Kenya - Late Birth Registration

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Procedure

• A child’s birth must be registered at the Local Civil Registry office of the city or municipality where the child was born. This must be done no later than 60 days from the child’s birth; otherwise, the registration is deemed late or delayed.
• The maximum time period for the process of late registration is at 60 years from the date of birth. Such an applicant who is above 60 years can only be issued with a letter by the Principal Civil Registrar which confirms the date of birth but they won’t be legible to apply and get issued with a birth certificate

Apply In-Person:
In Kenya Application

1. The late registration must be filed in person at a Civil Registration Department office near you. Department of Civil Registration - Head Office Contacts
2. Here applicants will be issued with a birth certificate form B3 that caters to all the births in Kenya that have not been registered within six months from the date of the birth of the child. late registration of birth application form B1
3. Where the application is for late registration of an adult, the applicant is handed the Late birth registration form B1 to fill.
4. The late registration of birth application form B3 contains a supplementary questionnaire that contains different fields that the applicant must fill in. The first part contains the personal information details such as the: Full name, Date and place of birth, Name of Father, Father’s date and place of birth Name and maiden name of mother Mother’s date, and place of birth.
5. The second part of the application form contains the residential status of the applicant with details such as the: Location (or the ward in town), Name of the area chief, Name of the sub-chief of the area, and signature by the area chief.
6. The third part is meant for the details in the submitted supporting documents which include the: Identity card number and Details of all the passports held by both the father and mother.
7. The last part is meant for attestment, by the divisional district officer and the district commissioner with their acknowledgment of checking with the local area chief of the above particulars.
8. The completed relevant application form attached to the supporting documentation as listed under the “Required Documents” section below should be submitted to the Civil Registrar Office; a physical appearance of the applicant is mandatory as he/she will be vetted by the civil registrar.
9. In case of late registration for a child, the applicant is required to be accompanied by the child as he/she (child) will be vetted first for the registration to be affected.
10. The application form for late registration of birth shall be examined by the Civil Registrar, including other submitted documentary requirements, upon satisfaction of the submitted documentation and information, the applicant is advised to make the appropriate payment as mentioned in the “Fees” section of this page.
11. Applicants are issued with an acknowledgment letter containing details of the application which should be produced and surrendered while collecting the birth certificate after 10 working days.

Abroad Application

1. Application for Late Registration of the Birth outside of Kenya should be made to the Kenya Mission Abroad (Embassy/ Consulate/ High Commission). Applicants must be born of Kenyan parents outside Kenya in order for the applicants to qualify as Kenyan citizens by descent.
2. An applicant is required to have in possession an official birth certificate from the country in which the child or he/she in case of an adult was born.
3. First applicant is required to submit a copy of the birth certificate to the Kenya Mission Abroad (Embassy/ Consulate/ High Commission) office for authentication and assessment which may take a couple of days and may even take a few months.
4. Upon satisfaction, the applicant will then be eligible to apply for birth registration, he/she will be handed a birth certificate request form BDA 1 to complete.
5. Application for Registration of Birth of a Citizen of Kenya Occurring Abroad-Form BDA 1, obtainable at any of the Kenya Mission A broad offices or download via the Mission Website if available, or directly download the form via this Application for Registration of Birth of a Citizen of Kenya Occurring Abroad-Form BDA 1.
6. Upon obtaining the application form, the applicant should legibly complete the form, attach all the supporting documentation as listed under the “Required Documents” section of this page and submit the complete application file to the Mission office for consideration.
7. It should be noted that some Kenyan embassies abroad e.g Kenya Embassy in Berlin, required the applicant to obtain or download a checklist for the Birth Registration, available at the Mission office or downloadable via the Mission website.
8. The issued or separately printed-out checklist should be signed by the applicant and submitted along with the application to confirm that the applicant has read and provided all of the necessary documents. This is a mandatory requirement. Failure to adhere to these requirements will lead to the application being rejected. Do not staple the documents.
9. The application shall also be accompanied by a prescribed fee. The payment of such fee should be made as per the Mission’s preferable payment mode and proof of payment should be attached to the application documents.
10. At the time of submission, if in person, awaiting card/slip as an acknowledgment will be issued to the applicant.
11. The application file is then forwarded to Kenya, Civil Registration Services head office for Registration and Processing of the birth certificate, which is usually between 03 months or more.
12. Upon successful processing of the application file, the birth is registered and the birth certificate is drawn up and forwarded the certificate to the embassy office where the application was filed to be issued/sent to the applicant.

Important Notes for Abroad Application.

• Applicants who want the processed birth certificate sent to them by post are advised to attach one of the following to their request(s):
  • A registered self-addressed envelope with the appropriate stamps
  • A pre-paid envelope from any recognized courier service provider.
• Not all embassies offer the post/mail return service (please consult with the embassy).
• Applicants can file their application via mail, in some embassies, please confirm with the nearest embassy/consulate office, and if they offer this service since not all embassies offer the service.

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Required Documents

Late Notification/Registration of Birth of Adults born to Kenyan Parents in Kenya:

• National Identity Card (compulsory).
• Clinic card.
• Religious Certificate.
• School leaving certificates.
• Employer's letter if employed.
• NSSF card if a contributor.
• Identification report from National Registration Bureau.

