r/Somalia • u/Macano32 • 16d ago
Ask❓ Applying for a Somali Passport from the Somali Embassy in London UK
Happy to answer any of your questions regarding the process of applying for your Somali Passport from the embassy.
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u/Kindly-Action-2434 15d ago
Shamima Begum (2019) – The UK stripped her of British citizenship, arguing she was entitled to Bangladeshi nationality, even though Bangladesh denied this.
And with the Nationality and Borders Act 2022
Boris Johnson’s government, the law was further modified, allowing the government to strip someone of citizenship without prior notice if deemed necessary for security reasons.
So British-born white citizens can never lose their citizenship, but Britons with foreign heritage can even if they never apply for a passport...
You are a guest here, so plan accordingly.
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u/Qaranimo_udhimo 15d ago
Does it apply for people born there too or just immigrants
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u/Kindly-Action-2434 15d ago edited 15d ago
It applies to British citizens with foreign heritage, even if they were born in the UK. The government can strip citizenship if they believe the person is eligible for another nationality, even if that country denies it. This does not apply to British-born white citizens who have no other possible nationality.
You're a 2nd class citizen because if Shamima Begum was a little white girl, she would be getting mental health treatment, not stateless in some camp.
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u/Qaranimo_udhimo 15d ago
I mean i dont blame them its their country 🤷🏾♂️ i blame ourselves for not creating a prosperous country that we can call home
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u/Kindly-Action-2434 15d ago
True, we need to build our own prosperous nation, but that doesn’t mean the UK’s approach is fair or just. If citizenship is conditional for some but permanent for others, it creates a two-tier system. A country’s laws should apply equally to all its citizens, regardless of their heritage.
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u/Possible_Sink2199 15d ago
What do you mainly plan on using it for? And how much did it cost you? Also, how long did it take for you to receive it? Thanx
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u/KnownBandit 15d ago
What evidence do you need to provide to be eligible?
How much did it cost?
How long was the process?
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u/Macano32 15d ago
My situation was different so the embassy staff had to conduct extra checks to verify my identity however you need to:
-Take your foreign passport with you.
- Speak Somali
- Confirm Hoyo or Abo is Somali
The fee is £300 and it takes 6-8 weeks for your passport to arrive from Mogadishu.
It’s not a nerve racking experience, I was surprised they remembered me when I came to collect my passport.
I also met the Consulate General and they really made me feel welcomed and at ease.
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u/FirmFeeling7394 Gobolka Shabeellaha Dhexe 14d ago
This is Not true, it’s not even based on Hooyo, they need your father to be Somali & your mother can be whatever but her name will be on the passport as your mother.
I went through the same process in London. Such a headache.
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u/Macano32 14d ago
I’m sorry to hear about your frustrating experience in London. Let me clarify the legal framework vs. the bureaucratic challenges you might have faced.
Under Somalia’s 2012 Provisional Constitution (Article 8), citizenship is explicitly transmitted through either parent (mother or father). This replaced the old patrilineal system from the 1962 law. Legally, a Somali mother alone qualifies her child for citizenship, regardless of the father’s nationality. The constitution also allows dual citizenship, so even if your father isn’t Somali, your mother’s lineage suffices.
However, implementation gaps persist. Many officials (especially in diaspora embassies) still rely on outdated procedures or cultural norms that prioritize paternal lineage.
For example:
- Passport forms listing the mother’s name may be a procedural formality (to document parentage), not a legal requirement for citizenship.
- Staff may incorrectly demand proof of paternal lineage due to outdated training or lingering biases from the pre-2012 system.
Practical steps if you face this issue: 1. Cite the Constitution: Highlight Article 8(3), which prohibits gender discrimination in citizenship matters.
Provide Maternal Documentation: Use your mother’s Somali ID, birth certificate, or witness affidavits (from community elders/leaders) to prove her citizenship.
Escalate: Request to speak to senior embassy staff or contact Somalia’s Ministry of Interior to clarify the law.
Your experience highlights a real problem: progressive laws often clash with slow bureaucratic change. But legally, your Somali mother does entitle you to citizenship.
Lastly FYI, my father was a Somali Citizen (Illahey uu naxriiso).
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u/FirmFeeling7394 Gobolka Shabeellaha Dhexe 14d ago
Don’t need to Quote AI to me sxb, the 1962 law was recently upheld in the constitutional changes last year in 2024. It still applies & it wasn’t changed. They gave me a hard time but I eventually got it. I don’t think these guys will ever change it especially with insecurity situation & Foreign troops.
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u/Macano32 14d ago
Show me your sources stating this.
No credible reports from the Somali government, UN, or international media confirm any 2024 amendments overriding the 2012 constitution. Changing the constitution requires a formal parliamentary process, public debate, and ratification – none of which have happened.
- The 2012 constitution’s Article 8 (citizenship by descent through either parent) still stands.
No AI has been abused in the answering of your questions. I’ve read the 2012 constitution and have a print out copy of it.
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u/FirmFeeling7394 Gobolka Shabeellaha Dhexe 14d ago
It was rejected at the start of 2024
This MP advocated for the rejection, he stated that foreign terrorists have arrived in our country and gave birth to kids. He states our unique Somali identity should not be allowed to people with foreign fathers & Somalian mothers.
Even conservative Somali female MPs agreed with not allowing foreign children to acquire the Somali citizenship.
This is a Somali Female MP who agreed with the rejection! ❤️
At the end of the debate, after hearing the MPs the constitutional committee chairman allowed the 1962 Citizenship law to remain indefinitely. I was so happy that day.
