After protracted delays, the government finally rolled out the new generation e-Passports in September 2017. These new digital passports bear an electronic chip making them more secure.
In addition to this, the passport bears the East African Community title on the front face of the booklet and will have a new passport number.
Initially, the government had ambitiously set to have all the old passport holders upgrade to the new e-passport in two years (i.e. by August 2019).
However, this deadline got pushed first to 1st March 2020 then later got extended to March 2021. This likewise never materialized, and a new deadline of 31st December 2021 was announced.
Kenyans will therefore be able to travel with their old passports up until this deadline. If you’re yet to upgrade or wish to renew your expired passport to the new type, here’s how to go about it.
Apply for Passport Replacement on eCitizen
- Go to the e-Citizen portal and log into your account. If it’s your first time register for a new account. On the other hand, you can reset your ecitizen password if you’ve forgotten it.
- Once you’re logged in, open the Department of Immigration Services page by clicking the Get Service button.
- Click on the Make Application button then on the next page expand the KENYAN PASSPORT section and select Passport Application for Adult.
- On the next page scroll down below the instructions and click the APPLY NOW button.
- Next, fill the online form carefully with accurate details. In Step 2 select your application type as Replacement.
- At the end of the form, select your mode of payment and pay the required fees. The passport charges is determined by the type of passport. The following is the fee structure:
| PASSPORT TYPE | FEES (KSH) |
| 32 Pages Ordinary “A” Series | 4,550 |
| 48 pages Ordinary “B” Series | 6,050 |
| 64 Pages Ordinary “C” Series | 7,550 |
| East African Passport | 990 |
| Diplomatic passport (48 page) | 7,550 |
| Mutilated Passport | 10,050 |
| Lost Passport | 12,050 |
You can pay using the following eCitizen payment options:
- Lipa na M-Pesa Paybill
- Airtel Money
- Credit or Debit Cards
- E-Agent (eCitizen Agents)
- EazzyPay
- MobiKash
- Cash Payments to KCB Bank
- Cash Payments to Equity Bank
After paying, download your application form and the invoice (receipt). Print the form and 3 copies of the invoice.
All that’s left now is for you to submit the application form in person to an immigration office or the newly opened passport submission centres in one of the following locations :
- Nairobi at Nyayo House
- Mombasa
- Kisumu
- Embu
- Kisii
- Nakuru
- Eldoret
During the submission carry with you the requirements below.
Requirements for Replacement of Old Passport with e-Passport
You’ll need the following to complete the application process:
- A duly filled and printed application form
- 3 copies of the eCitizen invoice
- Copy of your birth certificate
- Original ID and copy
- Copy of Recommender’s ID
- Original and Copies of the last two pages of the current passport
- 3 passport sized photos
Note:
- Senior citizens above the age of 60 are exempt from the birth certificate requirement.
- A recommender can be a religious leader, a legal practitioner such as a lawyer, an established civil servant or bank official that knows the applicant but is not an immediate relative.
- Though passport photos are listed as a requirement, digital photos are captured during submission along with the taking of fingerprints.
Waiting Period to Get the New e-Passport
The official statements from the immigration department indicate that it takes 5 working days for passport replacements.
The 5 days duration however has proved to be unrealistic and many applicants indicate the waiting period for replacement takes on average between 2 and 4 weeks if not months in certain cases.
To avoid longer waiting periods, ensure the details filled in the application form are correct.
How to Apply for Passport Replacement if Abroad
Those in diaspora can apply for the new e-passports at embassies or consulates nearest to them.
At the time of this writing this seems yet to be functional in all embassies and some have been forced to travel in back into the country to get replacements.
The immigration department has however indicated that it plans to roll out the application in the following embassies:
- Washington DC in USA
- London in UK
- Paris in France
- Berlin in Germany
- Pretoria in South Africa
- Dubai in UAE
Confirm with the embassy you’re interested in replacing the passport from if they support replacement before heading there.
