The national identity card is the document Kenyan life runs on: banking, tax, property, voting, and every passport application. Kenyans abroad who never obtained one before leaving face a genuine difficulty, and the country’s move to a digital identity system has been reshaping the process.
Quick facts
For someone in the diaspora, proof of citizenship generally rests on Kenyan parentage plus a Kenyan passport or birth certificate, and a first identity card application from abroad has to be arranged through a mission.
Fees breakdown
| Service | Cost | Where |
|---|---|---|
| National identity card | Published tariff | Registration authority, via a mission |
| Birth certificate | Charged in Kenya | Civil registration authority |
| Marriage certificate | Charged in Kenya | Registrar of marriages |
| U.S. certificate and apostille | $15–$50 plus $3–$25 | State office, then the Secretary of State |
| Replacement of a lost card | Published tariff | With a police report |
A child born in the United States to a Kenyan parent is Kenyan, and registering the birth is what makes that usable when the child later needs a passport or an identity card.
How to file
- Order the U.S. birth certificate from the state vital records office.
- Have it apostilled by that state’s Secretary of State.
- Contact the mission covering your area about registration and identity card procedures.
- Gather the Kenyan parent’s identity card, passport and birth certificate.
- Attend the appointment with originals.
- Keep certified copies for the passport application that follows.
Required documents
- Child’s U.S. birth certificate, apostilled.
- Kenyan parent’s national identity card and passport.
- Kenyan parent’s birth certificate.
- Parents’ marriage certificate where applicable.
- Proof of address in the United States.
- Police report for a lost or damaged card.
Where to file
Through the mission covering your area, with records held by the civil registration authority in Kenya.
Additional notes
No identity card, no passport
The card is asked for at the biometric appointment. Sorting it out first is the difference between one trip and two.
The digital transition
Kenya has been moving to a new digital identity framework, and procedures for the diaspora have shifted with it. Confirm the current process with your mission.
Names across documents
Kenyan naming practice often gives three names in varying orders. Consistency across birth certificate, card and passport prevents problems.
Order extra certificates
Requesting documents from Kenya takes time. Order more than one while you are at it.