More pain for Kenyans as gov’t increases ID, passport charges.

Kenyans seeking services at the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services will part with more after the Ministry of Interior effected new charges effective March 1.

The revised fees, charges and levies on services offered by the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services published on November 14, 2023, have taken effect.

In a memo sent to Regional Coordinators from the Interior Ministry dated February 29, Kenyans applying for an identification card, which was free, will now pay Ksh.300 shillings.If one loses their ID card, they will have to part with Ksh.1,000, up from Ksh.100.

A birth or death certificate will now cost Ksh.200 shillings up from Ksh.50, while for late birth or death registration, one will be required to pay Ksh.500 from the current Ksh.150.

Additionally,charges for new passports have been raised by 75 per cent; for an ordinary passport with 34 pages which was previously Ksh.4,500, a new applicant will have to pay Ksh.7,500.For the 50-page one, one will part with Ksh.9,500 from Ksh.6,000 while those in need of a passport booklet with 66 pages will pay Ksh.12,500 from Ksh.7,500.To replace a lost or mutilated passport, one will have to pay Ksh.20,000 from Ksh.12,000 and Ksh.10,000 respectively, while an express passport will cost Ksh.30,000.

In the revised charges, to regain citizenship after renouncing it will now cost 10 times more from Ksh.5,000 to Ksh.50,000 shillings.It will cost the same amount for renunciation and for getting citizenship for a spouse from the East African Community countries.

For those visiting the country, a single-entry visa will cost 100 US dollars from the previous 50 dollars, while a multiple-entry visa will now cost 500 dollars, from 100 dollars and a transit Visa will now cost 50 dollars from 20 dollars.

Those applying for permanent residence for Kenyan children born outside the country and in countries which do not allow dual citizenship will pay Ksh.750,000 from the current Ksh.500,000 while spouses to Kenya citizens will part with Ksh.150,000 from Ksh.50,000.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.