Systems and standards
ICAO PKD and ePassports in Africa
Short answer
- African PKD participants
- 22 states on the ICAO list, accessed 24 October 2026 1
- First African participant
- Nigeria, 13 April 2009 1
- Most recent African participant
- Malawi, 31 July 2025 1
- Regional body listed
- Southern African Development Community, 27 March 2024 1
- ePassport issuers worldwide
- More than 140 States and non-state entities 3
- Document standard
- ICAO Doc 9303, Part 9 covers biometrics and electronic data storage 4
What the PKD does
ICAO describes the PKD as a central repository for exchanging the information required to authenticate electronic Machine Readable Travel Documents. It names ePassports, electronic ID cards and Visible Digital Seals 2.
Validation means checking the authenticity and integrity of an ePassport by checking the digital signature on its chip. The receiving State's border control needs information from the issuing State to do this. ICAO says the PKD acts as a central broker, so States do not need bilateral exchanges 2.
The certificates behind an ePassport
- Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA). Each issuing State has one as its national trust point. Its certificates are typically valid for 3 to 5 years 3.
- Document Signer Certificate (DSC). It carries what is needed to verify a passport's signature. ICAO best practice limits use to 3 months or 100,000 documents, whichever comes first 3.
- Certificate Revocation List (CRL). It lists a State's revoked certificates and must be reissued every 90 days, even when nothing is revoked 3.
- Master List. A signed list of CSCA certificates that a participant uploads to the PKD for others to download 3.
African participants and joining dates
The table copies the African states on the ICAO participant list in the order of joining. The list carries no publication date and was read on 24 October 2026 1.
| State | Joined the PKD |
|---|---|
| Nigeria 1 | 13 April 2009 1 |
| Morocco 1 | 29 December 2010 1 |
| Seychelles 1 | 14 March 2014 1 |
| Benin 1 | 3 March 2016 1 |
| Botswana 1 | 5 April 2016 1 |
| Mali 1 | 28 June 2018 1 |
| Cote d'Ivoire 1 | 19 July 2018 1 |
| Uganda 1 | 12 June 2019 1 |
| Egypt 1 | 9 August 2019 1 |
| Tanzania 1 | 20 November 2019 1 |
| Togo 1 | 2 July 2020 1 |
| Rwanda 1 | 23 July 2020 1 |
| Sudan 1 | 12 January 2021 1 |
| Lesotho 1 | 21 April 2021 1 |
| Ghana 1 | 13 October 2021 1 |
| Cameroon 1 | 15 June 2022 1 |
| Zimbabwe 1 | 27 July 2022 1 |
| Kenya 1 | 7 December 2022 1 |
| Namibia 1 | 23 August 2023 1 |
| Ethiopia 1 | 1 November 2024 1 |
| Angola 1 | 28 November 2024 1 |
| Malawi 1 | 31 July 2025 1 |
Who is not on the list
On 24 October 2026 the ICAO list did not include South Africa, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Zambia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Madagascar, among others 1.
Absence from the PKD list does not show that a country issues no ePassports. It shows only that the State is not a PKD participant on the date the list was read. States can exchange CSCA certificates bilaterally, as ICAO notes 3.
How to read the standard
ICAO publishes Doc 9303 in 13 parts. Part 4 covers passports, Part 9 covers biometric identification and electronic data storage, Part 11 covers security mechanisms and Part 13 covers Visible Digital Seals 4.
ICAO says more than 140 States and non-state entities, such as the UN and EU, issue ePassports, and more than 1 billion are in circulation 3.
Common questions
How many African countries are in the ICAO PKD?
22 African states appeared on the ICAO participant list read on 24 October 2026 1.
Is South Africa an ICAO PKD participant?
South Africa was not on the ICAO participant list read on 24 October 2026 1.
When did Kenya join the ICAO PKD?
The ICAO list gives 7 December 2022 for Kenya 1.
What does a country gain from joining the PKD?
It can upload its own certificates and download those of other participants instead of exchanging them one country at a time 2.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].
Sources
Related
- What is border management technology?
Plain definitions of the systems African states use at borders: ePassports and the ICAO PKD, MIDAS, API and PNR, e-visas, ETAs and e-gates.
- E-gates in Africa
Public records on automated border gates at African airports: Nigeria's rollout, South Africa's airport eGates and Sierra Leone's Lungi equipment.
- Nigeria border technology
Nigeria's ICAO PKD membership, IOM MIDAS, e-gates, the e-visa and landing card, and NIS border system training, from public records.
- Kenya border technology
How Kenya's Electronic Travel Authorisation started in January 2024, the US$30 fee, who is exempt and what changed in 2025, with sources.
- Morocco border technology
Morocco's eVisa on acces-maroc.ma since July 2022 and the automatic passport gates at Mohammed V airport since March 2025, with sources.