All about Passports

Section 24 (1) of Kenyan Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 provides that, ‘’every citizen is, subject to this Act, entitled upon application, in the prescribed manner, to be issued with a passport or other travel documents to facilitate international travel.

A passport is document issued to Kenyan citizens by the Directorate of Immigration services and is valid for a maximum period of ten (10) years to enable them to travel abroad. Section 25 (1) of Kenyan Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 lists the various types of Passports as provided under the enabling regulations include:

v Ordinary Passports - issued on application to any citizen of Kenya.

v Diplomatic of passports - issued to such persons as may be prescribed in Regulations.

v East African Passport - issued to a citizen of Kenya who intends to travel within the Partner States in East African Community.

v Temporary Passport - issued to any citizen of Kenya who for special circumstances cannot travel on an ordinary passport.

v Emergency Travel Document - issued to a citizen of Kenya who is stranded outside Kenya or is being deported.

v Certificate of Identity and Nationality - issued to a person other than a citizen of Kenya who cannot obtain a passport from the country of citizenship for the purpose of traveling outside Kenya.

v Temporary Permit - issued to a citizen of Kenya who intends to travel within the East African Community Partner States or to such States as may be prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary; and

v Travel Document -  issued subject to the provisions of the Refugee Act, 2006 (No. 13 of 2006), and any other Humanitarian Convention

Validity of passports and other travel documents.

v An Ordinary or Diplomatic passport shall be valid—

(a) For use in all countries in the world, except for any countries specified in the passport; and

(b) For a period that does not exceed ten years from the date of issue, and in the case of children for a period not exceeding five years.

v An East African passport shall be valid for—

(a) Use in all Partner States in the East African Community or for such other countries as may be prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary;

(b) A period not exceeding ten years from the date of issue, and in the case of children for a period not exceeding five years.

v A temporary passport shall be valid for—

(a) Use in all countries in the world, except for any countries specified in the temporary passport in respect of which it is stated not to be valid; and

(b) A period not exceeding one year from the date of issue.

v An emergency travel document shall be valid for—

(a) Travel to Kenya and other countries of transit; and

(b) A single journey for a period stated therein;

v A Certificate of Identity and Nationality is valid for travel to all countries stated therein and shall be valid for a period not exceeding two years from the date of issue.

v A Temporary Permit shall be valid for—

(a) Travel in all partner states in the East African Community or for such other countries as may be prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary; and

(b) A period not exceeding one year from the date of issue.

v Travel Document issued to a refugee shall be valid for travel to all countries except the country of the holder’s nationality and shall be valid for a period of five years.