Official Stationery & Correspondence | Somaliland Government Brand

Overview

Ministries and government institutions correspond using a standardised letterhead, a fixed reference and date format, and business cards that carry the institution’s official identity.

This section sets out the approved format for each, so official correspondence is instantly recognisable regardless of which institution issues it.

Official Letterhead

The official letterhead of ministries and government institutions is standardised: the National Emblem appears at the upper-left edge, with the country name (Republic of Somaliland) and the ministry or institution’s name to its right, written in Somali, Arabic, and English from top to bottom. The footer carries the institution’s address, phone numbers, and email within a band using its assigned colour.

Institutions with their own legally established logo use the National Emblem and this same letterhead format, with their own logo placed additionally at the upper-right edge, without accompanying text.

Letter References & Dates

Every official letter from a ministry or government institution carries a reference and a date, placed on separate lines below the letterhead, with the reference above the date.

The reference (‘Tixraac’, abbreviated ‘Tix’) follows one fixed structure, in this order:

Country code — Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland (Republic of Somaliland): JSL
Abbreviated Somali name of the ministry or institution (example: Ministry of the Presidency — WM)
Office issuing the letter — for example, Minister: XW; Deputy Minister: XWK; Director-General: XAGG
Sequential letter number (example: /015)
Full four-digit year (example: 2026)
The Office of the President is abbreviated ‘XM’, and the Office of the Vice-President ‘XMK’
The date (‘Taariikh’) is abbreviated ‘Taar’ and written Day/Month/Year

Below the reference and date appear the addressee, the subject (‘Uj’), and the body of the letter. The letter closes with the name and title of the responsible official, their signature, and the seal where required.

Business Cards

Business cards for officials and staff are standardised and consistent with the visual identity of the institution they represent.

Each card contains: the National Emblem, the institution’s name, the person’s name, official title, work telephone number, official email address, and institutional address where relevant. Colour and design must match the institution’s official colours.