Somalia makes biometric digital ID mandatory for inter-state travel

Somalians flying domestically will have to show their biometric ID cards in a new development.

The measure was introduced on Monday with Director General of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA), Mustafa Duhulow, inaugurating the new system at the domestic departure terminal of Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, reports Dawan Africa.

According to the ICA, the move is aimed at digitizing the internal migration system and to monitor the movement of people. Duhulow claims it is in accordance with the law and strengthens border and national security. Airport staff were instructed to assist citizens as they move to using the biometric national ID.

The initiative is a joint effort with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), which is in charge of issuing the biometric ID cards. Somalians travelling between federal states must show the IDs for identity verification and the processing of digital data.

Somalia has suffered years of conflict and the federal system in place since 2012 has strained to build a national government while dealing with intra-regional powers and terrorist insurgency. Somalia’s federal structure was agreed as a political compromise to placate rival clans. These fragmented powers must also contend with the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

Last July, NIRA introduced a mandatory measure to present a national digital ID issued by the authority for citizens wishing to open a new bank account or to update an old one. The Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) issued a statement introducing the measure, which said it was supported by NIRA and the Somali Bankers Association. The measure took effect on September 1 2025 and was designed to strengthen identity verification mechanisms and account security, according to CBS.

NIRA and the Ministry of Transport and Aviation also introduced a requirement for the national ID card when applying for a driver’s license or vehicle registration service last year. Besides obtaining a driver’s license, the NIRA-issued national ID is required for all other services offered by the Transport ministry.

NIRA’s Executive Director, Abdiwali Ali Abdulle, said in an interview with Biometric Update last year that the government was fully engaged in driving national ID adoption despite huge infrastructural, security and awareness challenges.

Somalia is also using the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES), a biometrics system in use across 23 countries worldwide. Backed by the U.S. government, PISCES is aimed at bolstering Somalia’s national border management capabilities.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital ID  |  digital travel  |  identity verification  |  national ID  |  National Identification and Registration Authority of Uganda (NIRA)  |  Somalia