens within the bloc.
Background of the EAC E-Passport
The EAC introduced the electronic passport in 2017 to modernise border management and advance one of the bloc’s core objectives: the free movement of people, goods, and services. Early adopters included Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Other members, including South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are still in various stages of implementation.
Symbolic and Strategic Importance
Somalia’s entry into the system carries both symbolic and strategic weight.
* Symbolically, it signals the country’s deeper institutional integration into the region after years of political transition.
* Strategically, it reduces documentation barriers that have historically constrained trade, labour mobility, and professional exchange.
Officials say the next phase will focus on technical and administrative readiness, including upgrading immigration systems, establishing secure passport production processes, and coordinating mutual recognition protocols with partner states. These steps are critical to ensuring that Somalia’s rollout meets the biometric and security benchmarks required under the EAC framework.
Strengthening Bilateral Ties
The development follows a recent memorandum of understanding between Somalia and Tanzania aimed at strengthening immigration cooperation. The agreement introduces visa-on-arrival arrangements for holders of diplomatic and service passports and simplifies entry requirements for ordinary travellers under agreed conditions. Authorities say the framework will also institutionalise information-sharing, regular implementation reviews, and structured coordination between immigration agencies.
Economic Implications
From a business and investment perspective, Somalia’s adoption of the e-passport enhances predictability and lowers transactional costs associated with cross-border movement. Improved mobility supports trade facilitation, regional supply chains, and labour market integration — key pillars for unlocking the full potential of the EAC common market.
A Functional Instrument of Integration
While full free movement across the bloc remains a work in progress, Somalia’s accession demonstrates how bilateral agreements and phased technical compliance are driving broader convergence. What was once dismissed as a slow-moving regional ambition is gradually taking operational form.
For a bloc long measured by its declarations, this development offers something more concrete: a functional instrument of integration. The single East African passport — once viewed as a distant policy ideal — is increasingly becoming a working tool of economic connectivity.
