Kenyans seeking Portuguese visas will now submit their applications in Nairobi following new changes announced by the Kenya High Commission in Maputo.
In a statement on Monday, March 30, the High Commission said the update follows the opening of a new visa section by the Embassy of Portugal in Nairobi.
The High Commission confirmed that a new visa processing center is already operational and began receiving applications.
“The Kenya High Commission in Maputo wishes to notify Kenyans applying/intending to apply for the Portuguese visa that the Embassy of Portugal in Nairobi has opened a Visa Section at its premises and has been receiving applications from 5th March, 2026,” the statement read.
The High Commission also addressed the end of a prior arrangement that had allowed another European mission to handle visa processing on Portugal’s behalf.
“Further, the Representation Agreement between the Embassy of Portugal in Nairobi and the Embassy of Greece (Hellenic Republic) in Nairobi for the issuance of Schengen visas ceased on 1st March 2026,” the statement added.
The High Commission clarified that all Portuguese visa applications will now be handled directly by the Portuguese embassy in Nairobi.
“This is therefore to inform that Portuguese visa applications are now processed at the Embassy of Portugal in Nairobi,” the statement concluded.
This comes days after Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian claimed that she was racially profiled while seeking services at the German Embassy in Nairobi.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 25, she took issue with the Embassy after she was kept waiting for long hours outside their gate while white people were allowed into the premises.
Lemaletian questions how ordinary Kenyans would be treated, given that she was a VIP and was still subjected to alleged racism.
“It is very embarrassing that I am still sitting at the gate for hours. Only your fellow white people were allowed through your gates. If you treat a Senator like this, I wonder how much worse it is for our Kenyan citizens. I witnessed racism first hand,” she stated
Lemaletian claimed that the consulate had not replied to her emails seeking an update on the processing of her visa application.
Consequently, she demanded that the Embassy return her passport, stating that she was tired of the humiliation that had gone on for weeks.
“Can I get my passport back since emails are completely a waste of time? My passport is a property of the Republic of Kenya and not of Germany. It is indeed one country I have never wished to visit, and God forbid that I will ever visit it in this lifetime,” she reiterated.
