Somalia has updated its identification requirements for domestic flights to require travellers to produce a valid national identification card.

Furthermore, people applying for a Somali passport will from next month be required to present a valid ID Card.

The government made the announcement on Wednesday after a meeting between the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency (HSJ) and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) in the capital, Mogadishu.

The meeting, chaired by the Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, focused on aligning the services of both agencies and implementing a nationwide strategy for the national ID Card.

These are part of new measures aimed at linking key public services to the national ID card. Banking services and vehicle registration are among services that already require people to produce the ID card.

Somalia rolled out a new biometric identity card system in September 2023 - the first time it was issuing the identification documents in three decades following a civil war that led to the collapse of government in January 1991.

Officials said the integration of these systems will lead to a more secure and reliable framework for public services, benefiting citizens and contributing to the nation’s ongoing development efforts.