Kenyan passports are applied for online through eCitizen and then completed in person, where your photo and fingerprints are taken. The same process is used for a first passport and a renewal.

The fee

At the time of writing, eCitizen offers only the 66-page ordinary passport, at KES 12,500. The cheaper 34-page and 50-page booklets have been withdrawn. The fee on your eCitizen invoice is the one that counts.

Documents

For a first adult passport:

  • National ID or Maisha Card (both sides, scanned).
  • Birth certificate.
  • A recent passport-size photo with a white background.
  • A recommender’s details and ID - a Kenyan citizen who has known you, such as a professional, civil servant or religious leader, as listed on the form.
  • Your parents’ IDs or death certificates, where the form asks.

For a renewal, add your current or old passport. If it was lost or stolen, you also need a police abstract - see Reporting a crime and lost documents.

Step by step

  1. Log in to eCitizen and open the Department of Immigration Services.
  2. Choose Passports, then Kenyan passport and the type you need.
  3. Fill in the form and upload the documents.
  4. Pay the fee by M-Pesa or card.
  5. Book an appointment at a passport office for your biometrics.
  6. Go to the appointment with the originals of everything you uploaded, and the printed application.

Where to go in Nairobi

The main passport office is at Nyayo House, at the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway. Passport services are also offered at some Huduma Centres. Arrive early and do not accept offers from people outside to “help” with your application - staff inside can answer questions for free.

How long it takes

Processing is often around two to four weeks, but backlogs happen. You get an SMS when the passport is ready, and you collect it in person with your ID and the old passport if renewing. Do not book non-refundable travel until the passport is in your hand.

Children

Children’s passports are applied for by a parent on eCitizen. You need the child’s birth certificate, both parents’ IDs, photos of the child, and the parents’ consent. The child attends the appointment. Where one parent cannot sign, bring a court order or a death certificate as appropriate.

Kenyans abroad

Kenyans abroad also apply on eCitizen and choose the embassy or high commission where they will submit biometrics and collect. See Kenyans abroad.

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