The Ministry of Interior on Thursday, September 22, made a crucial reminder on the looming deadline for all Kenyans to apply for a new East African Community Passport.
The original deadline, set by Interior CS Fred Matiang’i on December 31, 2022, has been pushed back to November 2022, according to a statement signed by Immigration Services Director General Alexander Muteshi.
The change was prompted by EAC Council of Minister’s meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania.
“Pursuant to the decision by EAC Council of Minister’s meeting held in Arusha from November 22 to November 29, 2021, the deadline for phasing out of the old generation passport for all EAC member States is November 2022.
In line with this decision, the Directorate of Immigration Services wishes to inform the general public that Kenya is bound to migrate fully to the new East African Community biometric e-passport by 30th November 2022. Kenyans are therefore hereby advised to acquire the new Biometric e-passport to avoid any inconveniences,” read the statement in part.
To facilitate easier travel throughout the EAC area, the current passport will be phased out and replaced with a new biometric e-passport version.
The original decision was taken in 2015, and the rollout was scheduled to begin in December 2016, but there have been numerous delays and postponements since then.
How to Apply
In order to submit an application for the new document, prospective applicants are encouraged to go to the e-Citizen portal and fill out Form 19 online.
When applying for a passport, they will have to pay a charge between Ksh4,550 and Ksh12,050, depending on the type of passport they need.
Ordinary “A” Series applications cost Ksh 4,550, Ordinary “B” Series applications cost Ksh 6,050, Ordinary “C” Series applications cost Ksh 7,550, Diplomatic Passport applications cost Ksh 7,550, Mutilated Passport applications cost Ksh 10,050, and Lost Passport applications cost Ksh 12,050.
Applicants should then print three copies of the receipt and the application form.
Finally, the applicant must take the completed form to one of the Immigration Service Centers in Nairobi, Mombasa, or Kisumu.
Attending the in-person biometric rollout is mandatory, as is carrying both the original and a copy of the birth certificate, the original and a copy of the National ID card, three recent passport-sized photos, and a copy of the ID card of the person recommending them.
In the case of a lost or mutilated passport, a sworn affidavit, a police abstract, and an explanation letter are also required, in addition to the original passport and photocopies of the last three pages, as well as photocopies of the parents’ National ID cards (if available) or Death Certificates (if deceased).
