Passport Processing Stages After Biometrics

A passport is an essential travel document as well as a fundamental requirement especially in matters pertaining to international travels.

In Kenya, applying for a passport is a fairly straightforward process which involves a variety of passport processing stages after biometrics achieved via the ecitizen portal which hosts more than 5,000 government services distributed over 100 ministries, counties, departments, and agencies.

The entire process requires prior registration to the ecitizen platform then proceeding with passport application available under the ‘Directorate of Immigration Services’ menu which provides online services for efficient ePassport, temporary permit, and eVisa applications.

Within the application process, you are required to provide various individual and third-party information categorized into various sections.

The first section touches on the application purpose which requires you to specify whether you are applying for a personal passport or on someone else’s behalf such as an infant etc

The next section involves your nationality status in terms of whether you hold any dual citizenship.

The subsequent section focuses on the passport specifics in terms of passport type ( diplomatic/ordinary ), application type (  first-time, change of old passport to new generation e-passport, mutilated/lost applications etc.

Under this section, you are required to also select your preferred passport page count which consists of 32/50/66 pages otherwise referred to as Series A, B or C respectively.

The fourth section deals with your personal details touching on particulars such as names, birth-date, gender, eye color, height as well as any distinct physical peculiarities.

Other necessities include your location of birth, citizenship status, KRA PIN, birth entry number, occupation, marital status, reason for travel etc

Note: When filling out this section, it is advisable to do so accurately so as to avoid potential passport delays due to incorrect information provided.

The fifth section of the Kenya passport application process requires the provision of your parents’ particulars such as names, their respective ID card details as well as phone number.

The 6th & 7th sections touch on next of kin and recommendation details respectively which include names, ID card details, occupation, email address, phone number etc

The final section involves the uploading of various verification documents such as your passport size photo and signature on white background, front and back copy of your national ID, copy of birth certificate, copy of parents’ death certificate (optional), copy of recommendor’s ID etc

Upon completion, the next phase involves making payment as per the Kenyan passport charges which include Ksh4,550 (34 pages), Ksh6,050 (50 pages) and Ksh7,550 (66 pages)

Once payment has been successfully made, you can proceed and book a passport appointment for the biometrics which typically involves the capturing of your fingerprints, photograph, and signature.

Note: ecitizen allows the option for you to reschedule for biometric passport capture in the event that the initial booking turns out to be inconvenient.

Documents Required During Passport Biometric Submission Stage

Prior to attending the biometric capture exercise, you are required to carry with you crucial verification documents to facilitate the process.

Such documents include;

1. Duly filled ecitizen application form that can be obtained via the ‘Downloads’ section of ecitizen.
2. Two copies of government ecitizen invoice and one copy of customer ecitizen invoice obtained via the ‘Payments’ section of ecitizen.
3. Original birth certificate and a photocopy.
4. Original national ID card and a photocopy.
5. Three current full color passport size photos.
6. Photocopy of recommenders’ ID card.
7. Photocopies of parents’ ID card or death certificate (where applicable)

During the passport biometric submission stage, your fingerprints will be taken as well as your passport photo.

Capturing of the fingerprints and passport photo act as identity verification measures that guard against fraud or impersonation.

This extra layer of protection protects the integrity of passport issuing and guarantees that only legitimate people acquire valid passports.

Note: During the photo session, no face foreign items (earrings or nose rings) are permitted.

Once done, you will then be issued with your passport tracking number

Passport Processing Stages After Biometrics

In general, your interaction within the passport application process typically ends after the passport biometrics submission stage whereby afterwards you will be required to wait until you are notified when your passport will be ready

Meanwhile, your passport application will proceed to undergo several checks before being printed and availed to you.

Below are some of the passport processing stages after biometrics.

A) Application Review Stage

This stage entails document verification, background checks, identity confirmation and security screening.

i) Document verification: this process seeks to authenticate your passport eligibility and validate the information given.

To do this, trained immigration officials carefully review the submitted documents to check their validity and compliance with the essential requirements.

ii) Background check: this process aims to maintain security and prevent any potential risks. To achieve this, immigration officials perform verification checks in regards to criminal records, immigration history against relevant security databases.

iii) Identity confirmation: this process involves immigration officials cross-referencing the document information and background checks against provided biometric data to guard against identity fraud risks.

iv) Security screening: this process entails comparing the applicant’s information against watchlists or databases related to security concerns thus enhancing border security and preventing the misuse of passports for illegal activities.

B) Printing And Personalization Stage

This stage entails passport design/layout, data encoding & chip integration as well as printing process.

i) Passport design/layout: this phase involves the incorporation of security features that make counterfeiting impossible by use of intricate patterns, watermarks, holograms, and other elements that enhance its visual appeal while providing an extra layer of protection

ii) Data encoding & chip integration: this process involves digitally securing, encoding and integrating your biometric data and other relevant information into the passport’s chip.

iii) Printing: through this procedure, the accuracy, legibility, and proper alignment of the printed material are guaranteed through specialized printing techniques.

C) Quality Control Stage

This stage involves the verification of printed information, checking of errors and inspection of physical passports.

i) Verification of printed information: During this process, immigration officials review all the printed information, including personal details, passport numbers, and dates, to ensure accuracy and consistency.

ii) Checking of errors: this process involves checking for misspellings, erroneous data, or any other errors that may affect the passport’s validity or usage.

iii) Inspection of physical passport: this process checks the overall condition of the passport in regards to withstand normal usage throughout its validity period.This is done by checking the lamination, binding, pages and cover are free from any defects or imperfections.

D) Delivery And Dispatch Stage

This stage involves the coordination between the immigration officials and courier services such as Posta Kenya to assist in the delivery of the completed passports.

During this stage, you may receive an sms notification regarding the completion of your passport and its collection. It is at this stage that you can use the passport tracking number to book for collection.