Have a valid National ID? Use the standard SHA registration guide instead →

SHA Registration Without Valid ID in Kenya: Waiting Card, Lost ID, Refugees and Foreigners

SHA registration normally starts with an ID number, which is why people without one get stuck. The good news is that SHA is not built only for Kenyans holding a plastic card. This guide goes through each group affected: new 18-year-olds waiting for a first ID, people who lost their ID, refugees and asylum seekers, foreign residents, and people registering a relative who has no documents. It also shows which documents help, and whether you can register online, on *147# or only in person.

What to Try First: SHA Registration Without ID by Situation

Your situation	What to do first
Kenyan, just turned 18, ID not yet issued	Take your waiting card and receipt to a Huduma Centre or SHA branch for manual verification. Register with your ID number once you collect the card.
Under 18	Be added as a dependant using your birth certificate or birth notification. See who one SHA contribution covers.
ID lost	Use your ID number if you know it. Carry the police abstract and waiting card when you visit an office.
Refugee or asylum seeker	Choose Refugee as the ID type and use your government-issued refugee document number.
Foreign resident	Choose Foreign Resident and use your Alien ID number.
Holding a Mandate Number	Choose Mandate Number and enter that number.
Registering a relative with no papers	Visit a Huduma Centre or SHA branch with them, or ask a Community Health Promoter.

The Four ID Types SHA Accepts

On the Afya Yangu registration screen, the Select ID Type dropdown lists Kenyan Citizen, Foreign Resident, Refugee and Mandate Number. Some other SHA screens, such as PIN reset, also list Passport. SHA’s health information exchange also recognises birth certificates and birth notifications as identification for children. You must register with the type that matches the document you actually hold. Our SHA registration guide shows the full dropdown screen by screen.

Documents That Can Help When You Have No Valid ID

SHA does not publish one list for every case, so officers at a Huduma Centre or SHA branch look at what you bring. These are the documents that matter, and when each one helps:

Document	When it helps
ID waiting card	You applied for a first, new or replacement ID. It works as temporary identification while the ID is processed.
Police abstract	Your ID is lost. It is also required for a duplicate ID, so carry it with the waiting card.
Your ID number	Even without the card, Afya Yangu and *147# ask for your ID number, first name and phone number.
Expired ID	The number on it is still your ID number.
Birth certificate or birth notification	Children aged 0 to 17 are added as dependants.
Passport	Listed as an ID type on some SHA screens.
Alien card or work permit	Foreign residents.
Refugee documents or Mandate Number	Refugees, asylum seekers and Mandate Number holders (see below).

SHA registration itself is free. If anyone charges you, it is for their help, not an SHA fee.

SHA Registration Without Valid ID: Just Turned 18 or Using a Temporary ID (Waiting Card)

Kenyans become eligible for a first National ID at 18. After you apply at a registration centre, you get a waiting card, an acknowledgement with a reference number that must be handed back when you collect the ID. It proves you applied and works as temporary identification while the ID is processed. In some cases, officers at a Huduma Centre or SHA branch use the waiting card details, together with your other documents, to verify and register you. Carry every document you have, because the officer decides what is enough for your case.

The government has recently urged Kenyans aged 18 and above without IDs to register, and said an ID is needed to access services including SHA registration, subject to the applicable requirements.

SHA Registration Without ID: Lost or Expired ID

A lost card does not change your ID number. SHA’s online registration asks for your ID number, first name and phone number, so if you know the number you may be able to register or log in without the physical card. If you do not remember it, ask at a Huduma Centre or National Registration Bureau office.

• Report the loss at a police station and keep the abstract. It is a requirement for a duplicate ID.
• Apply for a replacement through eCitizen or a registration centre. You are given a waiting card while it is processed.
• Hospital visits: carry the abstract and waiting card so staff can see your case, and ask them to check your SHA status. Use our SHA status check guide.

SHA Registration Without Valid ID: Online, *147# or In Person?

Both the Afya Yangu portal and *147# ask for your ID type, ID number, first name and phone number, and the name is checked against national records. That decides which route works for you:

Your case	Best route
You know your ID number but lost the card or it expired	Try online or *147# with the number
You have only a waiting card and no ID number yet	In person at a Huduma Centre or SHA branch, with the waiting card and receipt
Refugee, foreign resident or Mandate Number	Online or *147# with the matching ID type, or in person
No phone, or an elderly relative with no papers	In person, or through a Community Health Promoter

Some hospitals ask for the ID card used at SHA registration, so carry your ID once you have it. Until then, bring the waiting card and police abstract.

