Register as a Kenyan citizen (by marriage or long residence)
Directorate of Immigration Services · sources read 30 Sep 2026
Apply on the eFNS portal, then take the printed form (attested by a Commissioner for Oaths) and documents to Nyayo House. You qualify after at least 7 years of marriage to a Kenyan citizen, or 7 years of continuous lawful residence.
- Fee
- KSh 20,000Application fee: citizenship by marriageKSh 50,000Issuance: by marriage, East AfricansKSh 100,000Issuance: by marriage, non-East AfricansKSh 20,000Application fee: lawful residentsKSh 1,000,000Issuance: lawful residents
- Where
- Online on the eFNS portal (Directorate of Immigration Services), then in person at the Immigration counter, Nyayo House, Nairobi
What you need
- Completed application form (Form 8 or Form 10) attested by a Commissioner for Oaths, plus the questionnaire
- 2 passport-size photos
- Original certificate of good conduct
- Copy of your passport
- By marriage: copy of the marriage certificate
- By marriage: a joint sworn affidavit
- By marriage: copy of your Kenyan spouse's passport or ID
- By residence: copies of the permits you held for the last 7 years
- By residence: a letter showing your contribution to national development
- By residence: your personal bank statement
Steps
- Create a Government of Kenya single sign-on account and use it to log in to the eFNS portal (fns.immigration.go.ke).
- Under "Submit Applications", pick Citizenship by Marriage (or Lawful Residence) and fill in the form.
- Print the form and questionnaire, and get the form attested by a Commissioner for Oaths.
- Take the printed application and all the documents to the Immigration counter at Nyayo House, Nairobi.
- Pay when the invoice appears under Dashboard > Payments on eFNS. You get progress updates by email and in your account.
Watch out
- The registration fee is not refunded if you are turned down.
- A marriage entered into just to get citizenship or immigration status does not qualify.
- Incomplete applications are not accepted, so bring every document on the list.
Who can apply
- Foreigners married to a Kenyan citizen for at least 7 years (Form 8).
- The marriage must still be going on when you apply.
- Foreigners who have lived in Kenya lawfully for a continuous 7 years (Form 10).
- Long-term residents must understand and speak Kiswahili or a local language.
Official sources (6)
- Citizenship by Marriage - Form 8 immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Lawful Residents - Form 10 immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Citizenship by Marriage - eFNS Information Pack fns.immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Lawful Residents - eFNS Information Pack fns.immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Directorate of Immigration Services Delivery Charter 2025 immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Foreign Nationals Services (eFNS) fns.immigration.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026