Citizenship/Travel
Document
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Section 90 of the Constitution
of Kenya states that:-
A Person
born outside Kenya after 11th December, 1963 shall
become a citizen of Kenya at the date of his/her birth
if at that date his/her father was a citizen of Kenya.
Q. If at the
time of my birth one of my parents was not a Kenya
Citizen and I was born in Kenya, is it possible that
I have dual citizenship? If the answer is yes up to
which age?
A. Kenya Constitution
Section 97 (1) (6) (a) states that:
Any person who, upon the attainment
of the age of twenty-one years, is a citizen of Kenya
and also a citizen of another country other than Kenya
shall cease to be a citizen of Kenya upon the specified
date (6)(a) that is: twenty-three (23) years.
Please check with the Mission
if you have need for clarification.
Q. If a child
is born in Kenya of parents who are not Kenya Citizens,
does he/she qualify to be a citizen of Kenya?
A. No
Q. If I am
a single mother holding a Kenya passport, and have
a child born outside Kenya, does the child become
a Kenya Citizen if the father is unknown?
A. No. But
when the mother is ready to travel to Kenya with the
child she is advised to apply for one way travel document
for the child.
While in Kenya she should apply
for a dependants' pass for the child (in order to
regularise the child's immigration status). The mother
should then get the child registered as a Kenya Citizen
after which she can apply for the child's passport.
Q. What are
the requirements if I need a travel Document/Passport
for my child born who was born in the United Kingdom?
A. Complete form PP2 for under 16,
two photographs, fee of £25 for certificate
of identity or £30 for a Passport, child's birth
certificate which shows the name of the father and
proof that the father was a Kenyan when the child
was born.
Q. What if
the name of the father does not appear on the birth
certificate and the mother is a Kenyan?
A. Complete form PP2 for under 16
years, two photographs, £25 for certificate
of identity (one way), birth certificate and mother's
passport.
Q. What happens
to the child upon arrival in Kenya? Can a passport
be applied for him/her?
A. Upon arrival in Kenya, you are
advised to apply for a Dependant's Pass for the child
at the Immigration Office. Get the child registered
as a Kenya citizen. The child can be issued with a
passport after registration is made.
Q. What happens
to a child born in the United Kingdom of a Foreign
father?
A. Such a child is not a Kenya citizen
and cannot be issued with a Kenya passport nor be
endorsed on mother's passport.
Q. What happens
to a person who is under 23 and has dual nationality?
A. If such a person wishes to retain
Kenya citizenship, he/she is advised to renounce other
nationality before the age of 23 years. Failure to
renounce results in automatic loss of Kenya citizenship
after age 23.
Q. How long
does it take to have a Travel DOcument issued?
A. It is issued within 24 hours.
Q. Are passports
issued at the High Commission?
A. No, they are issued at the Immigration
Office in Nairobi.
Q. How long
do passports take to be issued?
A. Six weeks or more.
Entry Permits
Q. What does
one need if they wish to work in Kenya as employees?
A. The employer in Kenya should apply
for the Entry Work Permit from the Principal Immigration
Officer whose address is P.O Box 30191, Nairobi.
Q. What if
I reside in Kenya without engaging in employment or
any work paid or unpaid?
A. Apply for a Class K permit directly
to the Principal Immigration Officer.
Q. How do I
get the entry permit form?
A. By downloading form
3 at www.Kenyahighcommission.net
Q. Do I send
money to the Principal Immigration Office with the
application form?
A. No. The Immigration Office will
let you know when and how much to pay.
Visas
Q. When is
a transit visa issued?
A. A transit visa may be issued to
a visitor for the purpose of Connecting flights.
Q. Are children
required to purchase visas for travel to Kenya from
the UK and if yes are they required to pay the full
£30?
A. Children
holding individual British passports are required
to acquire visas before travelling to Kenya and the
fee is 30 pounds. They however do not pay for the
visa if they are endorsed on their parent's passport
Q. Is the High
Commission the only place a British passport holder
can get a visa?
A. No. a British passport holder
may be issued with a visa at any port of entry to
Kenya provided they meet the usual Immigration formalities.
Q. The visa
endorsement in a passport, does it allow a visitor
to stay in Kenya?
A. No, in addition to the visa endorsement,
the visitor is issued with a visitor's pass free of
charge at the port of entry. The visitor's pass gives
the period of time the visitor should stay in the
country, with a maximum of 3 months.
Q. If a visitor
has a valid visitor's pass and visits Tanzania or
Uganda, then returns to Kenya within the validity,
would they need another visa?
A. No.
