L-R: Head of Sales, Ebuka Oguno, Executive Director, Frank Atube, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Benin, Shegun Adjadi Bakari, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thierry Ahouassou and Legal Lead, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Benin, Roméo Hounkponou at the launch recently.
Seamfix, a provider of digital identity and biometric solutions supporting institutions across Africa and globally, has announced the launch of ePass, a self-service digital passport renewal application developed for citizens of the Republic of Benin. The application is powered by GovSmart, Seamfix's government digital identity and service delivery platform, and was delivered in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Benin.
The ePass application enables Beninese citizens living abroad to apply for and renew their international passports fully online, without visiting embassies or consular offices. Launched globally in October, the service is now accessible in over 80 countries. Through a secure mobile application, eligible citizens can complete their passport renewal from their homes, submit biometric data, upload required documents, make payments, track application status in real time, and receive their renewed passports via courier delivery or embassy pickup.
The solution was delivered through close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Direction de l'émigration et l'immigration (DEI BENIN) and is now fully operational, with growing adoption across diaspora communities.
"At Seamfix, our goal is simple: enabling people to securely prove who they are so they can access the opportunities they deserve. With ePass, distance is no longer a barrier to trusted identification or access to essential government services. Our UK-based operations, with direct access to global banking and payment infrastructure, allow us to support governments and citizens seamlessly across Africa and globally. By eliminating the need for long-distance travel, time away from work or school, and extended embassy visits for biometric capture, ePass expands equal access to public services and reinforces every individual's right to their identity," the group CEO of Seamfix, Chimezie Emewulu said.
The application addresses long-standing challenges faced by diaspora populations, including long travel distances, embassy congestion, and extended processing times. The platform introduces a fully digital experience that allows users to renew adult and minor passports remotely, capture biometric data using personal mobile devices with built-in liveness checks, submit documents securely, make payments online and track applications from submission through production. Once approved, passports are produced by the relevant government authority and delivered directly to applicants, eliminating the need for in-person embassy visits.
While ePass was launched for the Republic of Benin, Seamfix views the deployment as a model for other governments seeking to modernize passport and identity services for citizens living abroad.
"GovSmart provides governments with a scalable foundation for secure digital service delivery. The ePass deployment demonstrates how digital identity systems can be designed to meet national requirements while remaining secure, inclusive, and scalable. It shows that governments can modernize critical citizen services without compromising control, compliance, or future expansion," the Chief Operating Officer of Seamfix, Frank Atube said.