Somaliland citizenship law (Law No. 22/2002)

What is the law?

The Somaliland Citizenship Law, Law No. 22/2002, sets out who is a citizen of Somaliland. The House of Representatives passed it on 1 March 2002 and the President signed it on 3 June 2002 (Somaliland Citizenship Law, annotated translation by Ibrahim Hashi Jama, Somalilandlaw.com). It carries out Article 4 of the Somaliland constitution, approved by referendum on 31 May 2001, which says descendants of people living in Somaliland on 26 June 1960 or earlier "shall be recognised as a Somaliland citizen" (same source).

Somaliland is not recognised by most states, so this citizenship works mainly inside its territory and for its own documents. See Somaliland passport.

What came before it?

• Under British rule: people of the Somaliland Protectorate were "British Protected Persons" under Orders in Council of 1934 and 1949 (Somalilandlaw.com).
• 1960: on 23 June 1960 the Legislative Council passed the Somaliland Nationality and Citizenship Ordinance (Ordinance No. 15 of 1960). It took effect at independence on 26 June 1960. Every Somali with no other nationality who was born in the territory, or whose father was born there, became a citizen (Section 3). A "Somali" was "any person whose mother tongue is the Somali language and who follows Somali customs" (same source).
• 1960 to 1991: the Act of Union made citizens of Somaliland and Somalia citizens of the Somali Republic. Somalia's Citizenship Law No. 28 of 1962 then applied. See Somali citizenship law.
• 1991 onward: on 18 May 1991 Somaliland declared it was restoring its independence. A National Charter (1993) and an Interim Constitution (1997) came before the 2001 constitution (Somalilandlaw.com).

Who is a citizen by birth?

Article 2 (Somalilandlaw.com):

• By descent through the father: anyone whose father descends from people who lived in Somaliland on 26 June 1960 or before.
• Dual citizenship: a citizen by birth may take another country's citizenship without losing Somaliland citizenship.
• Those abroad: an adult child of a Somaliland citizen living abroad, as a citizen of another country or as a refugee, can take up Somaliland citizenship on first return.

How do you prove it?

Article 3 sets the proof (Somalilandlaw.com):

• a declaration made in court by the akil (clan elder) of the person's community, who must be registered with the Ministry of Interior; and
• a form from the Citizenship Office, signed by the person.

The Ministry of Interior records each confirmation, and the chair of the region signs it.

Can a foreigner become a citizen?

Yes, under Article 4. The applicant must (Somalilandlaw.com):

1. be an adult;
2. have lived lawfully in Somaliland for at least 10 unbroken years;
3. be of good character, with no criminal conviction and no activity against Somaliland's sovereignty;
4. have paid tax while living there;
5. renounce their previous citizenship and take the oath in Article 6.

A child of a Somaliland mother with no known father can apply under the same conditions. The President grants citizenship by decree, on the advice of the National Citizenship Committee of 12 ministers, chaired by the Minister of Interior (Article 5).

Marriage and children

• A foreign woman who marries a Somaliland man becomes a citizen and keeps it after divorce (Article 9.1).
• A Somaliland woman who marries a foreign man loses citizenship if she takes his citizenship (Article 9.2).
• Children under the age of majority follow their father when he gains, loses or regains citizenship (Article 10).
• Foundlings born in Somaliland whose parents are unknown can be confirmed as citizens, on request of their carers (Article 11).

(All from Somalilandlaw.com.)

Can citizenship be lost?

Under Article 7, citizenship can be lost if a person gives it up and takes another citizenship, or serves a foreign government or army in a way that harms Somaliland's sovereignty and refuses to leave that service in time. Citizenship granted under Article 4 can also be withdrawn. A former citizen can regain it under the Article 4 conditions, by presidential decree (Article 8) (Somalilandlaw.com).

How does it work alongside Somali citizenship?

Norway's country-information unit notes that Somaliland citizenship is defined by territory, not ethnicity, and that many Somalilanders also hold Somali passports (Landinfo, 30 Sep 2021). Somalia counts people from Somaliland as Somali citizens (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, 2018).

Related pages

• Somaliland, 1991 to 2026
• Somaliland institutions