In the 1930s, British Somaliland passports were issued. Somalia's former
socialist government originally used to issue a non-
biometric Green Passport. This travel document still remained in use after the collapse of former President
Siad Barre's regime. After the collapse of the government and a power vacuum emerged with the
Somali Civil War, numerous countries refused to recognize Somali passports and other documents due to widespread counterfeiting and black marketing, destruction of many records and a lack of recognized government. As of 2024, countries that do not recognize the Somali passport include several European Union member states, the United States, and Canada. Countries that do not recognize the Somali passport may instead issue an approved visa on a separate travel document. The government announced in 2006 that it would issue a new machine-readable document to further ensure authenticity. Since 2007, the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia has issued an
e-passport to comply with stricter international rules. In November 2010, the TFG opened a new passport-making facility in
Mogadishu, the nation's capital. Printing of the travel documents had previously been conducted in the
United Arab Emirates, which reportedly engendered a backlog in passport issuance. The repatriated printing facilities are believed to offer a more responsive passport delivery process. Officially issued by the Somali Immigration Department, the passports now contain built-in security features comparable with other countries. In September 2011, the Transitional Federal Government officially banned use of Somalia's old Green Passport. According to Somali Immigration Officer, General Abdulaahi Gaafow Mohamoud, the identification document would no longer be accepted for business trips or travel by the end of the month. He added that the Green Passport would be replaced with a new blue model of e-passports that are particularly difficult to forge. In August 2025, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), under the 2023 Identification and Registration Act, and the Immigration and Citizenship Authority issued a joint mandate requiring all Somali citizens to present a valid national identification card when applying for a passport starting 1 September 2025. These requirements are part of efforts to tighten data security, improve public services, and enhance government efficiency. ==Visa requirements==