Kenya has made several strides to negotiate better travel plans with other countries and there are several countries whose citizens can travel to Kenya without a visa. In this guide, I have provided everything you need to understand regarding obtaining your visa prior to your Safari in Kenya.
A visa is an official document that permits foreign nationals to enter and remain in a country for a certain number of days. The type of visa you will need depends on the purpose of your visit, and this must be declared when applying.
Types of Visas Offered by Kenya
Kenya offers different types of visas depending on the purpose of your visit. They include:
- Tourist Visa – This is the most common visa obtained by those visiting Kenya for leisure or business purposes. It permits holders to stay in the country for up to 90 days out of every 180-day period.
- Transit Visa – This type of visa allows travelers who are passing through Kenya to stay for up to three days before continuing their journey.
- Student Visa – If you plan on studying in Kenya, you will need a student visa that allows you to stay in the country during the duration of your studies.
- Work Visa – This is used by people who intend to work and live in Kenya for an extended period. The visa is valid for up to 12 months and allows multiple entries.
- Diplomatic Visa – This type of visa is granted to diplomatic personnel who will be working as representatives of their country in Kenya.
Kenya Visa Requirements for US Citizens:
American Nationalities are regarded as category 2 visitors under the Kenya e-visa emigration policy. Upon applying American tourists get a 90-day visa to enter Kenya and can extend it further for another 3 months by requesting the extension on fns.immigration.go.ke.Category 2 visitors are those that are required to obtain a Visa in order to gain entry and Kenya’s immigration requires that any American tourist provide the following;
- All travelers, regardless of age, must have a passport with at least two empty pages.
- Your passport must remain valid for at least six months past your arrival date in the Republic of Kenya.
- Once your Visa is approved, you can enter Kenya through one of the country’s 10 recognized airports, 10 seaports, or 11 border crossings.
- The application asks for your planned arrival and departure dates, as well as a hotel reservation in Kenya for at least one night.
- Preferably, provide your travel itinerary with details about places to visit if going as a tourist.
- A Return ticket
Countries that do not need visas to travel to Kenya:
- Barbados,
- Belize,
- Botswana,
- Brunei,
- Burundi,
- Cyprus,
- Darussalam,
- Dominica,
- Fiji Island,
- Ghana,
- Grenada,
- Jamaica,
- Kiribati,
- Lesotho,
- Malawi,
- Malaysia (for less than 30 day stay),
- Maldives,
- Mauritius,
- Namibia,
- Nauru,
- Papua New Guinea,
- Rwanda,
- Samoa,
- Seychelles,
- Sierra Leone,
- Singapore,
- Solomon Islands,
- South Africa
- St. Kitts and Nevis,
- St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
- Swaziland,
- Tanzania,
- The Bahamas,
- Trinidad,
- Tobago,
- Tonga,
- Tuvalu,
- Uganda,
- Vanuatu,
- Zambia &
- Zimbabwe
Can I get a Kenyan Visa on Arrival?
Prior to Jan 1, 2021, visitors to Kenya could get their visa at the airport of arrival but this has since changed. You now need to apply for the visa online prior to traveling
To apply for a Kenyan visa online, you will need to fill out an application form and pay the fee. The application can take up to 72 hours to process, so make sure you start your application in advance of your departure date.
Although online E-Visas are typically issued in less than three days, we recommend applying at least seven working days before you plan to travel. This will give you plenty of time in case the application process takes longer than expected.
Kenyan law dictates that Single Entry Visas are only valid for 90 days after the date of issue, so please don’t apply any earlier than less than 90 days before you plan to arrive and depart from Kenya. On the same trip, if you’re traveling back into Kenya from other East African countries within those first 90 days, then you won’t need an additional visa to re-enter your current Single Entry Visa will suffice.
How to Apply for a Kenyan eVisa:
As highlighted by Porini on this guide, you’ll need to apply for a Kenyan eVisa which usually takes 3 days to be processed. Below are the steps you’ll need to take to make the visa application to be allowed to enter Kenya for your Safari trip;
- Go to the evisa website, using this link
Below is a screenshot of the evisa homepage;
- On the right corner, you’ll see a green button inviting you to create a new account if you don’t have the account yet as a first-time traveler.
- Enter all the required details including required on the form shown in the snapshot below.
- The details you’ll be required to have include;
- Passport Number
- First Name e.g. Wesly
- Last Name (Family Name such as Kirui)
- Select Gender (Male/Female)
- Email Address e.g. john.m@gmail.com
- Confirm Email Address by keying in the email address again e.g. john.m@gmail.com
- Type in a strong password that you will remember (to be used with this account)
- Confirm Password by keying in the password again
- Select your nationality from the drop-down menu.
- Tick to agree to the terms and conditions
- Once completed the above the system logs you into your new e-citizen account
- Click on Directorate of Immigration Services (New Applications)
- After you click the link above, the eVisa dashboard page will show. Click “Continue” to proceed.
- To begin your eVisa application, click on the “eVisa application” link at the bottom of this page.
- You will need to have a saved, scanned passport-type head and shoulders photo in JPEG format on your computer before starting this process. Please note that the portal only accepts JPEG Uploads of 293kb or less; otherwise, it may not upload successfully onto the online form. The photo should also have a white background.
- Before you leave, make sure to have a scan of the bio-data page in your passport as well as your booking confirmation invoice that details arrival and departure dates. That way, everything will be organized and easily accessible.
