How To Change From Old Kenyan Passport To New E-Passport

 

In Kenya, talks about changing from the old generation passport to new e-passport began in 2015 with its implementation set to be done by the end of 2016.

However, such intentions have failed to see the light of day due to the government’s numerous deadline extensions that have since stalled the project.

Consequently, due to external threats from foreign nations that have already adopted the e-passport potentially barring Kenyans from accessing their countries, the Kenyan government has once again set the ultimate deadline for migration from old passport to new passport to 30th November 2022.

Some Kenyans might wonder, ‘Why the rush to phase out the old generation passports?

Well, the simple answer is that it all boils down to security.

The new e-passports have a tamper proof electronic chip that bears the holder’s information and travel history thereby curbing cases of fraud and identity theft.

Difference Between Old Kenyan Passport And New E-Passport

Besides the chip, there are other several differences that can be spotted and they include;

Old PassportNew e-Passport
Navy blue in colorLight blue in color
Top header text only states 'Republic of Kenya'Top header has additional text 'East African Community'
No symbol at the bottomPresence of symbol at the bottom
Bio-data page is located at the back coverBio-data page is located at the front 2nd page
Bio-data contains 2 passport picturesBio-data contains 1 passport picture

How To Change From Old Kenyan Passport To New E-Passport

Login to your E-Citizen account

Choose the ‘New Applications’ section available under the Immigration services

See also  Stages Of Passport Processing In Kenya

Apply for new generation passport1

Click on ‘Passport applications’

Proceed to fill in the various required sections such as;

Section 1: Category
Section 2: Dual nationality
Section 3: Passport type
Section 4: Applicant’s details
Section 5: Parent’s details
Section 6: Next of Kin
Section 7: Uploads

In general, all passport applications such as new applications, renewal etc undergo the same procedure with the only difference occurring under the Passport type section.

For first time applicants requiring the new e-passports, select option 1 for ‘First time Passport’

Otherwise, when changing from old passport to new passport, select option 2 for ‘Replacement of previous Passport’

Under this option, you are required to choose your preferred passport page count as well as your previous passport number upon which you will be assigned a personal immigration file number.

Replacement of passport3

Proceed to fill in the remainder of the sections and make payment as per the Kenyan passport charges 2022 relevant to your previously chosen page count.

Once payment is done, book for a passport appointment so as to have your biometrics captured at your selected location.

At the biometrics location, you are required to submit the below documents

1) E-Citizen receipts (Govt & customer copy) – Can be downloaded by clicking the E-Citizen ‘Payment’ link
2) E-Citizen application form – Can be downloaded by clicking the E-Citizen ‘Download’ link.
3) Original & copy of passport bio-data page
4) Original & copy of national ID
5) Copy of birth certificate

Upon capture of your fingerprints and passport photo, you will be assigned a passport tracking number which you will use to track your passport status and book for passport collection

Lylyane Kim

Lylyane Kim holds a diploma in travel & tourism management with over 10+ years experience in the field and has worked with both local and international travel agencies. She is always ready to assist on matters related to passport/visa, bookings, travel documents, itineraries etc so feel free to reach out to her on any of her social channels for assistance.

2 Responses

  1. October 2, 2022

    […] Similarly, due to the phasing out of the old Kenyan passports by the deadline 30th November 2022, holders of the old passports will not be allowed to travel anywhere unless they change from the old Kenyan passport to new e-passport […]

  2. July 20, 2023

    […] In general, the biometric capture process involves the collection of your specific biometric information, its storage into the passport database followed by its embedding into the passport’s microchip thereby transforming it from a traditional passport to an e-passport […]

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