Updated 14 November 2026
Dual citizenship Kenya is allowed by the Constitution: a citizen by birth does not lose Kenyan citizenship by acquiring another country’s citizenship. You must still declare the other citizenship. Section 8(3) of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 requires every dual citizen to disclose the other citizenship in the prescribed manner within three months of becoming a dual citizen. Failure is an offence, with a fine of up to KSh 5 million or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, under section 8(4).
Checked on 12 November 2026 against Article 16 of the Constitution as published by the Kenya Law Reform Commission, the official eFNS information pack on declaration by a dual citizen, the Directorate of Immigration Services “Requirements for Citizenship” checklist (Form 3 section) and the Directorate’s Service Delivery Charter 2025. Fees and document lists differ slightly between those official papers; both are set out below. Confirm the current fee and list on eFNS before you pay.
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In this guide
What dual citizenship Kenya law actually says
Article 16 of the Constitution is short: “A citizen by birth does not lose citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of another country.” That is the rule for citizens by birth. It is not, by itself, a complete guide to every other citizenship path (registration, marriage or regained citizenship), which have their own forms on the same Immigration checklist. This dual citizenship Kenya page is about the declaration that a Kenyan who already is, or is becoming, a dual citizen must make.
The three-month declaration and the penalty
The eFNS information pack quotes the Act directly. Section 8(3) says every dual citizen shall disclose his or her other citizenship in the prescribed manner within three months of becoming a dual citizen. Section 8(4) says a dual citizen who fails to disclose in the prescribed manner commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding five million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both. The “prescribed manner” is the Form 3 application on the eFNS portal.
Four official steps on the eFNS portal
The eFNS pack sets out this sequence for a dual citizenship Kenya declaration on the official portal:
- Create a login account on the Government of Kenya Single Sign-On portal.
- Log in with that account to the eFNS portal at fns.immigration.go.ke.
- Select “Apply now”, then “Submit Applications”, then the Dual Citizenship tab, and complete Form 3.
- Print the completed form. The pack says incomplete applications will not be accepted, and that application print-outs must be presented to the Immigration headquarters or Kenya missions abroad. You receive automatic notifications by email and on your online account.
If you need a Kenyan passport or identity card first, or you are applying from abroad for other immigration documents, our guides to the Kenya eTA (for visiting family who are not Kenyan citizens) and to a power of attorney for diaspora may be relevant to the practical side, but they are not a substitute for Form 3.
Documents for Form 3
Two official Immigration lists were current when we checked, and they overlap without being word-for-word the same. Take both to the portal and confirm what eFNS asks for on the day you apply.
The eFNS information pack asks for: a printed online Form 3 (print it after you complete the application); two passport-size photographs; a copy of your birth certificate; a copy of your Kenyan passport; a copy of your Kenyan identity card; a copy of the other country’s passport; a copy of the other country’s citizenship certificate; a copy of a police clearance certificate; and a copy of the official checklist.
The Directorate’s “Requirements for Citizenship” checklist, under “Declaration of Dual Citizenship – Form 3”, asks for: a duly completed Form 3 attested to by a commissioner for oaths; passport-size photographs; a copy of your Kenyan passport and/or identity card; a copy of the other country’s passport; a naturalisation certificate; and a copy of your birth certificate.
Fees and how long it takes
The official fee figures are as follows, and you should confirm them on eFNS before paying, because the two documents present them differently:
- The Service Delivery Charter 2025 lists a processing fee of KSh 20,000 for issuance of citizenship applications, and “Declaration of Dual Citizenship: Kshs. 10,000/-“, with a timeline of two weeks.
- The citizenship checklist, Form 3 section, lists an application fee of KSh 20,000 and an issuance fee of KSh 10,000.
Taken together, the official dual citizenship Kenya papers point to a KSh 20,000 application or processing fee and a KSh 10,000 issuance or declaration fee. Pay only through the official portal, and keep the receipt. The charter timeline for the declaration is two weeks; that is a service target, not a guarantee.
A dual citizenship Kenya declaration is therefore a legal duty, not a courtesy: Article 16 protects citizenship by birth, Form 3 on eFNS is the prescribed dual citizenship Kenya process, and section 8(4) sets the penalty if you skip a dual citizenship Kenya disclosure. Start on the official portal and confirm the fee there.
Frequently asked questions
Does acquiring a British, Canadian or US passport cancel my Kenyan citizenship?
Not if you are a Kenyan citizen by birth. Article 16 says you do not lose that citizenship by acquiring another country’s. You must still declare dual citizenship Kenya status on Form 3 within three months.
What is the penalty if I do not declare dual citizenship Kenya status?
Section 8(4), as quoted on the official eFNS pack, provides for a fine not exceeding KSh 5 million or imprisonment for up to three years, or both, on conviction.
Can I apply from abroad?
Yes. The eFNS pack says application print-outs must be presented to Immigration headquarters or Kenya missions abroad. Start the application on the official portal, then follow the presentation instructions you are given.
How much is the fee?
Confirm on eFNS. The 2025 Service Charter and the official checklist both refer to KSh 20,000 and KSh 10,000 in connection with the declaration, presented as processing or application and issuance fees. The charter’s timeline is two weeks.
Related: How to open a Kenyan bank account from abroad
Related: Power of attorney Kenya: a guide for diaspora
Related: Kenya eTA 2026: requirements, cost and how to apply
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