IMMIGRATION ALERT!
REVISION OF FEES FOR VARIOUS IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP SERVICES.
Introduction
The Government of Kenya through the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration has recently published a Special Issue of Kenya Gazette Vol /CXXV-No. 241 of 14th November 2023 seeking to revise various costs for their services. This has been justified as a move to ensure sustainability in the delivery of the services and a way of reflecting the current economic realities.
This Gazette Notice also revoked the previous Special Issue of Kenya Gazette Vol. CXXV-N0.239 dated 7th November 2023. The latter notice was revoked to allow for public participation.
Below is a highlight of some of the proposed revisions:
Introduction of Citizenship Processing Fees and Storage Fees
All applications for citizenship will now attract a processing fee of Kshs 20,000. Previously, one was only required to pay only the issuance fee upon its approval. If one was not successful in their application, they would not be required to make any payment.
Further, storage charge fees of Kshs 2,000 per month have also been introduced for certificates not collected within 3 months of notification of approval.
Citizenship fees of all categories have been revised but, in this notice, we have only highlighted the most common categories which have been revised as noted below;
Revision of Work Permit Processing Fees
The processing fee of all Work permits shall have been revised from Kshs 10,000 to KShs. 20,000, save for class I ( Approved religious and charitable Activities) which has been revised from Kshs 1,000 to Kshs 5,000, and Class M(Refugees) which will remain gratis.
Revision of All Work Permits Issuance Fees
A successful applicant will be required to pay the following amounts for issuance of a Work Permit:
Revision of Kenya Dependant’s Pass Fees and the Re-Entry Pass
There is a new introduction of classes in respect of the issuance fee which shall be in two categories:
1. Dependents of Kenyan citizens; and
2. Dependents of Permit and Permanent Residence holders.
In that regard, the issuance fee has been revised as follows:
N/B- Kenya Dependant’s Pass fees are payable once as long as the host remains under valid immigration status, the only documents that are renewable after every year are re-entry pass and Foreigner Certificate which have been discussed below in this notice.
The Re-entry pass which is normally endorsed on the passport upon issuance of a KDP to give it validity and is renewable after every 2 years shall now be endorsed at a fee of Kes 5000 per year from Kes 1000.
Permanent Residence
Permanent residence processing and issuance fees for all categories have been revised as follows:
Foreigner Certificate /Alien Card
All foreigners of 18 years and above residing within Kenya under a valid work permit, Kenya Dependent Pass and Permanent Residence are required to obtain this document. This document enables one to access various Government services in a manner similar to those who hold a national Identity Card (although some costs for services may differ). accessed by Kenyan Nationals who are holders of National ID.
Not all residents are required to have this document. Refugees and persons holding aSpecial Pass or a Visitor’s Pass are exempted from this requirement.
The issuance fee for this document which has been Kshs 1,000 annually has been revised to Kshs 5,000 annually. It is important to note that the penalty fee for failure to apply for it have also been revised from Kshs 1,000 to Kshs 10,000 annually.
Attached is the Special issue of Kenya Gazette Vol /CXXV-No. 241 of 14th November 2023 highlighting all the charges intended to be revised by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services with respect to various services effective 1st January 2024.
Conclusion
For further inquiries please do not hesitate to contact our Team Members noted below of our Immigration Global Mobility Practice Group;
Victorine ROTICH (Senior Associate Advocate)-Email: vrotich@cmadvocates.com
Wahu WAMBUGU (Immigration Lawyer)-Email: mwambugu@cmadvocates.com
Whether you are based in Kenya or abroad we offer support over email, phone call, WhatsApp call, videoconferencing etc.
Email; immigration@cmadvocates.com or book a virtual consultation here https://cmadvocates.com/cm-request-consultation/
Call: +254202210978/+254716209673
Disclaimer
This Alert is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.