Late Notification/Registration of Birth of Children born to Kenyan Parents in Kenya

• Duly completed and signed late registration of birth application form B1
• Clinic card/ antenatal card/birth notification
• Religious Certificate
• IDs for both parents/Death Certificate if parents are deceased
• School leaving certificates/letters from the school
• ID cards for adult applicants (over 18 years)
• Any other document as may be requested by the registrar

Abroad Application Requirements:

• Duly completed and signed Application for Registration of Birth of a Citizen of Kenya Occurring Abroad-Form BDA 1.
• Two (2) Notarized photocopies of both parents' passports. The copies of the Kenyan parent's passport must be the last 4 pages of the manual passport (including the photo page) OR the last 2 pages (address and photo page) of the e-Passport.
• Two (2) Notarized photocopies of the child's Foreign Birth certificate were issued by the civil authorities. Ensure that the birth certificate is certified for use abroad.
• Copy of the child’s foreign passport. (If available)
• Two (2) Notarized copies of parents' (international) marriage certificate if legally married.
• Proof of payment of non-refundable processing fees (Registration & Birth Certificate fee)
• Applicants above the Maturity age (18 years and above) should show proof of Dual Citizenship.
• A self-address stamped envelope for the returned processed document. The envelope should have enough postage for FedEx, Express Mail, Certified Mail, or Priority mail with delivery confirmation. (NB: UPS, Metered stamps, and Regular Mail are not accepted)

Office Locations & Contacts

Department of Civil Registration - Head Office
Hass Plaza 4th Floor, Lower Hill Road,
P. O Box 49179- 00100
Nairobi
Tel: +254-20-2714987/8
Fax: 2714989
Email; [email protected]
Website Link

Eligibility

The following are eligible to apply:

• The individual must be born in Kenya and of Kenyan parents (either one or both).
• Parents/ guardians of the child.
• Rescue centers/ children's homes taking charge of the child.
• Adults not registered.

Fees

In Kenya Application

• Late Notification/Registration of Birth of Children born to Kenyan Parents in Kenya, Cost: Kshs. 90 or Kshs. 180 (Depends on assessment).
• Late Notification/Registration of Birth of Adults born to Kenyan Parents in Kenya, Cost: Kshs. 90 or Kshs. 130 (Depends on assessment).

Abroad Application

• For abroad application fees vary from one embassy to another.

Validity

• The Birth Certificate is Valid Forever.

Documents to Use

• late registration of birth application form B1
• Application for Registration of Birth of a Citizen of Kenya Occurring Abroad-Form BDA 1

Sample Documents

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Processing Time

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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Instructions

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since January 1908.

Required Information

• Name of the applicant
• Date and the place of birth.
• The sex of the child (Whether male or female)
• The type of birth (i.e. whether single or multiple as in twins/triplets etc.)
• The exact place of Birth / Name of the hospital where the child/adult was born
• The nature of birth.
• Birth Notification No.
• The particulars of the mother. i.e. the name, age, marital status, previous births, and the area/district the mother resides in.
• Full Name of Mother before marriage
• The name of the father for the married couples.
• Applicant’s Address

Need for the Document

• Birth Registration birth is the first step towards the full exercise of citizenship. A birth certificate is a document that proves citizenship in Kenya and enables the holder to access the rights of a citizen of Kenya.
• A birth certificate proves the holder’s existence, place, and date of birth, it is a legal document that proves and provides the names of the holder’s parents. i.e. it shows one’s kinship.
• Without this document and the birth certificate number, citizens are deprived of their most fundamental rights and have no access to social programs and other government services.

These services and documents include;

• National ID Cards
• Passports application
• Visa application
• Application for employment
• Registering for final exams in primary and secondary schools.
• Register your child for the National Hospital Insurance Fund
• Apart from being the first legal acknowledgement of a child’s existence and ticket to citizenship and nationality, a certificate of birth is fundamental to the realization of a number of rights and practical needs such as:-
  • Ensure that children enroll in school at the right age.
  • To prevent child labour by enforcing laws relating to minimum age for employment.
  • To effectively counter the problem of forced marriage for girls before they are legally eligible without proof of age.
  • Getting a passport.
  • Getting an educational, health and or insurance policy cover for a child.
  • Opening a bank account for a child.
  • Protecting a child orphan from being disinherited by guardians/ relatives
  • Ensure that children in conflict with the law are given special protection and not treated (legally) and practically as adults.
  • Protect children who are trafficked, including through repatriation and family reunion.
• Without a birth certificate a child does not officially exist and therefore lacks legal access to the privileges and protection of a Nation.It is therefore very vital that parents apply for their children’s birth certificate as soon as they are born to avoid inconveniences in the future.

Information which might help

• Kenyans living abroad can also register for their children and apply for a birth certificate. This process is facilitated by the Kenyan Embassy in the county they are domiciled. This takes much longer than the others since your documents have to be sent from Kenya. This is only applicable if the child was born outside the country but to Kenyan parents.

  Note: Processing time takes 3 months or more depending on the time it takes for the authorities to verify parents’ citizenship details.

• In case of late registration of birth must be followed by application for a birth certificate. Therefore, if you are applying for late registration you will also be required to apply for a birth certificate. Even though the current limit for the current late registration has a time limit of six months from the onset of the date of birth of the child, the maximum time period for the process of late registration is at 60 years from the date of birth

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

• Birth Certificates can be used as proof of identity.
• It is used to register a child in the national insurance scheme NHIF.
• It is used to register for primary and secondary school examinations.
• The birth certificate is required during the application for a Kenyan passport.

External Links

Late Notification/Registration of Birth of Adults born to Kenyan Parents in Kenya
Late Notification/Registration of Birth of Children born to Kenyan Parents in Kenya

Others

More information which might help people.