By Asha Elmi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, Somalia, September 30, 2026 - Somalia will from Thursday require citizens traveling within the country to present a valid National ID for identity verification, the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA) and National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) said on Wednesday.
The measure is part of a joint effort by the two agencies to strengthen Somalia's legal identity and travel-document systems. Under their agreement, presentation of the National ID for domestic travel was voluntary before Oct. 1.
Citizens traveling within Somalia will be required to present a valid National ID, while NIRA says its identification system also provides identity certificates that can be used for travel and other services.
The authorities have said the cooperation is intended to strengthen identity verification and help prevent document and identity fraud, as well as unauthorized changes to registered personal information.
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The requirement had initially been scheduled for earlier implementation. In January, the Immigration and Citizenship Agency postponed enforcement of the domestic travel ID requirement, moving the deadline to June to give citizens more time to register and obtain their identification documents.
The national ID system has also been incorporated into other government services. ICA announced that a valid National ID became mandatory for Somali passport applications, while NIRA describes the system as a national framework for verifying citizens and legal residents.
Authorities have urged citizens to obtain and carry their identification documents when traveling to avoid difficulties during identity verification.