The Dutch Embassy in Kenya has warned Kenyan travelers intending to apply for Schengen visas, that they can do so only if they are holders of e-passports, as of December 2011.
According to a notice published also by netherlandsandyou.nl, Kenyans must hold the new East African Community biometric e-passport, or else they won’t be eligible to apply.
“From the 1st of December 2019 only the new East African Community biometric e-Passport can be accepted for Schengen visa applications,” the notice reads.
The Netherlands had noted at the end of July this year, that as of December 1, it would no longer accept the old-generation Kenyan passports.
“The Schengen Member States, therefore, wish to inform the Kenyan public that from 1st of December 2019 ONLY the new East African Community biometric e-Passport can be accepted for Schengen visa applications,” the notice read.
The notice also explained that November 30, would be the last day of acceptance for non-biometric Kenyan passports for Schengen visa application, due to the Schengen regulations that all travelers must have a minimum validity of three months in their passports beyond their intended departure from the Schengen, when applying for a visa to the Schengen area.
“According to Article 12 (a) of the Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009, commonly known as “Visa Code”, the validity of a travel document shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Schengen Member States,” it explained.
Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya had announced that as of March 1, 2020, all old-generation Kenyan passports will be rendered invalid. These passports were in fact set to become invalid last August 31, but the President extended the deadline.
All old-generation Kenyan passports will be rendered invalid from March 1, 2020, according to an official notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to all diplomatic missions.
Throughout the year we are leaving behind, the German embassy in Nairobi had also announced in May that Kenyans would no longer be able to get a visa to Germany with an old generation passport. Germany also warned Rwandan nationals that from June 1 and on, they too would not be able to apply for a Schengen visa to Germany without a biometric e-passport.
