Deadline for passport renewal- Immigration.
The immigration sector has announced dealine for passport renewal.
The immigration director general Alexander Muteshi stated that citizens are to renew their passports by november.
He said,”Pursuant to the decision by EAC Council of Minister’s held in Arusha from November 22 to 29, 2021, the deadline for phasing out of the old generation passport for EAC Member States is November 2022.”
In 2021, interior cabinet secretary, Fred Matiang’i announced that the deadline for passport renewal will be December 31, 2021.
He urged citizens to be quick and acquire the biometric passports.
Matiang’i said,”For the avoidance of doubt, starting January 1, 2022, the old dark blue passport will be null and void. No Kenyan will be able to travel abroad without a valid East Africa Community biometric e-passport.”
However, the government extended the renewal period, this allowed citizens to continue using the old dark blue passports.
The new generation electronic passports have a microchip which contains data about the holder that matches the information in the passport document.
To avoid inconveniences and long queues, the government has set up new control centres abroad and within the country that will ensure smooth service delivery.
Areas with the new control centres are; Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret and Embu. Abroad centres include ; Berlin, Paris, London, Washington DC, Dubai and Johannesburg.
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