Previously, many Kenyans faced difficulties finding qualified individuals to endorse their passport applications, with some even paying for signatures or turning to unverified recommenders to meet the requirement.
The department has now confirmed that applicants are no longer required to provide a recommending officer for their passport applications to be processed.
According to the DIS, the change comes as the government increasingly relies on biometric verification, including fingerprints, national identity cards, and passport photographs matched against official government databases, making third-party endorsements largely unnecessary.
In the past, recommending officers were expected to verify an applicant's identity, confirm that submitted photographs were a true likeness, and certify the authenticity of the application.
They also had to meet strict eligibility requirements, including holding a valid Kenyan ID or passport, not being related to the applicant, and often belonging to recognized professions such as law, medicine, banking, the clergy, or the civil service.
Immigration officials say the revised process strengthens the integrity of passport applications by reducing reliance on signatures that were often difficult to verify and, in some cases, fraudulently obtained.
The department added that removing the mandatory recommendation requirement will help curb fraud linked to forged endorsements while easing bureaucratic hurdles that previously slowed down passport processing.
Going forward, passport verification will primarily depend on biometric data and official documents such as national identity cards and birth certificates, making the application process faster, more secure, and more convenient for Kenyans.
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