A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. It indicates the name of the citizen, birth place, date of birth and names of parents. In Kenya a birth certificate is a very important document that’s often required when applying for social programs and other government services, for instance; registering for national exams, applying for national ID, passport application, application for employment and also visa application.
How to apply for a birth certificate in Kenya
Issuance of birth certificates is done under the Office of the President, Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government of Kenya, Immigration and Registrations of Persons. You can apply for a birth certificate using these means:
- Visit the nearest District Birth and Death Registrar.
- Use eCitizen.
- Visit the nearest Huduma Centre.
- Kenya embassy, if residing abroad.
Scenarios under which you can apply for a birth certificate:
- For a newborn child (Less than 6 months old).
- Late registration (after 6 months of birth).
- As an adult.
- Replacing a birth certificate.
- Kenyans living abroad.
Note: The birth notification certificate is a document issued after the birth of a child detailing; the name of the child, parents’ names, the hospital born in, the date, stamp and an authorized signature from the hospital.
Requirements for birth certificate application
Here are the requirements to apply for a birth certificate.
1. New born child
As a parent who has given birth within 6 months, you can apply for birth certificate for your new born child. Application for a birth certificate at this stage is free of charge. You will be required to provide the following.
- Duly filled BDA (Birth and Deaths Registration form).
- Copies of the parent’s IDs.
- Original and copy of birth notification.
- Convenience fee of Ksh 50.
The BDA form can be obtained from the District Birth and Death Registries. If the birth was at home, the Sub-Chief is authorized to register births in his location. In Nairobi, all births are registered at the City Hall.
2. Late registration
Application for birth certificate is termed late registration if the birth notification was not forwarded to the immigration department within the first six months after the child being born. You will be required to provide the following.
- Duly filled application form.
- Birth notification.
- Copies of the parent’s IDs.
- Certificate of doctor or midwife who attended the birth.
- Child immunization clinic card.
- Baptismal certificate.
- School leaving certificate.
- Letter from your employer indicating the date of birth.
You can download the form from here.
3. As an adult
If you don’t have a birth certificate upon attaining the age of maturity, you can still apply for one. You will be required to provide the following.
- Duly filled application form.
- Birth notification card.
- Baptism card.
- School leaving certificates.
- Copy of national ID.
- Parents’ original ID, passports or birth certificates.
- A printout from the National Registration Bureau if you can’t access your parents’ IDs.
- Application fee of Ksh 500.
You can visit the nearest District Birth and Death Registrar, to get the application form. Alternatively, you can download the form from here.
4. Replacing a birth certificate
To apply for birth certificate replacement, you need to visit the nearest Huduma Centre and they will take you through the process.
5. Kenyans living abroad
If you are Kenyan living abroad and want to apply for a birth certificate for your child, you need to visit the Kenyan Embassy. This can only be possible if the parents of the child are Kenyans, but the child was born outside the country. You will be required to provide the following.
- Two duly filled BDA (Birth and Deaths Registration form).
- Two photocopies of both parents’ passports. The copies of the Kenyan parent’s passport have to include pages29-32 (for the A Series Passport), pages45-48 (for the B-series Passport), pages 61-64 (for the C Series Passport), and the photo page.
- Two photocopies of the child’s birth notification issued by the civil authorities or the hospital in the country of birth (either an international version or copies of the original and an official English translation).
- Two copies of parents’ marriage certificate either international or translated into English if legally married.
- A non-refundable fee of $10 for each certificate payable only by bank transfer (Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, IBAN: DE63100400000266014004) or EC-Debit card at the Embassy. Cash payments will not be accepted. Overpaid amounts will not be refunded. Enclose a copy of the bank transfer slips together with the application.
- Two self-addressed, stamped A5 envelopes for postage purposes.
Please note that the processing time takes 3 months or more depending on the time it takes for the authorities to verify parents’ citizenship details.
