Kenya is set to introduce internationally recognized Seafarer Identification Documents (SID) within the next three months, a move expected to ease global travel for Kenyan maritime workers.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang made the announcement while appearing before the National Assembly’s Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee, chaired by Taita Taveta MP Lydia Haika.
He revealed that a prototype SID card had already been submitted to the International Labour Organization (ILO) for approval.
“ILO has provided feedback to be incorporated in the revised sample card. The updated version will feature actual data embedded in both the chip and QR code before being resubmitted for review,” Kipsang explained.
The State Department has also procured live capture units to facilitate biometric enrolment of seafarers. According to Kipsang, the system will be customised to align with the Kenya Maritime Authority’s (KMA) processes, ensuring real-time data transmission to the National Registration Bureau (NRB).
Unlike the National ID, which serves purely domestic purposes, the SID will comply with international travel standards and function as a passport-like document for seafarers. It will allow Kenyan maritime workers to travel for work without a visa, join ships abroad, disembark for shore leave in foreign ports, and transit through multiple countries with ease.
Committee members pressed for clarity on the timeline and pending requirements. Kipsang noted that final steps include the completion of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) audit and certification by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), alongside acquiring servers and network infrastructure to host the seafarers’ database at KMA and NRB.
“We are working closely with ICAO, and the department understands the importance of this document. Within the next three months, it will be ready,” he assured.
Once launched, the SID is expected to boost Kenya’s maritime industry by enhancing job mobility for seafarers and aligning the country with global maritime labour standards.
