Documents for School Admission in Kenya: Checklist by Grade

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026

Most delays at the admission desk come from one missing paper. This checklist covers the documents for school admission in Kenya at each entry point: PP1 and Grade 1, Grade 7, Grade 10, and transfers in the middle of the year. It also explains what the law says if you do not have a document yet, so a gap does not cost your child a place.

On this page

1. Core Documents for School Admission Almost Every School Asks For
2. What the Law Says if a Document Is Missing
3. Documents for School Admission in Kenya by Grade
4. Children Joining From Abroad or Another Curriculum
5. Private Schools Often Ask for More
6. Applying for a Bursary Too?
7. Get Your Child Ready While the Paperwork Moves
8. Frequently Asked Questions

Core Documents for School Admission Almost Every School Asks For

• Birth certificate (original and a copy). It is also used to create the learner’s UPI.
• Parent or guardian national ID or passport (copy).
• Passport-size photos of the child, usually two to four.
• Learner UPI (Unique Personal Identifier) if the child has been in a Kenyan school before.
• Latest report form or progress record.
• Admission or offer letter where the school or Ministry issued one.

Keep a folder with originals, two photocopies of each, and phone scans. Schools often keep copies and return originals.

What the Law Says if a Document Is Missing

The Basic Education Act, 2013 is clear on three points. Section 33 says a child’s age is determined by the birth certificate, but no child shall be denied admission for lack of proof of age. Section 34 says no child shall be denied admission to a public school, and a public school may only test a child to place them at the right level. If a public school turns your child away, you can notify the County Education Board, which must review the decision.

In practice, apply for the missing birth certificate at the civil registration office at once, because schools normally use it to create the learner’s UPI on the Ministry’s learner database. Our KEMIS and UPI guide explains the current system.

Documents for School Admission in Kenya by Grade

PP1 and Grade 1

• Birth certificate (the Act sets school-going age at four for pre-primary).
• Immunisation or clinic card. Many schools ask for it at this age.
• Parent ID and photos.
• For Grade 1, the PP2 progress report if the child attended pre-primary elsewhere.

Grade 7 (Junior School)

• Birth certificate and UPI.
• Grade 6 report and the KPSEA result slip or assessment number. See what KPSEA results mean.
• A leaving or transfer letter if the child moves to a different school for junior school.

Grade 10 (Senior School)

• The admission letter for the placed school, usually downloaded online.
• KJSEA result slip and assessment number. Our KJSEA result slip guide shows how to get it.
• Birth certificate, UPI, Grade 9 leaving certificate and photos.
• Medical form if the school sends one, plus the school’s own reporting list.

Grade 10 has its own steps, covered in Grade 10 admission letters and reporting. If you are packing for boarding, use the boarding prep checklist.

Mid-Year Transfers

• Transfer or leaving letter from the current school.
• Latest report forms and any school-based assessment records.
• UPI, so the new school can request the learner’s transfer on the database.
• Clearance showing fees are settled, which many private schools require before releasing records.

Children Joining From Abroad or Another Curriculum

Add the child’s passport, reports from the previous school (translated into English if needed) and, for completed certificates such as IGCSE, any KNEC equation letter. We cover this in detail in returning to Kenya: school placement and transferring from IGCSE to a CBC school. Grade 9 entrants from foreign systems also face a KNEC qualifying test before KJSEA; as reported by Kenyans.co.ke, KNEC’s 2025 KJSEA qualifying test ran in June for learners from foreign and alternative systems.

Private Schools Often Ask for More

Expect an application form, an application or interview fee, an entry assessment and a fee deposit. Some ask for a recommendation letter or a baptism or faith letter for sponsored schools. Ask for the full list in writing before paying anything. To compare costs, use our fees directory.

Applying for a Bursary Too?

Bursary forms need a different set of papers, such as fee structures and proof of need. We list them separately in bursary application documents.

Get Your Child Ready While the Paperwork Moves

While you wait for admission, keep learning going. The free CBC Challenge has quick quizzes for every grade, and our revision papers help a child settle into a new class. The Monthly Pass (KSh 500) unlocks full papers with marking guides, and until 15 November it can be bundled with every holiday pack for KSh 550.

Frequently Asked Questions

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