Kenyans abroadCivil registration
Birth & marriage registration abroad
Register the birth of a child or a marriage of Kenyan nationals that took place overseas.
Service standard: Subject to Civil Registration Services timelinesLast updated: April 2026Available in: EN · SW
Who this is for
Kenyan parents whose child was born abroad and who want the birth recorded with Kenya, and Kenyan couples who married overseas and need the marriage recognised at home.
Your mission verifies and forwards your documents to Civil Registration Services in Kenya, who issue the Kenyan certificate.
At a glance
- Who can apply
- A Kenyan parent for a birth, or either spouse for a marriage where at least one party is a Kenyan citizen.
- What to bring
- The foreign birth or marriage certificate, the parents' or spouses' passports or IDs, and a certified translation if the certificate is not in English.
- Cost
- A processing fee may apply. Confirm the current rate with your mission.
- How long it takes
- Processing varies and depends on Civil Registration Services in Nairobi. Allow several weeks.
- Where
- Lodged at your mission; the Kenyan certificate is issued by Civil Registration Services.
What happens after you apply
The step most sites skip - so you know what to expect and don't need to call.
- Bring the foreign certificate and supporting documents to your mission.
- Staff verify the documents and certify the translations where needed.
- The file is forwarded to Civil Registration Services in Kenya.
- The Kenyan certificate is issued and returned to you through your mission.
If something goes wrong, or you need help
If you are detained, hospitalised, or in immediate danger, do not wait for the form - call the consular emergency line. For questions about an application already submitted, contact the mission directly.
One template, every missionThis page runs on a single service spine - who it's for, what to bring, cost, time, where, what happens next. Nairobi and all 60+ missions fill the same fields with their local facts (fee, address, hours, emergency number). Fix the spine once and every mission improves; only the local data changes.