Registration of Birth for Kenyan Children Born Abroad
Certificates
Under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, a child born abroad to at least one Kenyan parent is entitled to citizenship by birth, but must be registered at a Kenyan foreign mission to obtain the birth certificate required for a passport.
In accordance with the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap. 149), a child born outside Kenya to at least one parent who is a citizen of Kenya is automatically entitled to Kenyan citizenship by birth. Such births must be formally registered at the nearest Kenyan foreign mission to secure a Kenyan Birth Certificate, which is a prerequisite for obtaining a Kenyan passport.
Required Documentation
Applicants must submit the following documents to the Consular Section for processing:
- Form BDA 1: Two (2) copies of the duly completed Application for Registration of Birth of a Kenyan Citizen Occurring Abroad.
- Foreign Birth Certificate: Original and two (2) clear copies of the child’s official birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
- Parents’ Proof of Kenyan Citizenship: Original and copies of the Kenyan parent(s) second-generation National ID Card and valid e-Passport (bio-data page).
- Non-Kenyan Parent’s Identification: If one parent is a foreign national, a copy of their valid foreign passport (e.g., Philippine passport).
- Parents' Marriage Certificate: Copy of the marriage certificate (if applicable).
- Passport Photographs: Two (2) recent, identical passport-sized colored photographs of the child.
- Statutory Fee: Paid in full via the designated consular electronic or banking channel.
Registration and Issuance Steps
Online or Physical Intake
- Initiate the application through the Civil Registration Services (CRS) module on the eCitizen portal (dcrs.ecitizen.go.ke) under "Registration of Birth occurring Abroad," or download and complete Form BDA 1 manually to bring to your consular appointment.
Consular Verification
- Present the complete document dossier at the Consular Section in the Philippines. A consular officer will cross-reference the PSA birth registry details against the parents' Kenyan immigration profiles.
Registry Entry and Dispatch
- The validated record is transmitted to the Department of Civil Registration in Nairobi for entry into the Central Register of Births Born Abroad. Once printed, the official Kenyan Birth Certificate is returned to the mission for collection.
Important Notice: Registration should ideally be completed within six (6) months of the child’s birth. Applications submitted beyond this window are classified as "Late Registrations" and may require additional vetting and extended processing timelines.
