How to Apply for a Birth Certificate in Kenya

A birth certificate is a legal document that indicates various details such as date of birth, place of birth, and parent names. This document is given immediately after birth. However, you can still get it later as long as you provide the necessary documentation.

You can either apply for a birth certificate through the Huduma centers or visit the various birth registration offices across the country. Here is a list of all Huduma center offices in the country.

A birth certificate is a necessary document when applying for some services such as national exams and identity card.

The registration of birth should happen within the first 6 months after birth. Any registration after this is known as late registration. It is also possible to do the registration while abroad through the various Kenyan consular services.

Requirements to get a Birth certificate in Kenya

Some of the key documents you need to apply for the normal birth certificate include;

1. Notification of birth document from the hospital
2. Parents’ IDs and Birth certificates
3. Duly filled application form

Below are the steps of Birth registration.

Step 1: Log in on the Huduma center portal.

Step 2: Book an appointment. This is done by selecting the date and place to present the application documents at the nearest huduma center offices.

Step 3: Visit the application offices. This happens during the appointment date. You should also ensure to pay the application fees of 60 shillings.

Step 4: Processing and collection. Upon successful application, processing takes an average of 10 days to get it ready for collection.

Late Birth certificate application in Kenya

This applies to any application done after months from the date of birth. The process is similar to the normal application. However, below are some of the necessary documents to complete this process.

1. Clinic card/ antenatal card/birth notification

2. Religious Certificate

3. ID’s for both parents/Death Certificate if parents are deceased

4. School leaving certificates/letters from school

5. ID cards for adult applicants

6. Any other document the registrar may request

Persons who qualify for late birth certificate application.

1. Parents/ guardians of a newly born baby

2. Rescue centers/ children’s homes taking charge of the child

3. Individual adults themselves

This registration Costs 90 or 130 shillings depending on the assessment.

Birth certificate application for Kenyans Born abroad

This applies to Kenyans born abroad whose parents are Kenyans. These services are available in all the Kenyan embassies and high commissions.

Below are some of the requirements

1. Two (2) application forms (BDA1) dully filled and signed
2. Copy of father’s passport (translated into English if it’s not in English) duly certified by the Embassy
3. Copy of mother’s passport (translated into English if it’s not in English)
4. Notification of birth/birth certificate issued by the civil authorities or the hospital (translated, certified by relevant Government agency)
5. Two copies of the marriage certificate translated into English or an international marriage certificate (if legally married)
6. Processing fee of 10 dollars

It is key to note this process might take longer than local application due to the need to send these documents to Kenya.