Kenya: new Hague Apostille member (Jan 2025)
The Republic of Kenya acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention 1961 on 14 January 2025 (instrument of accession deposited at the Hague Conference on 14 July 2024; entered into force six months later) per a Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kenya notice. Thai documents bearing a Thai MFA Apostille are accepted directly by eCitizen, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Registrar of Companies (Sheria House, Nairobi), Department of Immigration Services and Marriage Registrar under Marriage Act 2014.
There is no longer any need to file through the Embassy of Kenya Bangkok (Sathorn) or MOFA Nairobi — the chain drops from 3 steps to 1, significantly cutting time and cost, ideal for entrepreneurs setting up East African Community (EAC) HQs in Nairobi.
Popular documents and use cases
eCitizen Registration: Kenya's central government portal (ecitizen.go.ke) for driving licence, NTSA registration, KRA PIN and Single Business Permit — requires Apostilled passport copy.
Registrar of Companies (BRS): Limited Company under Companies Act 2015 — CR1 form + Memorandum + Articles + Director ID with Apostille; ≥1 local Director (Kenyan citizen/resident).
KRA PIN (Personal Identification Number): mandatory for opening bank accounts, buying property, or registering a company — Apostilled passport copy + Thai Tax Residency Certificate (uses Thailand–Kenya DTA 2010).
Department of Immigration: Class D Work Permit (Specific Occupation) / Class G Investor (≥USD 100,000) — Apostilled Diploma + Police Clearance + Medical.
Marriage Registrar (Sheria House): Marriage Act 2014 (Civil/Christian/Hindu/Customary/Islamic) — Apostilled Single Status + Birth Certificate.
Costs and timeline
Thai MFA Apostille: THB 400/page + handling THB 800 = THB 1,200/page; 2–3 business days.
English Sworn Translation (Bangkok): THB 800–1,500/page by an MFA Thailand–registered translator; 1–2 business days.
Notary Public Kenya (re-certify translation): KES 2,000–5,000/page (~THB 600–1,500) — requested by some agencies (KRA, BRS); most accept Thai translations directly.
DHL Bangkok → Nairobi: THB 1,500–2,500/parcel; 3–5 business days.
End-to-end Company Registration (5 documents): THB 5,500–8,500/set, 8–12 business days (40% faster than the legacy chain).
Kenya-specific pitfalls
1) Companies Act 2015 s.474 requires ≥1 local Director — Kenyan citizen or permanent resident. NYC recommends a nominee director service via Nairobi partner.
2) KRA PIN must be obtained within 30 days of arrival (for work permit holders) — penalty KES 20,000 + 1%/month of tax due.
3) Marriage Act 2014 recognises 5 marriage systems — choose in advance; Civil Marriage at Sheria House requires 30-day Notice; Customary/Islamic faster but limited to the same ethnic/religious group.
4) Class D Work Permit requires proof that no Kenyan can fill the role (Labour Market Test); Class G Investor must transfer ≥USD 100,000 to Central Bank of Kenya first.
5) Thai Apostille is valid immediately — no transitional period; Kenya has clearly stated it accepts documents from all Hague members from 14 January 2025.