Netherlands has notified Kenyans that from December 1, anyone applying for a visa to their country will be required to have the new e-passport.
In a statement on Friday, Netherlands which is a Schengen member said “as from 1st of December 2019, only the new East African Community biometric e-Passport can be accepted for Schengen visa applications.”
The Schengen Area is an zone comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders.
The area mostly functions as a single jurisdiction for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy.
The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
According to an official notification from the Kenyan government issued to all diplomatic missions, all Kenyan passports – except the new East African Community biometric e-Passport – will be rendered invalid from March 1, 2020.
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