A passport is the official travel document issued by a country’s government to its citizens, certifying their identity and nationality for the purpose of international travel.

It also serves as proof of citizenship, allowing the holder to leave and re-enter their country, where it grants permission for entry, passage, and a specified stay.

To apply for a news passport, applicants should register on eCitizen and follow these steps

• Click on the immigration eCitizen portal at www.ecitizen.go.ke.
• Log in or create an account using your email, phone number, and National ID number.
• After logging in to your eCitizen account, navigate to the Department of Immigration Services section.
• Click on the “Apply for a Passport” and fill in the application details, including your personal information and parents’ details.
• Choose the type of passport you need, e.g., 32 Pages Ordinary “A” Series costs Ksh4,550, 48 pages Ordinary “B” Series costs Ksh6,050, 64 Pages Ordinary “C” Series costs Ksh7,550, East African Passport costs Ksh990, Diplomatic passport (48 page) costs Ksh7,550 and Mutilated Passport costs Ksh10,050.

Upload Required Documents 

Scan documents like the National ID card and the birth certificate, and upload them to the site for verification.

Recommender’s ID and the probability of parents’ IDs may be required, or their death certificates.

Pay the Application Fee 

Choose your preferred payment method, such as mobile money, credit and debit cards, or bank transfers.

Pay the required fee based on the type of passport you want and the number of pages.

Download and print your payment receipts for reference, in case needed for proof

Attend Your Appointment

After making payment, book an appointment at the Immigration office or Passport Processing Center.

Present a hard copy of the application form, payment receipts, original personal documents like ID and birth certificate, with three recent passport-sized photos.

Biometrics, which include fingerprints and a photograph, will be captured at this stage.

Processing Period

It should take at least 10 working days to get your first passport once the form has been physically submitted tothe  immigration offices.

It can take longer if there’s other information needed or if the form was not filled out correctly.

Track and Collect Your Passport

After booking an appointment, the passport’s status can be tracked on the eCitizen portal.

You will be notified through SMS or email when your passport is ready for collection.

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PS Belio Kipsang of State Department for Immigration and Citizen services at previous event.PHOTO/ Kipsang X.