Kenya cuts passport processing time to 3 days, President Ruto
The government has cut down the time it takes to apply for a passport to between two and three days, President William Ruto has announced.
The government has cut down the time it takes to apply for a passport to between two and three days, President William Ruto has announced.
According to the Head of State, those seeking passports for jobs abroad now receive their crucial documents within 72 hours, a move that ends frustrations for thousands of Kenyans.
“Today, we have a clean channel for people to get jobs abroad. If you have a job abroad, it now takes 2-3 days to get your passport,” Ruto announced at the Ambassadors and High Commissioners’ Conference at Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) on Saturday, March 28.
The eCitizen portal, the official starting point to apply and renew passports, indicates that it takes 10 working days for first-time applications and 5 working days for others.
Two new high-speed printers were installed, capable of producing over 10,000 passports daily, which is double the average demand.
In 2022, when President Ruto came into office, applying for a passport took anywhere between 72 hours and 3 weeks once you have physically submitted your documents and captured your biometrics.
However, backlogs that were over 700,000 meant that wait time could end up stretching to months, six for some.
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Today, despite President Ruto’s assertions, as of March 2026, while many report receiving passports within 7 to 10 days, some applicants still face booking delays for biometric appointments at popular centers like Nyayo House.
According to the President, streamlining the passport systems has seen Kenya export more than 540,000 people for jobs abroad.
The Kenyan passport has strengthened its global standing this year, climbing several spots on the Henley Passport Index.
The Kenyan passport now ranks in position 64th, up from 73rd in late 2025. In Africa, it is ranked as the 9th to 10th most powerful passport on the continent.
Kenya currently holds the strongest passport in East Africa, outperforming regional peers like Tanzania (65th) and Uganda (71st) in global mobility.
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