Nairobi skyline with the Kenyatta International Convention Centre

Translation for Kenya

Translation for Kenya – authorized Swahili

We translate into Swahili when CRS, CUE or KRA in Nairobi will not take Swedish. From SEK 1,495. MFA embassy chain only if the recipient requires the stamp.

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Our services for Kenya

Choose embassy legalisation, Swahili translation, or the package when both are required.

Embassy legalisation

Apostille is not enough for Kenya. The chain runs via Notarius Publicus, MFA and the embassy.

From $250 See prices →

Notarisation

Certify signatures and copies. Often required before MFA on private documents.

From $70 See prices →

Translation Swedish → Swahili

Authorized translation by a Kammarkollegiet-approved translator.

From $150 See prices →

Translation Swahili → Swedish

Authorized translation for Swedish authorities, universities and companies.

From $150 See prices →

Bundle: translation + legalisation

The full chain for Kenya in one case when the recipient requires both.

From $350 See package price →

Correct path

Embassy chain – apostille is not enough for CRS

Kenya is outside the Hague Convention. For Swedish originals: notarisation when needed, MFA, then a stamp at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm. Apostille does not replace that chain toward CRS.

Official embassy page: Embassy of Kenya in Sweden

Overview

How it works for Kenya

Kenyan authorities think in Civil Registration Services and eCitizen: birth and marriage certificates against CRS (not a loose “registry”), Maisha Namba at a Huduma Centre, KRA PIN and iTax for tax, CUE for foreign degrees, KNQA for vocational qualifications, BRS for companies, Ardhisasa for land, SHA instead of the old NHIF. Forms are in Swahili or Kenyan English; Kikuyu, Luo and Sheng rarely suffice on originals. We run notarisation when needed, MFA and the embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37, and translate with Kammarkollegiet-authorized Swahili. A document issued in Kenya is legalised there – via the Attorney General and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs in Nairobi. This is the document chain, not eTA and not the East African Tourist Visa.

When needed

When do Kenyan recipients want embassy legalisation?

The contact usually comes from CRS, CUE, KRA, BRS, Ardhisasa or a notary public – not from the eTA portal:

Birth or marriage certificate must enter CRS after a move to Nairobi
KRA PIN and iTax papers toward Kenya Revenue Authority
Recognition of a Swedish degree via CUE, not KNQA alone
Land purchase – extracts for Ardhisasa and Lands in Nairobi
BRS or company papers for a counterparty in Mombasa or Kisumu
Hati ya wakala for an agent before a notary public in Nairobi

What CRS, CUE and KRA usually ask for

Typical documents by category. Collapse a box if you want less.

01 CRS and Huduma

Birth and marriage certificates toward CRS
Maisha Namba at a Huduma Centre
Name change against eCitizen
Death certificate toward CRS in Nairobi or Kisumu

02 CUE, KNQA and school

Diploma for CUE
Transcript for a Kenyan university
KNQA for a vocational qualification
Grades that must be read in Swahili

03 KRA, BRS and Ardhisasa

KRA PIN and iTax papers
Company extract for BRS
Land toward Ardhisasa
Hati ya wakala for an agent in Mombasa

From Birger Jarlsgatan 37 to a register in Nairobi

The usual chain from review to return. Collapse a step if you want less.

1 What CRS, CUE or KRA asks for

The request comes from Civil Registration Services, CUE, iTax or Ardhisasa. Apostille and eTA are not on that list.
2 Swahili, not Kikuyu or Sheng

The recipient reads Swahili or Kenyan English. Kikuyu, Luo and Sheng are different languages. Standard documents at list price; longer texts after a scan.
3 Hati ya wakala for an agent in Nairobi

An agent before a notary public in Nairobi or Mombasa wants an attested power of attorney before MFA. Notarius Publicus first.
4 MFA and the Kenyan Embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37

The embassy only stamps the chain MFA has already started. No apostille as a substitute.
5 Return, ready for Nairobi or Mombasa

You get the documents by tracked post, ready for CRS, CUE, KRA or Ardhisasa on the ground.

Important

No apostille for Kenya

Kenya is not in the Hague Convention. Apostille via Notarius Publicus does not replace MFA and the embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37. Legalisation for Kenya starts from SEK 2,495 in Basic. The embassy’s own tariff may be added.

Typical Kenya cases we see

Expand a case to see documents, route and timing.

Moving against CRS in Nairobi Civil Registration Services wants a birth or marriage certificate with the MFA chain. Apostille and eTA are not enough for eCitizen.

Typical documents

Personal extract
Marriage certificate
Swahili if needed

Swahili if needed → notarisation if needed → MFA → embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37

Often 2 to 4 weeks depending on MFA and the embassy

A Swedish degree toward CUE CUE compares foreign degrees. KNQA is vocational qualifications, not the same counter. Original plus Swahili when the school does not read Swedish.

Typical documents

Diploma
Transcript
Swahili

Swahili if needed → MFA → embassy

Often 2 to 4 weeks

Hati ya wakala for an agent in Kenya An agent before a notary public in Nairobi or Mombasa wants an attested power of attorney before MFA. Notarisation first.

Typical documents

Power of attorney
Company extract if needed
Swahili if needed

Notarisation → MFA → embassy

3 to 5 weeks depending on translation

KRA PIN or Ardhisasa on the ground iTax and Ardhisasa trust the embassy chain, not apostille. English is rarely enough on the original in Kisumu.

Typical documents

Tax papers
Power of attorney
Swahili

Swahili if needed → MFA → embassy

Often 2 to 4 weeks

Translation, timing and embassy

Why Swahili is usually needed

CRS, CUE and many KRA counters rarely accept unprocessed Swedish. Authorized Swahili from a Kammarkollegiet translator is its own step, not Kikuyu. From SEK 1,495 for a standard document. Translation plus legalisation from SEK 3,495.

Timeline for CRS, CUE or KRA

The embassy chain usually takes several weeks. Add time for Swahili and any notarisation. The total depends on:

whether the hati ya wakala must be notarised first
whether authorized Swahili must run in parallel
processing at MFA
capacity and fees at the Kenyan Embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37

Kenyan Embassy vs apostille

The embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37 stamps the chain MFA has already started. It does not replace Notarius Publicus, and apostille does not replace the embassy. eTA is a different product. Not Bosnia’s 55 on the same street.

No apostille for ordinary legalisation to Kenya
Notarisation of a hati ya wakala before MFA
Authorized Swahili translation
MFA and embassy chain for Swedish public documents

Embassy of Kenya in Sweden →

Other help we offer

Supporting services that often sit in the same case.

FAQ

Is apostille enough for Kenya?

No. Kenya is not in the Hague Convention. The documents need MFA and the Kenyan Embassy at Birger Jarlsgatan 37. Apostille does not replace that chain.

Is eTA the same as legalisation?

No. eTA and the East African Tourist Visa are entry. CRS, CUE and KRA want the MFA chain on the document, not a travel authorisation.

Do I need Kikuyu or English instead of Swahili?

No. Swahili, Kikuyu and Luo are separate languages. The Kammarkollegiet language is Swahili. Kenyan English sometimes works in the e-queue, rarely on the original at CRS.

Unsure what you need?

Send a scan and we will say which chain applies for Kenya: translation, notarisation and/or Embassy legalisation.