News Ethiopia to Start Printing Passports locally
By Sisay Sahlu
February 22, 2025
-Issuance of new passports commenced
Ethiopia’s Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) announced it will start producing electronic passports locally starting October 2025. This will end the trend of ordering passport printing abroad.
Ethiopia officially launched its first electronic passport (e-passport) at an event held this Friday at the Science Museum. The new passport initiative is a collaborative effort by ICS, Ethiopian Investment Holding (EIH), Toppan Security Share Company, and Toppan Gravity Ethiopia (TGE), a joint venture formed by the Ethiopian government and a Japanese conglomerate.
The electronic passport was launched in the presence of Ethiopia’s top officials, including President Taye Atskesilasse, the Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the Speaker of the House of Federation, and many other officials. He praised the new designed passport will increase Ethiopians’ travel document quality standard and increase exposure.
During his address at the launch, the President urged a bold change in solving issues related to passport issuance. In recent times, there have been numerous complaints regarding ICS’s service delivery quality, delays, fraud, and abuse, which were also linked to maladministration within its office.
According to ICS officials, their office has already reserved over 1.5 million passport booklets. Until the nation begins printing passports domestically starting October 2025, these existing booklets will be utilized. Installation of factories is underway. But for now new passports are imported, according to sources.
It is indicated that the new scheme, besides addressing the security gap with improved measures, also offers the benefit of faster processing with internationally recognized standards. This could enhance the travel experience for Ethiopians while strengthening global recognition and border control. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICS, Selamawit Dawit, emphasized the new passport’s impact on immigration and national security, calling it a game changer. She claims it is a testament to the commitment to advancing strategic national projects that drive modernization and efficiency.
It is worth noting that ICS has revised the cost of renewing a passport to 5,000 birr (or 20,000 birr for expedited service), while fees for corrections to old passports or replacements have jumped to over 40,000 birr. However, there is no additional cost increase for the new passport.