Juba passport services resume after shortages
South Sudan’s Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration (DNPI) says it has resumed issuing passports and nationality documents after months of shortages, with priority for students and patients seeking treatment abroad.
Speaking to journalists in Juba on Friday, DNPI Director General Maj. Gen. Elia Kosta Faustino said new stocks have arrived, covering regular, diplomatic and official passports, alongside nationality certificates and national identity cards.
DNPI sets priority groups for new passport issuance
Elia said the first phase will focus on students on foreign scholarships, South Sudanese whose passports expired while they were abroad, and patients referred for medical treatment outside the country.
Students will need official confirmation from the Ministry of Higher Education, according to Elia. He added that applications for South Sudanese abroad will be handled through the country’s embassies, while patients must present medical referral documents.
Supplier contract aims to stabilise passport booklet supply
DNPI said issuance will later expand to the general public, depending on availability. Elia also stated shortages should not recur after a contract was signed with a supplier to ensure continuous provision of passport booklets and cards.
Personal ID cards positioned for banking and legal services
DNPI also announced the resumption of personal identity card issuance, known as Butaka Shakhsia. Elia said this personal ID, rather than the nationality certificate known as Jinsia, will now be required for services such as banking, land transactions and court processes.
“The nationality only proves that you are a South Sudanese, but the personal ID contains full personal details,” Elia said. He added that new personal ID cards will be issued only to adults aged 18 and above.
Foreigners’ registration plan linked to SIM-based residency checks
Elia also outlined plans for nationwide registration of foreigners in South Sudan using a SIM-card-based system. Under the plan, residency permits would be linked to mobile phone usage, and SIM cards would expire automatically once permits lapse.
Current stocks and processing timelines shared by DNPI
According to DNPI, it currently holds 10,050 regular passports, 4,404 diplomatic passports, 2,810 official passports, 27,592 special passports, about 35,000 nationality certificates and 380,000 personal ID cards.
Elia said processing of personal ID cards will take no more than two days once applications are completed. He also said students who already applied will be assigned specific days to collect their passports.
Police leadership welcomes return of passport and ID services
Inspector General of the South Sudan National Police Service Gen. Said Shawul Lom welcomed the renewed issuance, saying prolonged shortages had affected students, elderly people and travellers, with some missing university opportunities and family reunions.
He thanked President Salva Kiir for supporting the passport administration, which he said enabled the availability of passports, nationality certificates and personal IDs.
Officials stress citizenship documentation as a sovereign right
Shawul said nationality is a sovereign right that confirms citizenship and supports access to employment, land ownership and political participation.
He added that all categories of passports, including regular, diplomatic, official, special and commercial, are now available, urging citizens to safeguard documents he described as essential for identification, banking and legal processes.