Ghana Passport Services in Kenya

If you are a Ghanaian living in Kenya, all passport business — renewals, first-time applications, child passports and replacements — runs through the Ghana High Commission in Nairobi. This guide explains how the process actually works from Kenya, what it costs, and how to plan around the printing cycle in Accra.

Where and How to Apply

Ghana no longer issues passports by post or through agents: biometric capture must be done in person. For applicants in Kenya that means one location — the consular section of the Ghana High Commission on the 4th Floor of the Minet ICDC Complex, Mamlaka Road, Nairobi. There are no outreach passport centres in Mombasa, Kisumu or other Kenyan towns, so applicants from the coast or western Kenya should plan a trip to the capital. Contact the mission first on +254 20 271 5500 or nairobi@mfa.gov.gh to confirm current document requirements and arrange your biometric session; turning up unannounced risks a wasted journey, particularly during busy periods before Christmas and the mid-year travel season.

The application itself starts online through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport portal, where you complete the form and generate the paperwork you bring to your appointment. Staff at the mission can advise if you have difficulty with the online stage.

Documents You Will Need

• Your current or expired Ghana passport (for renewals)
• Completed passport application form
• Four passport photographs on a white background
• Your Ghana Card — now a standard requirement for passport applications; if you have not yet registered, see our Kenya citizenship services guide
• Proof of residence in Kenya (for example a Kenyan work permit, student pass, alien card or utility bill)
• Birth certificate and parental documents for first-time and child applicants
• The applicable fee — see below

For children, both parents should ideally attend, and the child must be present for biometric capture regardless of age. Bring the child’s birth certificate and both parents’ passports; if the birth took place in Kenya and has not been registered with the mission, the consular birth registration should be completed first.

Fees and Processing Times

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets standard fees for passport applications lodged abroad: approximately $50 USD for a 32-page passport and $75 USD for a 48-page passport. Fees vary by mission and may be payable in US dollars or Kenyan shillings at the prevailing rate — confirm the current amount and accepted payment method with the Nairobi mission before you attend. Express processing, where offered, costs more.

Standard processing takes 6–8 weeks. This is not Nairobi being slow: all Ghana biometric passports are printed at the Passport Application Centre in Accra, so your application travels from Nairobi to Accra and the finished booklet comes back on the return leg — conveniently, there are direct Nairobi–Accra flights, but the administrative cycle still dominates the timeline. The practical advice is simple: never book travel against a passport that has not yet been issued, and start a renewal at least three months before your passport expires or before any visa application that needs six months of validity.

Lost or Stolen Passports in Kenya

Kenya has a specific procedure you must follow before the High Commission can help. Report the loss at the nearest police station and obtain a police abstract — the official Kenyan document confirming a report has been made (in many counties you can also initiate this through the eCitizen portal). The mission will not replace a passport or issue emergency documents without evidence that the loss was reported.

With the police abstract in hand, contact the consular section. If you need to travel urgently — typically back to Ghana — the mission can issue an Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC), usually within 24–48 hours, for roughly $30–50 USD. Bring two passport photographs and any proof of identity you still hold, such as a photocopy of the lost passport, your Ghana Card or a driving licence. A full replacement passport then follows the normal 6–8 week cycle. Our Kenya emergency services guide covers this scenario in detail.

Renewing Early: Why It Matters in Kenya

Kenyan work permits, dependant passes and student passes are endorsed against your passport, and Kenya’s Directorate of Immigration Services generally expects a passport with comfortable remaining validity when renewing a permit. If your Ghana passport is close to expiry, renew it before your Kenyan immigration paperwork comes up for renewal — running both processes at once, with one document held in Accra for printing, is a situation worth avoiding. Keep certified copies of your biodata page and Kenyan immigration endorsements before submitting your passport.

Collection and First-Time Applicants

When your passport arrives back from Accra, the mission will contact you using the phone number or email on your application — make sure both are Kenyan numbers or addresses you actually monitor, and tell the consular section if they change. Collection is normally in person with your receipt and identification; if you cannot return to Nairobi, ask at submission whether the mission will release the passport to a named representative carrying a written authorisation and their own ID. First-time adult applicants — typically Ghanaians born abroad or those who have never held a biometric passport — face extra scrutiny on proof of citizenship, so bring your Ghanaian birth certificate, your parents’ documents where available, and expect the mission to ask follow-up questions. It is far cheaper to over-prepare for one appointment than to make two trips from Nakuru or Eldoret because a single document was missing.

Official Sources

• Ghana High Commission, Nairobi
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana
• Ghana Immigration Service
• National Identification Authority (Ghana Card)
• Ghana e-Visa Portal

Last updated: 2026-08-04. Fees and requirements change; confirm current details with the High Commission before travelling to Nairobi.