In the name of the People

Whereas the President of the Presidency Council

- In view of the Agreenent establishing the Yemeni Republic.

- In view ot the Constitution of the Yemeni Republic

Whereas the Council of Deputies and the Council of the Presidency did adopt,

The President of the Presidency Council does hereby promulgate the Law, of which the following is the text:

Article (1)

Passports issued by the Yemeni Republic shall be as follows:

1 - Diplomatic

2 - Special

3 - Service

4 - Ordinary

Article (2)

The Foreign Ministry shall be charged with the issuing of Diplomatic, Special and Service Passports. The relevant Law shall apecity the format, content, and procedure of issue for each passport.

Article (3)

The Ministry of the Interior and its departments in the governorates shall be charged with the issue and renewal of ordinary passports. They are also responsible for the issue of the following travel documents:

1 - Special travel documents to Yemeni Republic nationals going on pilgrimage to God's Holy Sanctuary.

2 - Emergency travel documents to Yemeni Republic Nationals.

3 - Nationality and Identity Certificates to sailors and skippers who are Yemeni subjects and who work at sea.

4 - Special sailor cards and travel permits for Yemeni Republic working in the field of fishing on Yemeni Republic Maritime lines and on board sailboats and small motor boats plying the territorial waters of neighbouring countries.

5 - Travel and exit permits to Arabs and foreigners resident in the Yemeni Republic who are subjects of countries ,.which have no diplomatic representation in the Yemeni Republic. The permits are issued at the request of such persons or for inability to obtain renewal for their expired or lost passports.

Article (4)

Ordinary passports shall be valid for eight years. They may be renewed only once after four years. The format and colour of passports and other travel documents provided for in Article (3) above shall be decided by the Minister. The Minister shall also decide on particulars to be included in them, on other relevant details, and on procedures for their issue. A special Law shall determine fees and partial and total exemption thereof.

Article (5)

Ordinary Passports and travel documents listed in Article (3) shall be issued in the name of the Yemeni Republic upon authorization from the Minister of the Interior by the following:

1 - The Department of Immigration, Passports, and Nationality and its branches in the governorates.

2- The Embassies and Consulates of the Yemeni Republic abroad.

Article (6)

Passports and travel documents provided for in paragraphs (1-4) of Article (3) shall be issued to all Yemeni Republic nationals who have attained the age of sixteen. Minors shall be included in the passport of either parent in whose company the minor is travelling. Passports may be issued to minors where necessary and following the approval of the guardian.

Article (7)

Travel and exit permits, provided for in paragraph (5) of Article (3) to Arabs and foreigners resident in the Republic whose countries have no diplomatic representation in the Yemeni Republic, shall be issued upon the request of such persons or for inability to obtain renewal of their expired or lost passports.

Article (8)

In the case of loss, the holder of a passport shall be responsible for reporting its loss to the Department of Immigration and Passports, or any one of its branches in the governorates to the nearest police station or Yemeni consulate or Embassy abroad within 48 hours at most from the discovery of its loss.

Article (9)

On finding a lost passport, its holder shall inform the Department of Immigration, Passports and Nationality or any of its breeches in the governorates or the nearest police station or Yemeni Consulate or Embassy abroad within 48 hours at most.

Article (10)

All holders of the nationality of the Yemeni Republic shall have the right to leave the territory of the Republic and to return to it if they possess passports or travel documents issued in accordance with this Law.

Minors travelling in the company of either parent shall be exempted provided they are entered in the passport of the travelling parent, without prejudice to the provisions of Article (6) above.

Article (11)

All Yemeni nationality holders shall have the right to leave and return to Yemeni territory from points designated for this purpose upon permission by the official in charge who shall stamp the passport or the travel document accordingly.

Article (12)

The Head of the Department of Immigration, Passports and Nationality shall, acting on an order issued by the Attorney General or by the courts, withhold permission for a person to leave the country. In such case, the Immigration Officer shall inform the person concerned of the matter and, should the passport or travel document carry a stamp authorizing departure, he shall have the right to cancel it.

Article (13)

Any person prevented from travelling in accordance with Article (12) shall have the right to appeal the ban decision to the Attorney General.

Article (14)

Any person who destroys his Yemeni passport, whether he obtained it free of charge or not, shall be liable to the payment of a fine that does not exceed the cost of the passport in value. In case of loss, the fine is raised to double the cost of the passport:

Article (15)

The Minister of the Interior shall issue the necessery decision designating the points of entry to and exit from the Yemeni Republic.

Article (16)

Any person who knowingly makes false statements, or submits inaccurate documents to the competent authorities for the purpose of facilitating, for himself or for others, the acquisition of a document or a visa that would allow him to leave the Republic, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment for no more then one year or to a fine of no more than ten thounsand ryals.

Article (17)

All other texts in conflict with this law or in contradiction with its provisions shall be void.

Article (18)

The Minister of the Interior is charged with the issue of the by-laws for this Law which shall not conflict with its provisions.

Article (19)

The Law shall be published in the Officia1 Gazette and shall enter into force as of the date of its promulgation.

The Presidency Council, Sanaa,

5 Safar, 1411 H

26 August, 1990 AD

L/t. General

Ali Abdulla Saleh

President ot the Presidency Council

Comments:
This is an unofficial translation.
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.