Kenyan passport, National Identity, nationality and visas to cost more in new charges

Official Kenyan government documents like passports, national identity cards, death certificates, citizenship documents, and even birth certificates will now cost more.

In a special Kenya gazette notice dated November 6, 2023, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Professor Kithure Kindiki, announced new rates, with increments ranging between Kes 15 and Kes 1 million.

Lost IDs will be replaced for a fee of Kes 1,000, while changing details on a national ID will also incur a Kes 1,000 charge. Replacements were previously free.

Ordinary passports (34 pages) will cost Kes7,500 up from Kes4,500, with an ordinary one of 66 pages costing Kes12500 up from Kes7,500.

Those seeking diplomatic passports of 50 pages will have to part with 15,000, which is two times of the Kes 7,500 fee that has applied.

Replacement of a lost r mutilated passport will set you back Kes 20,000, which is Kes 8,000 more that it used to cost.

Those seeking birth and death certificates will pay Kes150 more than the Kes 50 that used to apply, while those who give birth or lose friends and relatives abroad will have to part with $150, some $100 than it used to be.

Kenyans with children born outside Kenya will have to part with Kes 1,000,000 to process their citizenship, while those seeking Kenyan citizenship by marriage will pay Kes 100,000.

Also affected is the fee to citizenship by registration for lawful residence. They will pay Kes 1,000,000, instead of Kes 200,000 that has been previously charged.

Getting married has also become more expensive. This is after new fee that will see marriage certificates cost Kes100,000, more than triple the previous amount, while the cost of civil weddings has risen 10-fold to 50,000 shillings.

Even investors have not been spared, as they will have to fork out between $100 and Kes 1,000,000 for work permits.