eCitizen birth certificate Kenya 2026

The birth certificate is the foundation document behind every subsequent ID: National ID at 18, passport, KRA PIN, marriage certificate, and every school enrolment. Kenya has three routes to getting one, depending on whether the birth was registered promptly (Notification of Birth issued at the hospital), registered late, or never registered at all. This guide covers each route on the eCitizen Civil Registration portal.

Standard issue (born in hospital, notification held)

This is the routine case. The birth was registered at hospital and the parents hold the pink Notification of Birth. eCitizen converts that notification into the full A4-size birth certificate.

1. Log in at accounts.ecitizen.go.ke.
2. Select Civil Registration Services.
3. Choose Apply for Birth Certificate.
4. Enter the child's notification number (from the pink slip), date of birth, place of birth.
5. Fill parent details.
6. Submit. eCitizen generates the invoice reference.
7. Pay via paybill 222222 using the invoice reference as account.
8. Certificate is issued to your eCitizen dashboard for download or scheduled for physical pickup at the sub-county Civil Registration office.

Replacement of a lost certificate

1. Log in, Civil Registration Services.
2. Choose Replacement of Lost / Damaged Birth Certificate.
3. Enter the original certificate number (if you have it) or search by name and date of birth.
4. Upload a sworn affidavit explaining the loss.
5. Pay via 222222.
6. Replacement issued to dashboard.

Late Registration of Birth

For anyone whose birth was never registered. Common for older adults born at home, or for children whose notification slip was lost or never issued.

1. Log in, Civil Registration Services.
2. Choose Late Registration of Birth.
3. Complete the application with the applicant's details (or the parent's if the applicant is under 18).
4. Gather evidence: any of hospital records, baptism certificate, school leaving certificate, chief's letter confirming the birth, immunisation card, older sibling's certificate for context.
5. Upload evidence. Submit.
6. Pay via 222222.
7. Attend the sub-county Civil Registration office for verification.
8. Certificate issued after Civil Registration officer's approval.

Correction of names, dates, or particulars

If the existing certificate has a wrong name, wrong date, or wrong parent's ID, you cannot just print a new one. You need a Rectification application.

1. Log in, Civil Registration Services.
2. Choose Rectification / Amendment of Birth Record.
3. Detail the specific error and the correct value.
4. Upload evidence: sworn affidavit explaining the discrepancy, baptism certificate, school records with the correct name, both parents' IDs.
5. Submit and pay.
6. Certificate re-issued after Civil Registration officer's approval, usually within 2 to 8 weeks.

Documents by scenario

• Standard issue: Notification of Birth, parents' IDs.
• Replacement: sworn affidavit of loss, applicant ID.
• Late registration: hospital records / baptism / school / chief's letter / immunisation card.
• Correction: current certificate, sworn affidavit, corroborating documents with correct name.

Fees

• Standard issue / replacement: KES 200 to KES 250 (unverified 2026; invoice on eCitizen is authoritative).
• Late registration: higher, plus any evidence gathering costs.
• Rectification: comparable to late registration.

Collection

Most certificates are downloadable from the eCitizen dashboard as PDFs with a QR-verifiable serial. Physical certificates on watermarked paper are also issuable and are picked at the sub-county Civil Registration office booked during application. For late registrations and corrections, physical collection is usually mandatory as part of verification.

Related guides

• eCitizen invoice generation flow
• eCitizen invoice not generated: what to do
• eCitizen passport application walkthrough
• Marriage certificate and Good Conduct
• Huduma Kenya services directory

Sources

1. Births and Deaths Registration Act, Cap. 149.
2. eCitizen Civil Registration portal, civilregistration.ecitizen.go.ke, retrieved 26 August 2026.
3. Fees marked unverified 2026; the eCitizen invoice at application is authoritative.

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