- After you finish the eVisa Application, submit it along with payment of US$51 using a Visa or Mastercard debit card. If you want to use a credit card for payment, that’s okay too but be aware that an additional 3% fee will apply and your total will come to $54.
- 3 days after you submit your application, check your E-Citizen account page to see if it has been approved. If it has, the status of your application will be indicated as “ISSUED.” At that point, click on the Download tab and print out your E-Visa.
- When you arrive at the airport in Kenya, show your E-Visa to the Passport Control officer. You should go directly to the E-VISA queue at Passport Control.
Cost of Kenya Visa
For tourists, you’ll need to apply for a single-entry visa which is issued to persons whose nationalities require a visa to enter Kenya either for business, tourism, medical or other reasons.
You’ll need to provide a valid travel document and a return ticket for your safari visa to Kenya to be processed.
You’ll need to pay $51 using your Debit, Credit, VISA, or Mastercard. A 1 USD service charge and a card handling fee will be surcharged upon completion of the evisa applications.
Requirements to Apply for a Tourist Visa in Kenya:
- Travel itinerary (Details about places to visit if going as a tourist).
- Hotel bookings.
- Return air ticket
Photo Requirements for Applying eVisa in Kenya:
Below is a list of 9 requirements that I pulled directly from evisa.go.ke’s website;
- DO NOT take a photograph of or scan the photo in your passport.
- Must be taken within the past 6 months, showing your current appearance.
- Must be in color.
- Must show your full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.
- Must show a full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.
- Must be taken in normal street attire. Uniforms should NOT BE worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily.
- Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline.
- If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig, or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture.
- Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons. A medical certificate may be required.
Is a Kenya Visa Required for US Citizens in Kenya?
Yes, citizens from the United States of America are required to obtain a Kenya visa prior to entering the country. U.S. citizens may apply for an eVisa online using their passport and credit or debit card, or they can file an application with their local Kenyan embassy or consulate. The cost of a single-entry tourist visa is USD 51 plus service fees
Countries that Need Visa to Enter Kenya:
Nationals from a total of 150 countries require a visa to enter Kenya which is significantly higher than 44 countries that are exempted from Kenya’s visa requirements.
If you are from any of the countries below including the UK, US, Germany, Canada and others, you are required to apply for a visa by following the instructions above.
Below is the list of 150 countries that require visa;
| Country |
| Albania |
| Algeria |
| Andorra |
| Angola |
| Antigua and Bermuda |
| Argentina |
| Australia |
| Austria |
| Azerbaijan |
| Bahrain |
| Bangladesh |
| Belarus |
| Belgium |
| Benin |
| Bhutan |
| Bolivia |
| Bosnia Herzegovina |
| Brazil |
| Bulgaria |
| Burkina Faso |
| Cambodia |
| Cameroon |
| Canada |
| Cape Verde |
| Central African Rep |
| Chad |
| Chile |
| China {P.R} |
| Colombia |
| Comoros |
| Congo {Brazzaville} |
| Congo {Democratic Rep} |
| Costa Rica |
| Croatia |
| Cuba |
| Czech Republic |
| Denmark |
| Djibouti |
| Dominican Republic |
| East Timor |
| Ecuador |
| Egypt |
| El Salvador |
| Equatorial Guinea |
| Eritrea |
| Estonia |
| Finland |
| France |
| Gabon |
| Georgia |
| Germany |
| Greece |
| Greenland |
| Guatemala |
| Guinea |
| Guinea-Bissau |
| Guyana |
| Haiti |
| Honduras |
| Hong Kong {SAR} |
| Hungary |
| Iceland |
| India |
| Indonesia |
| Iran |
| Ireland {Republic} |
| Israel |
| Italy |
| Ivory Coast |
| Japan |
| Jordan |
| Kampuchea |
| Kazakhstan |
| Kirghizistan |
| Korea South |
| Kuwait |
| Laos |
| Latvia |
| Liberia |
| Liechtenstein |
| Lithuania |
| Luxembourg |
| Macedonia |
| Macau {SAR} |
| Madagascar |
| Malagasy |
| Mali |
| Malta |
| Marshall Islands |
| Mauritania |
| Mexico |
| Micronesia |
| Moldova |
| Monaco |
| Mongolia |
| Montenegro |
| Morocco |
| Myanmar {Burma} |
| Nepal |
| Netherlands |
| New Zealand |
| Nicaragua |
| Niger |
| Nigeria |
| Norway |
| Oman |
| Pacific Isles |
| Pakistan |
| Palau |
| Panama |
| Paraguay |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Poland |
| Portugal |
| Qatar |
| Reunion |
| Romania |
| Russian Federation |
| Salvador |
| Saint Christopher Cape |
| Sao Tome & Principe |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Senegal |
| Serbia |
| Slovakia |
| Slovenia |
| South Africa (For less than 30 days stay) |
| Spain |
| Sri Lanka |
| Sudan |
| Suriname |
| Swaziland |
| Sweden |
| Switzerland |
| Taiwan |
| Thailand |
| Togo |
| Tunisia |
| Turkey |
| Turkmenistan |
| Ukraine |
| United Arab Emirates |
| United Kingdom |
| United States |
| Uruguay |
| Uzbekistan |
| Vatican City |
| Venezuela |
| Vietnam |
| Western Sahara |
| Yugoslavia and former States of Yugoslavia |