The government recently announced that those who will be looking to get e-passports will have to book an appointment with the Immigration Department through an application system. An exemption will, however, be granted to public officials with agent assignments abroad, as well as sick persons, students, and business executives with argent engagements abroad, but they will have to provide supporting evidence for their exemptions.
How do you go about the whole process of booking an appointment to apply for an e-passport in Kenya?
1.Registration
Visit the Department of Immigration website, for registration if you do not have an account already. The process of registration is not charged. Click on the Passport application then on the menu and decide which category you are applying for whether the e-passport is for a child or an adult.
2.E-passport application fees
After selecting the category you are applying for, will find information relating to passport fees depending on the number of pages or category and how long it takes to get a passport after submission of application.
Ordinary 32-page passport application costs 4,550 while 48 pages cost Ksh. 6,050 and 64 pages cost Ksh. 7,550. Diplomatic passport application also costs Ksh. 7,550 while mutilated passport application costs Ksh. 10.050 while for lost passports, applicant parts with Ksh. 12,050.
Local applicant will have to present themselves in Immigration Department Centres in either in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kisii, Embu or Nakuru, while for those abroad, only six countries have e-passport issuance centres: France (Paris), Germany (Berlin), United States (Washington), United Kingdom (London0, United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and South Africa (Johannesburg).
3.Passport Type
You will be prompted to choose whether your application is for the first time, replacement, lost or mutilated passport or change in particulars. You will also be required to select the number of pages for your passport: 34, 50 or 66. For replacements, applicant will have to give their current passport number. Also, those with dual nationality will have to reveal it.
4.Details of the applicant
Sections with asterisk symbol must be filed so that the applicant can move to the next step. Put in your given names, date of birth, gender, birth location, country of birth and citizenship status by birth or naturalization.
Other details required in this section are KRA PIN, birth entry number, profession/occupation, marital status, name change if by marriage, the reason for travel and residential information (country of residence, postal address, phone number, estate location, village, email address
Details of your parents, two next of kins, children and recommender will be required. For those with children, they will be required to input details including legitimacy i.e. birth or adoption), full name, and gender.
5.Uploading of Documents
The system will require the applicant to download the application form that will have been automatically filled with details you provided in previous sections. Once you have checked that the details are correct you will need to upload it alongside your ID copy and that of the recommender.
Other documents required for upload are the last, 2nd last, 3rd last, 4th last pages of previous passport if you are renewing an old one.
6.Payments
Make payment by clicking COMPLETE and choose a date, time and station to appear for biometrics. Applicants will be required to present appointment slip generated from the e-citizen portal, original ID and old passport if seeking a replacement.
