A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. It indicates the name of the citizen, birth place, date of birth and names of parents. In Kenya a birth certificate is a very important document that’s often required when applying for social programs and other government services, for instance; registering for national exams, applying for national ID, passport application, application for employment and also visa application.
Issuance of birth certificates is done under the Office of the President, Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government of Kenya, Immigration and Registrations of Persons.
You can apply for a birth certificate using these means.
Scenarios under which you can apply for a birth certificate.
Note: The birth notification certificate is a document issued after the birth of a child detailing; the name of the child, parents’ names, the hospital born in, the date, stamp and an authorized signature from the hospital.
1. New born child
As a parent who has given birth within 6 months, you can apply for birth certificate for your new born child. Application for a birth certificate at this stage is free of charge. You will be required to provide the following.
The BDA form can be obtained from the District Birth and Death Registries. If the birth was at home, the Sub-Chief is authorized to register births in his location. In Nairobi, all births are registered at the City Hall.
2. Late registration
Application for birth certificate is termed late registration if the birth notification was not forwarded to the immigration department within the first six months after the child being born. You will be required to provide the following.
You can download the form from here.
3. As an adult
If you don’t have a birth certificate upon attaining the age of maturity, you can still apply for one. You will be required to provide the following.
You can visit the nearest District Birth and Death Registrar, to get the application form. Alternatively, you can download the form from here.
4. Replacing a birth certificate
To apply for birth certificate replacement, you need to visit the nearest Huduma Centre and they will take you through the process.
5. Kenyans living abroad
If you are Kenyan living abroad and want to apply for a birth certificate for your child, you need to visit the Kenyan Embassy. This can only be possible if the parents of the child are Kenyans, but the child was born outside the country. You will be required to provide the following.
Please note that the processing time takes 3 months or more depending on the time it takes for the authorities to verify parents’ citizenship details.
Victor Mochere is an award winning blogger, social media influencer, literati savant, altruistic, and a netpreneur creating and marketing digital content.
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Copyright © 2021 Victor Mochere. All rights reserved.