Most visitors never need their embassy, but when a passport vanishes or a serious incident happens, knowing the process saves hours. Nearly every mission sits in Nairobi, so travellers on the coast or in the parks must plan for a trip to the capital or a long phone call.
Where the main missions are
All details below come from the official government pages as of 2026. Confirm before you go, as offices move and hours change.
- United States: United Nations Avenue, Village Market, Nairobi. Main line and emergency line for US citizens: 020 363 6000.
- Canada: High Commission, Limuru Road, Gigiri. Telephone +254 20 366 3000. Listed hours are Monday to Thursday 07:30 to 16:00 and Friday 07:30 to 13:00.
- Australia: High Commission, Limuru Road, Rosslyn. Telephone +254 20 427 7100.
- United Kingdom: British High Commission, Nairobi. GOV.UK gives the 24-hour consular numbers as +254 (0) 20 2873000 or +254 (0) 20 2844000, and says to choose the emergency option. We found conflicting street addresses in third-party listings, so check gov.uk before visiting in person.
- Germany: Ludwig Krapf House, Riverside Drive 113, Nairobi. Telephone +254 20 426 2100. Out-of-hours emergency line widely listed as +254 721 322 443.
Other EU citizens can use any EU embassy in Nairobi if their own country has no office, under EU consular protection rules.
Emergencies: what to do first
- Call Kenya’s general emergency number, 999 or 112, for police, ambulance or fire.
- Then ring your own embassy’s emergency line. Do this on the day, not the next week.
- Contact your travel insurer, which usually arranges medical evacuation. Our Kenya travel insurance guide covers what to look for.
What an embassy can do
- Issue an emergency or replacement travel document.
- Help you reach family and arrange money transfers.
- Visit you if you are arrested and explain local legal procedure.
What an embassy cannot do
- Pay for fines, hotels, hospital bills or flights.
- Intervene in court cases or get you released.
- Act as a visa agent. For entry rules, read our Kenya visa guide.
Lost or stolen passport: step by step
- Report it to the police. Get an Occurrence Book (OB) number from the nearest station. Insurers and embassies ask for it.
- Contact your embassy by phone or website and ask which form and photos they need.
- Book an appointment at the Nairobi mission. Take your police report, any photocopy or phone photo of the old passport, passport photos and proof of travel plans.
- Collect the emergency document, then check with immigration that you can exit Kenya with it and pay any overstay fees.
Photograph your passport and visa page before you leave home and email the copies to yourself. This speeds up every step. For safer habits in Nairobi, see our Nairobi city guide and our honest look at whether Kenya is safe.