Apply for a Kenyan e-passport (first time)
Directorate of Immigration Services · sources read 30 Sep 2026
Apply and pay on eCitizen, book an appointment, then take your original ID and birth certificate to your chosen passport centre for biometrics. The passport is usually ready in about 14 working days.
- Fee
- KSh 7,550Ordinary passport, 34 pages (A series)KSh 9,550Ordinary passport, 50 pages (B series)KSh 12,050Ordinary passport, 66 pages (C series)
- How long
- About 14 working days
- Where
- Online on eCitizen (Directorate of Immigration Services), then in person at a passport centre
What you need
- Printed application form (Form 19) and 2 payment invoices from eCitizen
- Your original national ID card and a copy (adults)
- Your original birth certificate and a copy (citizens by birth)
- For a child: a filled consent form
- For a child: copies of the parents' ID cards (or death certificates where applicable)
Steps
- Log in to eCitizen (dis.ecitizen.go.ke), fill in the passport application, upload your documents and pay the fee for the page count you want.
- Book an appointment on eCitizen and pick a passport centre: Nairobi (Nyayo House), Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, Embu, Kisii, Kericho or Bungoma.
- On the appointment day, go in person with the printed form, invoices and your original documents to submit and have your photo and fingerprints taken.
- When you get a notice that the passport is ready, collect it at the same centre with your invoice and original ID (original birth certificate for a child).
Watch out
- Your name and date of birth must match on your ID and birth certificate. If they don't, fix it first at Civil Registration or NRB.
- You collect the passport only from the centre where you did biometrics, so choose a centre you can easily get back to.
- For a child, a biological parent (or a court-appointed guardian) must apply and bring the child for biometrics.
Who can apply
- Kenyan citizens. The e-passport is valid for 10 years.
Official sources (6)
- Passports immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Application Requirements immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Directorate of Immigration Services Delivery Charter 2025 immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- FAQs immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Passport collection immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Kenya Citizenship and Immigration - eCitizen dis.ecitizen.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026