A digital revolution in official documents: South Sudan accelerates the issuance of passports and national identity cards.

Amnia Hassan wrote: The General Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration launched in  South Sudan A package of technological updates aimed at speeding up the issuance of passports and national identity cards, and reducing waiting periods that have burdened citizens for years.

A broader plan to enhance the efficiency of government services

This step comes as part of a broader plan to enhance the efficiency of government services in  South Sudan Through digitization and expanding access to identity services in various states.

Modern equipment and field deployment

According to Major General Ilya Costa Faustino, the Director General of the Administration, the institution received five advanced production machines: two for printing passports and three for producing national identity cards. Additionally, 100 mobile registration units were provided for distribution to the states, enabling services to be offered closer to citizens and reducing pressure on the central office.

Electronic link reduces travel to the capital

The new system relies on electronically linking state offices to the headquarters in Juba, which speeds up data transfer and enables some transactions to be completed locally without requiring citizens to travel to the capital. This connection is expected to directly improve processing speed, data accuracy, and data integrity.

Abundance of materials and handling of accumulations

The administration noted a significant improvement in the supply of official documents, with the receipt of 100,000 citizenship cards and anticipation of additional shipments of passport booklets. This has helped reduce the backlog of applications that accumulated during the past year.

Delivery within two days instead of weeks

The administration confirms that some documents are now delivered within a day or two of completing the procedures, compared to wait times that previously stretched to weeks or months. This improvement reflects the impact of technological upgrades and the distribution of service points across the states.

Electricity challenges and fixed fees

Despite progress, frequent power outages in Juba remain a challenge affecting the continuous operation of essential services. Meanwhile, authorities announced they will maintain the current fees of 15,000 South Sudanese pounds for a citizenship certificate and $100 for a regular passport, with a possible review in the next budget.

Towards an integrated digital identity

These steps represent a fundamental building block in the path of building a modern digital identity system that supports administrative and banking transactions and facilitates the lives of citizens inside and outside the country, through faster and more reliable services.