Booking and attending my ID appointment
Booking through the High Commission, handing over my paperwork and having my fingerprints taken.
Prefer the short version? Read the step-by-step checklist for the documents and official links.
Once I had the paperwork prepared, I booked an appointment with the Kenya High Commission.
I used its appointment website, verified my email address and booked the ID visit. That is the booking route I used, and I have linked the original portal below so you can find it without going through an intermediary.
Booking the visit
The High Commission’s appointment portal (opens in a new tab) starts with an email address you can access and sends a verification link for booking. I would start from the High Commission’s own website if checking the booking route again.
Before a new appointment, I would check the current service instructions, supporting documents, fee and payment method. I would also resolve any question about the declaration’s submission route before the day of the visit.
In my case, I brought the witnessed declaration with the ID paperwork. As I explained earlier in the collection, the current declaration instructions (opens in a new tab) describe postal submission. My experience at the counter should not be treated as confirmation that everyone can submit it there now.
What happened at the counter
I handed over the signed declaration at my ID appointment, and staff accepted it. They also took my fingerprints for the ID during the same visit.
I remember having to fill in the ID application form again at the counter, despite having prepared one beforehand. I do not remember the reason clearly enough to explain it, and I would not assume that every applicant has to do the form twice.
It is a detail worth including because preparing the papers did not mean there was no more paperwork on the day. I would leave room in my plans for questions, corrections or an additional form, and ask staff if I did not understand what was needed.
Payment and what happened next
I paid an ID application fee. I am leaving the amount out of this account because an old payment is not a reliable price for someone applying now. The national ID page (opens in a new tab) is the source I would use to check the current fee and accepted payment method.
I do not have a clear enough recollection to say whether I made a separate High Commission payment for the declaration. Someone combining questions about the two processes should confirm the costs directly, rather than infer them from what I remember.
After the visit, I received acknowledgement and paperwork relating to the declaration. My ID also came back by post. I would keep any receipts and reference details, and ask at the appointment how to follow up if nothing arrives.
The final part of this collection covers that return delivery and the things I would prepare differently next time.