The Immigration Department of Kenya has announced that it will start to issue citizens with e-passports at the start of next month.
With the new upgrade, the Immigration Department believe that it will create faster clearance at ports of entry and exit and will apply to new applications/renewals before the current passport is phased out.
E-passports contain a chip that stores the passport holder’s bio-metric information.
“Application procedures remain the same, that is through ecitizen.co.ke and the cost (of application) will remain the same,” the Immigration Department tweeted.
The e-passport will replace ordinary passports, as well as the EAC passport – which was set up to smooth the travel of East Africans in the East Africa region – within the next two years.
Through the e-citizen portal, applicants pay Sh4,550 ($44) for a 32-page passport while 48-page passport costs Sh6,050 ($58).
“Smart gates that will be used alongside the e-passports will be introduced at our airports,” the department added.
The issuance of the e-passports, which have delayed for two years, is part of a wider East Africa strategy to enhance integration with the passports set to be rolled out in the other EAC countries in the coming months, reports Capital FM.
Nearly 50 countries have issued e-passports to their citizens including Ghana, Gabon, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritius.
