Research rules
Data protection law in Somalia: registration and research permits
What a survey team needs to know about personal data and survey authorization in Somalia.
Summary for planning; confirm requirements with the regulator before fieldwork.
Status
no law identified
Data protection law
not confirmed (draft data protection law reported)
Survey permits
no formal permit regime confirmed; survey work coordinated with line ministries
National statistics office
No functional NSO (Directorate of National Statistics planned under the statistical system law)
Note
No NSO, no census, and no confirmed data protection law as of retrieval date.
Somalia research rules: common questions
Is there a data protection law in Somalia?
not confirmed (draft data protection law reported).
Do I need a permit to run a survey in Somalia?
no formal permit regime confirmed; survey work coordinated with line ministries.
Sources: the regulator and statistics office pages linked above, retrieved 10 Oct 2026. See our methods.