Marrying and Sponsoring a Kenyan Citizen
Listen to this article- Located in Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean between Somalia and Tanzania
- The climate is very varied, from tropical along the coast to arid in the interior. There are two rainy seasons May to August and September to November. December to March is hot and dry.
- Recurring drought and flooding during the rainy season are some of the hazards in Kenya
Marriage to a Kenyan Citizen
Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Kenyan citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
You must demonstrate to Kenyan officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married, or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven and that you have never committed any crimes in Kenya. This is done by providing various documents, including an Affidavit of Single Status, to the Kenyan government either in Kenya or via a Kenyan embassy.
If you want to bring your Kenyan spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Kenyan Marriage Basic Requirements
- Valid passports
- Birth certificates
- Valid Kenyan visa (for non-Kenyan spouse)
- Sworn legal affidavit declaring single status and free to marry
- Parental consent if one spouse is under 21 years
- Notice if intention to marry 21 days before the marriage ceremony
- Fee of Ksh 200 paid after filling the notice form
- Divorce decree where applicable
- All documents should be in English, if not translations is necessary
After the requirements have been met, the couple can wait for 21 days to complete the affidavit under section 11 of the Kenyan marriage act to be granted the marriage certificate.
Thereafter a marriage date can be booked and a fee of Ksh 1,500 is paid and the wedding must be done within 3 months after the date of the date when the 21 day notice is given.
If your Kenyan spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Kenyan Marriage document application.
The document is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If you do not marry your Kenyan fiancé within 6 months of the issuance of the Kenyan Marriage document, you must apply again with new supporting documents.
Calling Kenya from Canada
- The exit code for Canada is 011
- The country code for Kenya is 254
- To call you dial 011 – 254 – area code – local number
Area Codes of Kenya (landlines only)
| Athi River | 45 | Kilifi | 41 | Mombasa | 41 |
| Bungoma | 55 | Kimilili | 55 | Mumias | 56 |
| Busia | 55 | Kisii | 58 | Nairobi | 20 |
| Eldoret | 53 | Kisumu | 57 | Naivasha | 50 |
| Embu | 68 | Kitale | 54 | Nakuru | 51 |
| Garissa | 46 | Limuru | 66 | Nanyuki | 62 |
| Gilgil | 50 | Lodwar | 54 | Narok | 50 |
| Isiolo | 64 | Machakos | 44 | Ngong | 45 |
| Kakamega | 56 | Malindi | 42 | Nyahururu | 65 |
| Karuri | 66 | Mandera | 46 | Nyeri | 61 |
| Kericho | 52 | Meru | 64 | Ruiru | 67 |
| Kiambu | 66 | Migori | 59 | Thika | 67 |
| Kikuyu | 66 | Molo | 51 | Ukunda/Diani | 40 |
Cells
For dialing cellular phones, use the prefix 7 in place of the area code.
Calling Canada from Kenya
- The international calling code is 00
- The country code for Canada is 1
- To call you dial 00 – 1 – area code – local number
Area Codes of Canada
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
Kenya is on East Africa Time (GMT+3). Kenya does not observe Daylight Saving Time.
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Kenya is Ahead | # of Hours during DST |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 11 hours | 10 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 10 hours | 9 hours |
| Saskatchewan | 9 hours | 9 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario) | 8 hours | 8 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 7 hours | 7 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 6 hours | 6 hours |
| Newfoundland | 5.5 hours | 5.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in Kenya
High Commission of Canada in NairobiLimuru Road Postal Address: Telephone: 254 (20) 366-3000 |
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Sponsoring Your Kenyan Spouse to Canada
Want to know more about marrying in Kenya? Let us know!