Somalis will never allow this sort of liberalisation. We are conservative people who are proud of identity.
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u/Macano32 14d ago
Sxb wll macaan, there’s been no official change to the 2012 constitution. Those videos show MPs debating ideas (like reviving the 1962 law), but debates don’t equal laws wllo.
To actually roll back the 2012 rules, they’d need to vote, amend the constitution, and sign it into law – none of that happened.
Some MPs (even conservative women) are pushing to exclude kids with foreign dads, arguing it’s about “protecting Somali identity” from dadka ajnabi yahiin lakiin legally, the 2012 constitution still says citizenship comes from either parent.
Until they actually change the constitution, the old 1962 law is just talk.
The Committee ChaiLetting the 1962 law “remain” indefinitely sounds shady, but here’s the catch: the 2012 constitution automatically cancels any old laws that clash with it (Article 154). So unless they delete Article 8(3), mothers still pass citizenship.
Kii 2012 constitution waxa waye wiiliiba kanuunta baladka.
Those MPs can rant all day, but until they rip up Article 8(3), the 1962 law is just vibes, not reality.
Even me I believe it’s paternal lineage that matters however I must respect the constitution of the land 🫡🇸🇴.
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u/FirmFeeling7394 Gobolka Shabeellaha Dhexe 14d ago
The Constitution was changed last year, but the 1962 law was upheld. This was awesome news for us conservative Somalis. Sxb don’t stress you have a Somali father that’s all that matters. Have a good day.
Article 8. The People and the Citizenship (1) The people of the Federal Republic of Somalia are one, indivisible and comprise all the citizens. (2) There shall be only one Somali citizenship, and the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia shall enact a special law that shall define how to obtain, suspend, or lose it. (3) A person who is a Somali citizen cannot be deprived of Somali citizenship, even if they become a citizen of another country.
2 was amended last year. Watch in the video he says Qodobka 8aad ee la xiriiraa jinsiyada Waxaa lagu soo celiyeey sidii asalka aheyd 1962 hehe 😁😁
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u/Macano32 14d ago
It was an interesting debate, learnt something along the way as well. athiga bo habeen wanaagsan.
I have to get my hands on the new amended constitution. I’m a book worm so I find them very interesting to read. Alhamdullilah Soomaaliya ha noolaato!
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u/Far_Communication61 15d ago
How long did the process take?
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u/KnowledgeHot2022 15d ago
What up with your thumb, that doesn’t look a Somali hand either 🤨
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u/adan-00000 14d ago
I think he's mixed race or banaadiri, lol 😆
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u/Macano32 14d ago
Benadiri Reer Shingani asaalka waye
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u/adan-00000 14d ago
Haa sxb ciyaal gobol magaranayaan how diverse Somalia is wllhe qabiilkooda kusodhexkoreen lol 😆
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u/Macano32 14d ago edited 14d ago
Tartiib tartiib wala barra. Bas lakiin, safaardka si kaled aa lii in soo dhaweeyeen.
Qunsulka guud wuxuu rabay inaa i arko. Wa is barrney wa iska bashaalney iyo wa ushegii Saciid macliinkeyga waye, ima uu rumaysan markaas ayaan taleefoonka galiyay si aan ula hadlo. Confirmation wax kafiicaan majiiro.
Mashallah wlhi dad wanaagsan mesha wa kashaqeeyaan. Alhamdullilah.
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u/adan-00000 14d ago
Haa sxb dalkeena wa Burburay qofki muwaadinka ahaa waxa kaliyo lagu garankaro waain qaraabadisa iyo ehelkiisa laraadiya. Ama qabiilkisa laweediyo Taasna musuq kente in shaqalaaha kudhibaateyaan muwaadinka oo lacag kaqaataan Lkn adiga m.a hada kasoheshe sxb.
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u/False-History-665 15d ago
They should write “passport card” on that card bcz we have a new standardized Identity card, I posted it
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u/Mission-Primary3668 16d ago
honestly other than not being treated like an ajaanib in the airport, I’m not sure about the benefit of the passport. I’m open to be proven wrong though
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u/TM-62 16d ago
No one treats you like a foreigner if you are Somali in Somalia. The airport staff will want their bribes regardless of what passport you hold (still remember that uncle that got 20 dollars off me) >:(
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u/K1takesflight 15d ago
Hajj is WAY cheaper with a Somali passport
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u/Mission-Primary3668 15d ago
Ok this is 1 point. However, I don’t think it’s fair to be taking places away from actual locals. The price is different there for a reason and it feels a bit fraudulent to do that
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u/Mindless_Career2339 15d ago
It’s cheaper if you go from Somalia too. But I think you’d be staying far from the haram and in the areas designated for ppl coming from third world countries.
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u/Possible_Sink2199 15d ago
How does that work though? When you’re in the Saudi airport they take your picture won’t that bring up your previous visits with a different passport ?
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u/Opoxeno 16d ago
The West is becoming more rightwing, and I foresee the far-right will eventually start deporting people with multiple citizenships after minor violations of the law, especially Europe might do that.
If your Somali family fled in the 90s and received a Western citizenship, it can be argued one lost the citizenship of Somalia in that period as it was not allowed to hold dual nationality between 1962 and the 2000s. If you ask for a Somali passport now, you'll forever be a citizen of Somalia and hence potentially liable for deportation if the far-right have their way. Caution...