How To Renew A Kenyan Passport From Canada

Thousands of Kenyan passport holders reside in Canada either as students or permanent residents. If you are one of them, then it’s common knowledge that it's imperative to renew your passport upon expiration.

Gone are the days when you had to book an appointment with the high commissioner's office or travel back home and renew your passport at the physical office in Nairobi. It required planning for travel, taking time off from work and not forgetting to mention the long queues.

With this in mind, you can now renew your passport via the e-Citizen portal in easy steps.

Here, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step procedure of how to renew a Kenyan passport from Canada.

In addition, we shall discuss practical tips and procedures set by the High Commission of Kenya in Ottawa, Canada and the Kenya Department of Immigration. Let’s jump straight in!

Are You Qualified To Renew Your Kenyan Passport Online?

Here are the qualifications you should meet to apply for Kenyan passport renewal online:

• It must be without any damage.
• You must have the passport at hand during the renewal application time.
• You were issued with the passport within the previous 10 years.
• You were given a passport when you were at least 18 years old.
• You must not have changed your name on the passport during the 10 years valid duration.

If you have met the set qualification requirements, you are eligible to apply for the passport via the e-Citizen website.

How To Apply For The Passport Renewal Online

Here is the step by step procedure of applying for your Kenyan passport renewal online while in Canada:

1. The first step is to visit the Citizen portal and create an account if you don’t have one.
2. Next, tap on the department of immigration and click on the passport renewal option. The next step is to download the Form 19 passport renewal form from the website. Be sure to read the instructions before filling in the form.
3. Next, you need to select the appropriate mode of payment from the available options including; credit, debit cards, mobile money, or online banking.

It’s important to know that the passport fees differ according to the type of passport as shown in the table below.

1. After paying the fee, the next step is to download and print the two renewal application receipts.
2. Then, attach all the receipts and the required supporting documents to the application form.
3. The last step is to scan and upload the documents. Be sure to attach a self-addressed return prepaid courier envelope like Xpresspost, FedEx or Purolator Courier

After submitting all the documents, your passport is processed within four and six weeks.

Vital Documents When Renewing your Kenyan Passport

As earlier noted, you need to have vital documents when renewing your passport. These include;

• Your original Kenyan passport
• A copy of your birth certificate showing both sides.
• Your original Kenyan Identity card.
• Two size-coloured passports.
• A copy of your second-generation Kenyan ID card
• A Payment invoice from the eCitizen portal.
• Documents to prove your Canadian residences such as a work permit, permanent residence papers and student authorization.
• Declaration documents of Kenyan citizenship for dual citizens.
• Completely filled and signed parental consent form for minors

How To Apply For The Passport Renewal By Appointment

You can as well apply for the passport renewal by booking an appointment at the Kenya High Commission in Ottawa Canada.

However, you must first apply and pay your fee at the eCitizen portal, then book an appointment by mailing [email protected]

After that, you can submit the application forms in person at the Kenya High Commission office.

The following are the required documents to be submitted at the High Commission:

• A copy of completely filled in Form-19 application form printout that you can download from the eCitizen portal
• Your original passport and Kenyan ID card
• A copy of the Kenyan passport on your biodata page
• Two passport size photos
• A copy of your Kenyan birth certificate showing both sides.
• A payment invoice from the eCitizen portal
• If you are a non-Kenyan citizen, you can confirm from the portal the next course of action. Notably, there are two options available, regaining or declaration in accordance with the law.
• If you have dual citizenship, you must attach proof of the same.
• You must provide documents proving your Canadian permanent residence.

If you are a minor below 18 years, you can download parental consent on the Kenyan High Commissioner portal. Next, provide a self-addressed envelope where they’ll mail your new passport.

Your passport will be processed within four to six weeks after delivering the documents.

You can make any enquiries on eCitizen by mailing [email protected] or call +254780806206.

As earlier mentioned, you need size-coloured passports on both options which must meet the following requirements.

• Clarity without blurs or shades of darkness
• Show your full face including both ears.
• Taken from a white background.
• Must not show any shadows in the background.
• Should have a neutral smile.
• You should not wear spectacles.

The measurements should be 2.5 by 2 inches Your face should be clear without any hair covering the forehead. You need to provide at least three photos during the application.

Bottom Line

We have identified and discussed two possible ways of renewing your Kenyan passport from Canada; online application and booking an appointment option.

Each of the two methods will have your passport renewed within four to six weeks. However, you may pay different fees, application speed, and efficiency. Online application is both time and money-saving on time.

On the other hand, booking an appointment with the High Commissioner might delay the procedure because normally, they allocate dates depending on the number of applicants. Therefore, it’s helpful to consider the best choice that serves your needs conveniently.

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