Document attestation in Kenya is the process of preparing a Kenyan document for acceptance outside Kenya. In most cases, the chain is: original document check, notarization or issuing-authority verification where required, Ministry of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs authentication through MFA eCitizen, and then embassy or consular legalization for the destination country. Kenya documents are generally handled through consular legalization, not a Hague apostille route.
Biz Brokers Kenya assists individuals, families, companies, employers and foreign institutions with document authentication and legalization in Kenya. We review the document type, confirm the destination-country requirement, prepare the file, submit the MFA authentication request through eCitizen, and coordinate embassy legalization where required.
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| What is the main government step? | MFA authentication / legalization through the Ministry of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs eCitizen portal. |
| What documents can be handled? | Academic certificates, birth/death certificates, marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, medical reports, powers of attorney, notarized documents and trade/company documents. |
| How long does it take? | Simple MFA matters may take a few working days; full notary + MFA + embassy legalization commonly takes about 5–14 working days depending on the embassy and document type. |
| How much does it cost? | Costs depend on the chain required. Budget for document review, notarization/verification where required, MFA eCitizen fees and embassy fees. Our handling packages start from KES 9,500 for standard MFA handling. |
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The cost depends on the document, destination country and the exact route required. A birth certificate going only through MFA authentication is not priced the same as a power of attorney that must go through notary, High Court verification, MFA and embassy legalization.
| Service / step | Indicative budget | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Document review and route advice | KES 2,500 – 5,000 | Where you need confirmation of the right chain before starting. |
| Notary Public / notarized copy | KES 5,500 – 15,000+ | Powers of attorney, affidavits, private legal documents, declarations and certified true copies. |
| Issuing authority / registry / High Court verification | KES 3,500 – 8,500+ | Where the document must be verified before MFA or embassy acceptance. |
| MFA authentication through eCitizen | Payable on the MFA eCitizen invoice | Core government authentication/legalization step for Kenyan documents intended for use abroad. |
| Embassy / consular legalization | Varies by embassy; often KES 5,000 – 25,000+ | Required where the destination country’s embassy/consulate must legalize the MFA-authenticated document. |
| Biz Brokers standard handling | From KES 9,500 per document | Document preparation, submission support, tracking and collection coordination for standard cases. |
| Full-service handling | From KES 25,000+ per document | End-to-end notarization/verification, MFA authentication, embassy legalization and courier coordination. |
For most document authentication and legalization matters, prepare the following:
The correct process depends on whether the document is a public/government document, academic document, private legal document or company document. These are the two most common flows.
Typical for birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, police clearance certificates and some civil registry documents.
Typical for powers of attorney, affidavits, declarations, contracts, board resolutions, company documents and certified true copies.
Document type, purpose and country.
Notary or verification where required.
Authentication/legalization via eCitizen.
Final consular legalization if required.
The Ministry of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs provides online authentication/legalization services through the MFA eCitizen portal. The portal lists application options for medical certificates and reports, birth and death certificates, marriage certificates and notarized documents, among other services.
We handle personal, academic, court, commercial and company documents for use abroad. Common examples include:
| Process stage | Typical timeline | What can delay it |
|---|---|---|
| Document review | Same day – 1 working day | Unclear scans, missing destination country or incomplete instructions. |
| Notary / certified true copy | 1–2 working days | Unsigned documents, inconsistent names or missing ID/passport copy. |
| Issuer / High Court / registry verification | 1–5 working days | Manual records, old records, institutional delays or incomplete references. |
| MFA eCitizen authentication | Usually a few working days | Portal workload, document category and verification requirements. |
| Embassy legalization | 2–10+ working days | Embassy appointment availability, payment rules, courier rules and country-specific requirements. |
End-to-end estimate: straightforward MFA-only matters can be faster, while full notarization + verification + MFA + embassy legalization commonly takes about 5–14 working days.
Many clients ask for an “apostille in Kenya”. In practice, Kenyan documents are normally processed through MFA authentication and embassy/consular legalization. The receiving country may call it apostille, attestation, authentication or legalization, but the Kenya-side route must match the accepted Kenyan process and the destination-country embassy requirements.
Embassy requirements differ by country and document type. Below are common practical patterns:
Often require a full chain: notary or issuer verification where applicable, MFA authentication and embassy/consular legalization.
May require certified translations, strict document formatting and embassy-specific submission rules. Academic and civil documents should be reviewed before submission.
Requirements vary by receiving institution. Some institutions accept MFA-authenticated documents, while others require additional notarization, verification or consular steps.
Foreign company registration, banking, tendering and immigration matters may require attested certificates of incorporation, CR12, board resolutions, powers of attorney and constitutional documents.
It is the process of verifying and legalizing a Kenyan document so it can be accepted by a foreign institution, embassy, employer, school, bank or government office.
No. MFA authentication is the Kenyan government authentication step. Embassy legalization is the destination country’s consular acceptance step and may be required after MFA.
Yes. We can review the document, advise the right route, coordinate notarization/verification where needed, submit or support MFA eCitizen processing, and assist with embassy legalization.
In most cases, yes. The original is usually required for verification and authentication. Some preliminary checks can be done from scans.
Simple MFA matters may take a few working days. Full-service legalization involving notary, verification, MFA and embassy steps commonly takes about 5–14 working days.
The cost depends on document type and required chain. Standard handling starts from KES 9,500 per document, while full-service matters including notary, verification, MFA and embassy coordination start from KES 25,000+.
Yes. We assist with Kenyan documents required for immigration, employment, study, marriage, company registration, banking, tendering and legal transactions abroad.
Send us the document type, destination country and purpose of use. We will confirm the correct route, expected cost and timeline before submission.
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