The government recently launched e-passport centres in six countries to serve Kenyans in the diaspora.
The centres are in Washington DC, China, France, UAE, the UK and South Africa. Kenyans can now apply or renew their passports in the countries listed.
Requirements
The application, renewal and replacement of passports are done online. The passport type determines the amount you’ll pay.
An applicant for East African passport pays Sh990 and Sh12,050 for replacement.
One has to submit the files personally to the Immigration offices at either Nyayo House in Nairobi or Mombasa and Kisumu.
Applying for a new passport will require one's original identity card and those of their parents’ together with one's original birth certificate and photocopies. If replacing, your old passport will be required.
The old passports are valid until August 31, this year. The US Embassy in Nairobi disallows visa applications without a digital passport.
In previous tweets, the embassy said that while Kenyans can make an appointment with their old passports, they would be required to have the new e-passport before a visa can be issued.
All public servants had been directed to acquire e-passports by March 1. In a September circular, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua said the initiative was announced in 2016. The e-passport was launched in 2017.
Kenyan passport holders had been given a grace period of two years to comply. “The current passports will cease to be valid travel documents with effect from September 1,” Kinyua said.
The deadline was extended from March 1 due to poor uptake.
Kenyans had bashed the Immigration Department for its requirement of a recommender's ID when applying for a new e-passport. They termed it irrelevant.
Passports should be ready after about 15 working days of a successful application.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
