Get a seafarer's discharge book (CDC) and seafarer ID
Kenya Maritime Authority · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Apply to KMA with your valid basic STCW certificates, a copy of your ID or passport, 2 white-background passport photos and the filled form. A CDC costs USD 20 and takes about 7 days; once you have it, a valid STCW certificate and a Kenyan passport, you can apply for a Kenyan Seafarers' Identity Document.
- Fee
- A seafarer's discharge book (CDC) costs USD 20.
- How long
- About 7 days for a CDC
- Where
- Kenya Maritime Authority (Registrar of Seafarers), Bahari Towers, Mbaraki Road, Mombasa. Forms and notices are on KMA's Seafarer's Hub.
What you need
- Valid basic STCW certificates
- Photocopy of your national ID or passport
- Two passport-size photos with a white background
- The filled CDC application form
- For the seafarer ID: national ID, valid Kenyan passport, your CDC, valid STCW safety training certificate and proof of fee payment
Steps
- First complete basic STCW safety training so you hold valid basic STCW certificates.
- Get the CDC application form from KMA (kma.go.ke lists it under Services) and fill it in.
- Submit the form with your documents to KMA and pay USD 20. The CDC takes about 7 days.
- With your CDC, apply to KMA for a Kenyan Seafarers' Identity Document using the prescribed form and pay the fee (USD 20 for a first SID).
Watch out
- Lost your CDC? You need a police abstract and a photocopy of the lost book, and replacement costs USD 25.
- Fees are in US dollars: SID first application USD 20, renewal USD 20, replacement USD 25.
- The seafarer ID is valid for 5 years from the date of issue, so note when to renew it.
Who can apply
- CDC: Kenyan citizens aged 18 and above who hold valid basic STCW certificates.
- Seafarer ID (SID): Kenyan seafarers with a valid CDC, a valid STCW safety training certificate and a valid Kenyan passport.
Official sources (3)
- KMA English Citizens' Service Delivery Charter, July 2026 kma.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- The Merchant Shipping (Kenyan Seafarers' Identity Document) Regulations, Legal Notice 174 of 2022 (Kenya Law revised edition) kma.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Kenya Maritime Authority homepage kma.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026