The electronic passports will be unveiled at the AU summit in Kigali, Rwanda, later this month, where they will be issued to heads of state and senior officials.
The African union is introducing a common passport that will allow visa free access to all 54 member states. Superseding existing national documents.
The Union aims to distribute them to all African citizens by 2018.
African Union Director for Political Affairs Dr. Khabele Matlosa believes easing access restrictions for travel within the continent will reduce the number of people embarking on dangerous migration routes.
