Guidance

Somalia: Knowledge Base profile

Updated 23 March 2026

Version 3.0

About: Somalia

This document contains useful information about Somalia which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 16 March 2026

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with a new section about:

• parental responsibility in Somalia
• name alignment; to show when HM Passport Office will add an observation to a British passport

Somalia: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Somalia.

Names in Somalia generally consist of:

• a personal name
• the father’s personal name
• the paternal grandfather’s personal name

Names in Somalia do not include a family name (surname).

As names in Somali and Arabic do not directly translate, there may be variations in the spelling of the customer’s name in official documents.

Change of name

Name changes are legal in Somalia. Change of name can be done by deed poll or affidavit in Somalia. Women do not change their name after marriage.

Name alignment

HM Passport Office will add an observation to the British passport referencing the name shown in the foreign passport if:

• the customer is unable to align their Somalia passport; and,
• no exceptions apply, as shown in the guidance, Names: aligning names on foreign documents

Somalia: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Somalia.

Dual nationality is allowed in Somalia.

Somalia: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Somalia.

Legitimacy

Somalia recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child is considered:

• legitimate if:
  • the parents were married (to each other) at the time of the birth
  • the parents were not married at the time of the birth but they:
  • acknowledge the child as their own; and,
  • the mother was not married to someone else at the time of conception; and,
  • the parents marry after the birth or obtain a court order confirming the child is their legitimate offspring
• illegitimate if their parents never marry

Parental responsibility

In Somalia, fathers are their child’s legal guardian (equivalent of parental responsibility).

A mother can only obtain parental responsibility for her child if it is granted by a court.

Unmarried fathers must legally acknowledge their child to be awarded parental responsibility (guardianship). 

In the absence of a known or acknowledging father, the child’s mother’s closest male relative will hold guardianship, or a court may award it to another named person.

If a mother has custody of her child, this does not give her parental responsibility or any decision-making authority for her child.

Somalia: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Somalia.

Adoption is not legal in Somalia.

Somalia: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Somalia.

Surrogacy is not recognised in Somalia.

Somalia: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Somalia.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are not recognised in Somalia.

Marriages in Somalia follow Islamic law. Both proxy and polygamous marriages are legal.

Somalia: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Somalia.

There is no central register for births, deaths and marriages.

Birth certificates

Births in Somalia should be registered within 15 to 30 days of the date of birth. Late registration is allowed and the certificate is back dated to near the child’s birth.

There are different types of birth certificate in Somalia.

The Somalia authorities may issue the birth certificate with a document called “Warqadda Sugnaanta”. The “Warqadda Sugnaanta” is an identity document which includes the customers photo and fingerprint.

Errors on the birth certificate can be corrected, and a new certificate will be issued. This is done by the original birth registration office.

A customer’s birth certificate may show up to 4 names.

Marriage certificates

Marriage in Somalia is celebrated under Islamic law. Marriage certificates are issued. Customers can get copies of their marriage certificate at any time.

Death certificates

Deaths in Somalia should be registered within 7 days of the date of death. The format of death certificates differ depending on where they are issued. Customers can request copies from the office where the death was originally registered.

Identity documents

Somalia passports issued since 2006 include 3 names for the customer, in the order of, the customer’s:

• individual forename
• father’s forename
• grandfather’s forename

There are 2 types of passports issued in Somalia, one for Somalia and one for Somaliland. These passports are not valid for travel to the UK.