Frequently Asked Questions

Our tests place your African ancestry in a present-day country and ethnic group or tribe. For other ancestries, we report an mtDNA haplogroup and/or geographic region. We use the largest number of African DNA samples in the industry to analyze your ancestry. We do not maintain a database of customer information. We do not sell or share customers' personal or genetic information. We do not provide customer information to law enforcement. We do not biobank your genetic material. All genetic material is destroyed at the lab. We analyze mtDNA and Y Chromosome. We do not use autosomal DNA.

Yes. If your mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence or your Y-chromosome markers have African ancestry, we can tell you what present-day country(ies) and ethnic groups in Africa that they share ancestry with. We cannot use data from admixture analyses.

The Kit ID# is found on the Kit packaging and on the Activation card inside of the kit. The Kit ID# protects your confidentiality. You must provide it to get any information about your kit. If you do not activate your kit and lose the Kit ID#, we cannot find your sample. No refunds will be provided. Your order number and email are not the same as the Kit ID#.

Reliability depends on the size of the database, the sampling of the lineages and the accuracy of lineage matches. We use a Sequence Similarity Score (SSS) measure. Our database is the most comprehensive resource of African lineages available.

Highly accurate. 85% of the people we test have identical matches in our database. Others have closely related lineages with 95% confidence.

We tell you WHERE in Africa one branch of your family tree goes back to, not HOW MUCH African ancestry you have. MatriClan tests mother to mother; PatriClan tests father to father.

You must use the Y-chromosome of a male on your father's side (e.g., brother, father, father's brother). It cannot be your son.

Identify a living relative with the same lineage. Contact African Ancestry to discuss options.

We analyze it for ancestry and destroy it after use. We do not sell or share your data.

Yes. See Terms and Conditions.

See the official instruction PDF linked in the FAQ.

Includes online results with ethnic group, country, haplogroup, certificate, e-book, community access, and training.

Estimated 6-8 weeks from lab receipt. Not guaranteed.

We match you to one of 400+ ethnic groups. In rare cases, we may only identify a country or no African result.

No. Estimates are unreliable. We analyze 500 – 2,000 years of lineage.

No. Only mtDNA or Y-DNA for one lineage. No full admixture analysis provided.

You may receive a refund if no match is found. We keep your data to rerun it later. No refunds for non-African results.

No. It is not a paternity test.

Our refund policy can be found here: https://africanancestry.com/policies/refund-policy

See https://africanancestry.com/pages/shipping-policy

Kit ID# is required for processing. It's found on the black envelope and Activation Card. If lost, you will not receive results or a refund.

Contact support. A replacement may be sent for $25 within 90 days. Older kits incur reactivation fees.

A financing partner offering payment plans over 3–12 months with APR based on eligibility.

File a claim at https://claims.route.com. Claims must meet strict filing timelines.

AAFRs are all-inclusive heritage trips with local partnerships, cultural events, and tailored experiences.

Only African Ancestry Family Members (test-takers) and their relatives.

Sometimes. Pricing is available with and without airfare. All else is included.

Trip details require a valid Kit ID or registered email.

Found on the kit envelope, Activation Card, results letter, or online account.

Trip prices are visible after entering a valid Kit ID or email.

Yes. Affirm and PayPal are accepted.

Yes.

Trips are non-refundable, but payment can be applied to a future trip within a year.

Yes. Any African Ancestry Family Member can join any trip.