SHA Registration Without a Kenyan ID: Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Refugees and asylum seekers do not hold Kenyan National IDs, but SHA gives them their own ID type: Refugee. Kenya’s Refugees Act gives refugees and asylum seekers the right to identification documents that are sufficient to access services. Legal Notice 143 of 2023 lists the documents declared as refugee identification for services provided by the government:

The Department of Refugee Services (DRS) issues these. UNHCR-issued certificates are no longer treated as primary proof of identity. If you lose your proof of registration, UNHCR’s Kenya helpline is 1517 (toll-free) or helpline.kenya@unhcr.org, and the DRS says registration happens in Kakuma, Dadaab, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and Nairobi (Westlands).

How to register: on Afya Yangu, choose Refugee in the ID type dropdown, enter the number on your refugee document, your first name and your phone number. You can also visit a Huduma Centre or SHA branch with your document. SHA has not published which of the documents above it accepts for registration, so if one is rejected, try your Refugee ID or call 0800 720 601.

SHA Registration Without a Kenyan ID: Foreign Residents

Foreign nationals living in Kenya do not need a Kenyan National ID. SHA’s registration guide lists an alien card or work permit for foreign residents. Choose Foreign Resident on Afya Yangu, or the foreign-resident option on *147#, and enter your Alien ID number. The SHA phone number guide also notes that the *147# flow accepts an Alien ID number.

What Is a Mandate Number on SHA?

A Mandate Number appears as an identification type in SHA’s Afya Yangu dropdown and in the Health Information Exchange client registry, which lists it beside National ID, Alien ID, Refugee ID, Birth Certificate and Birth Notification. That confirms SHA treats it as a valid identifier. What SHA has not published is who is issued one or how to get one.

So the practical rule is simple: if a document or an official has given you a Mandate Number, pick that ID type and enter it exactly as written. If you do not have one and are wondering if you qualify, do not try to obtain one through an agent. Ask SHA on 0800 720 601 or at a Huduma Centre.

Registering Someone Else Who Has No Documents

• A child: add them as a dependant with a birth certificate or birth notification.
• An elderly parent with no ID: visit a Huduma Centre or SHA branch together, or ask a Community Health Promoter. Bring any document they have: old ID, passport, baptism or clinic card, birth notification.
• A relative whose ID was lost: use their ID number if known, and help them apply for a replacement.

Registering someone else is easier when their phone is available for the OTP. If it is not, see the guide to changing the SHA phone number first.

What Not to Do

Where to Get Help With SHA Registration Without ID

For the full list of free options, see our guide to SHA registration assistance.

SHA Registration Without ID FAQs

Can I register for SHA without an ID?

It depends on who you are. Kenyans normally register with a National ID number, but SHA also accepts Foreign Resident, Refugee and Mandate Number ID types, and children under 18 are added as dependants with a birth certificate or notification.

Can I register for SHA with a waiting card?

In some cases, yes. Take the waiting card, your receipt and any other documents to a Huduma Centre or SHA branch, where officers verify your details manually. Call 0800 720 601 to confirm what your case needs.

Can I use a police abstract to register for SHA?

A police abstract helps when your ID is lost. Carry it with your waiting card or personal details when you visit a Huduma Centre or SHA branch.

Is SHA registration without an ID free?

Yes. SHA charges nothing for registration. Any fee comes from a helper, not from SHA.

I just turned 18 and have no ID. What should I do?

Apply for your first National ID, keep your waiting card, and register for SHA once you have your ID number. Until then, ask SHA whether you can stay covered under a parent’s dependants list.

Can I register for SHA if I lost my ID?

Your ID number does not change when the card is lost. If you know it, you can try to register or log in with it. Report the loss, keep the police abstract and apply for a replacement.

Can refugees register for SHA?

Yes. SHA has a Refugee ID type on Afya Yangu. Use the number on your government-issued refugee document, such as the Refugee Identity Card.

Can foreigners register for SHA without a Kenyan ID?

Yes. Foreign residents register using the Foreign Resident option and their Alien ID number. SHA’s guide lists an alien card or work permit.

What is a Mandate Number for SHA?

It is one of the ID types SHA accepts. SHA has not published who is issued one. If you hold a Mandate Number, choose that option and enter the number exactly.

Can I register my child who has no ID?

Yes. Children aged 0 to 17 are added as dependants using a birth certificate or birth notification.

Do I need to pay someone to register without an ID?

No. SHA registration and the official help channels are free. Be wary of anyone who claims to be able to bypass the ID requirement.

Is This the Right Page?

You want to	Page to use
Register with a valid National ID	How to register for SHA
Fix an “ID not found” error	SHA ID not found
Find every free help option	SHA registration assistance
Have someone else complete it for you	Done-for-you SHA registration

Related Guides

Sources

• Digital Health Agency: HIE Client Registry
• Kenya Law: Legal Notice 143 of 2023, The Refugee Identification Documents
• UNHCR Kenya: Applying for asylum
• Department of Refugee Services: FAQs
• Ministry of Health: SHA registration guide (PDF)