Kenyan Passport
A Kenyan passport is a travel document that is issued by Kenya‘s government to its citizens, which verifies the identity and nationality of its holder essentially for international travel. The Kenya passport is issued to Kenya citizens in line with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and as provided for in the Kenya Citizens and Immigration Act that commenced on 30 August 2011. In addition, the issuance process is regulated by Legal Notice No. 64.
On August 31, 2017, the government of Kenya rolled out the new generation Kenyan e-passport that is to replace the old ones still in circulation.
The three main differences between the current passport and the e-passport are:
- Colors – navy blue vs sky blue;
- The new generation passport has ‘East African Community’ engraved on it in addition to ‘ Republic of Kenya’ in line with the drive for regional integration; and
- The smaller top right picture on the biodata page of the new generation passport has a map of Kenya engraved on it, unlike the current one which is some random circle.
Kenyan Passport Fees
| Passport Type | Amount (Kshs) |
|---|---|
| 32 Pages Ordinary “A” Series | Kshs. 4,550 |
| 48 pages Ordinary “B” Series | Kshs. 6,050 |
| 64 Pages Ordinary “C” Series | Kshs. 7,550 |
| Diplomatic passport (48 pages) | Kshs 15,000 |
| Mutilated Passport | Kshs 10,050 |
| Replacement of a lost passport: East African Passport Service passport Express passport | Kshs 20,000 Kshs 990 Kshs 6000 Kshs 30,000 |
Kenyan Passport Renewal
The application must be recommended by a citizen of Kenya, who is not a relative of the applicant.
- To renew your passport, login to your eCitizen (or register for an account if you don’t have one already)
- Click on immigration Kenya e-Passport application form Once you get the form, fill it with all the details required. You don’t have to answer the questions at once, but ensure the details are right.
- Choose the mode of payment – The available options include M-Pesa Paybill, mobile money, Airtel Money, debit cards, and credit cards
- Print & download your application form
- Submit the application form
Requirements during submission
- Applicants MUST appear in person for Biometric Enrolment
- An eCitizen pre-filled passport application form and three invoices
- Original birth certificate and one photocopy
- Original National ID Card and one photocopy
- Three current passport-size photos
- One photocopy of the recommender’s ID card
- Old passport for replacement plus photocopies of its last three pages
- Photocopies of parents’ National ID cards (if available) or Death Certificates (if deceased)
- For a lost Passport, an affidavit, a police abstract, and an explanation letter are required
- For a mutilated Passport, an explanation letter is required to explain the circumstances of the mutilation
Kenyan E-Passport
Application For Kenyan Passport
You can apply for a Kenyan passport and pay for it online. You’ll have to print out a form at the end. You must sign and date the form, including any documents or photographs that are mentioned, and return it for processing.
To apply for a Kenyan Passport;
- Login or Register on www.ecitizen.go.ke
- Go to immigration.ecitizen.go.ke and or Department of immigration services and select the passport application form.
- Read the instructions thoroughly then fill the application form.
- Select the mode of payment and pay for the passport fees(The current fees are listed above).
- Download and print the application form and three of the receipts.
- You will then submit the application form in person to the Immigration offices which are located in Nyayo House-Nairobi, Mombasa & Kisumu.
During the submission, the following will be required;
- The eCitizen pre-filled passport application form and three receipts from the application process.
- Original birth certificate and a photocopy of the same.
- Original National ID Card and its copy.
- Three Current passport size photos.
- Recommender’s ID Card copy.
- Consent letter for minors.
- Parents’ National ID cards and their copies.
Kenyan Passport Deadline
The current passport was issued on 1 September 2017 and the old ordinary passport will be phased out by 1 March 2020 and they will be declared unusable and stop being acknowledged as travel documents.
Kenyan Passport Application Form
The official document can be acquired when making an application for a passport on the eCitizen, Immigration portal.
Kenyan Passport Visa-Free Countries
Below is a comprehensive list of the various countries you can travel to with a Kenyan Passport without producing a travel visa. Most of these countries will allow you passage and freedom for a specific duration of time after which you can then obtain a travel visa if you want to prolong your stay. These countries include;
- Antigua and Barbuda – 1 month
- Bahamas – 3 months
- Barbados
- Benin – 3 months
- Botswana – 3 months
- Burundi – 3 months
- Dominica – 21 days
- Ethiopia – 1 year
- Fiji – 4 months
- Gambia – 3 months
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Haiti – 3 months
- Indonesia – 30 days
- Jamaica
- Kiribati – 30 days
- Lesotho – 90 days
- Malawi – 90 days
- Malaysia – 90 days
- Mauritius – 90 days
- Micronesia – 30 days
- Namibia – 90 days
- Panama – 180 days
- Philippines – 30 days
- Rwanda – 6 months
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 month
- Senegal – 90 days
- Singapore – 30 days
- Swaziland – 30 days
- Tanzania – 90 days
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- Vanuatu – 30 days
- Zambia – 90 days
- Zimbabwe – 3 months
- Northern Cyprus
- Palestine
- South Ossetia
- Transnistria
- Hong Kong
- Cook Islands – 31 days
- Niue – 30 days
- The British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn Islands
How To Renew Kenyan Passport In USA
You can apply for a new passport or replace your current passport through the above-mentioned method through the eCitizen portal (www.ecitizen.go.ke). You’ll have to download and print out a form at the end. Then sign and date the form, add the documents and photographs that are required and submit them in person at the Embassy (2249 R Street NW, WASHINGTON DC 20008) for biometric capture. Applicants can pay using mobile money, Credit, Debit Cards or online banking
Kenyan Passport Photo Size
The passport photo must be Coloured, Printed on photo quality paper and 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size.
Kenyan Passport Tracking
After you are done with the application and have submitted the forms what is left is to wait for the passport to be issued, to know if your Passport is ready;
- Login to your eCitizen account (the one you used to make the application) and go to the Immigration services – recent applications, here you will be able to see the status of your application, whether it is accepted, rejected o0r ready for collection.
- Via SMS through the shortcode 2032, to do this write a message with the number you were given at the time of application and send it to the code 2032. You should then receive a text message with the status of your application.
Kenyan Passport Expiry
The New Kenyan passport is valid for ten years from the date it was issued.
Kenyan Passport For Under 18
To apply for a minor’s passport the following is required;
- Original birth certificate and photocopy
- Three passport-size photos
- Consent letter for minors
- Parents National ID cards and copy.
- Recommender’s ID Card copy (This can be a church leader or lawyer etc.)
- An eCitizen pre-filled passport application form and three receipts. (You’ll get this after completing the online application)
The application process is shown above, and the only differences are that you will have to use your own eCitizen account and not the minors, and in the application, you will have to go to the Passport Application for Minor section.
Types of passports in Kenya
Ordinary passport
This is the most common type of passport for Kenyan citizens, valid for 10 years. It comes in three series: A, B, and C, which differ in page size.
Diplomatic passport
This passport is issued to Kenyan diplomats, senior government officials, and their families. It’s correspondingly issued to citizens who live in another country and are eligible for diplomatic status. Diplomatic passports are valid for up to 10 years for adults and up to 5 years for children.
East African passport
This passport is valid for six months and allows Kenyans to travel within the East African Community. It’s functional for multiple entries into Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.