Register a customary marriage
Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Apply on eCitizen with your IDs and photos (plus a Chief's letter and witnesses' IDs for a new marriage), then both of you attend an interview with the Registrar and pay KSh 3,900. A new customary marriage must be registered within 6 months.
- Fee
- KSh 3,900Registration of a customary marriage (new or existing)
- How long
- Within 14 days of paying the fee
- Deadline
- A new customary marriage must be registered within 6 months of the marriage.
- Deadline
- Place the notice within 3 months of finishing the customary steps that make you husband and wife.
- Where
- Online on eCitizen (Nairobi County), then an in-person interview with the Registrar of Marriages. Elsewhere: your District / Sub-County Commissioner's office, or the Registrar of Marriages in Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Embu, Meru, Kisii or Machakos
What you need
- Copy of national ID or valid passport for each of you
- One coloured passport-size photo each
- New marriage: copies of the IDs of witnesses who were at the ceremony
- New marriage: a letter from the Chief confirming the customary marriage took place
Steps
- Fill in the online application on eCitizen and upload your documents.
- For a new marriage, your notice is displayed for 14 days before you can go on.
- Both of you book an appointment on eCitizen and go to the Registrar of Marriages with your original documents for an interview. For an existing marriage, do this within 7 days of applying.
- Once approved, pay KSh 3,900 on eCitizen. The registration is done within 14 days of payment.
Watch out
- If you already had a civil or Christian wedding, you can't register the same marriage as customary.
- Online marriage services are only for Nairobi County. Outside Nairobi, go to your Sub-County Commissioner's office or a regional Registrar of Marriages.
Who can apply
- Kenyans who have done the necessary rituals under African customary law
- Couples married under the customs of one or both partners' communities
- You must not already be in a civil or Christian marriage
Official sources (2)
- Registration of New and Existing Marriages statelaw.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Getting Married in Kenya statelaw.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026