Kenya Visa and eTA Requirements

Last checked 15 October 2026.

Kenya no longer issues visas on arrival. Instead, most visitors apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before they travel, and many African nationals need nothing at all.

If you need an eTA

This applies to most visitors from outside Africa, including holders of Indian, Emirati, Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti, Bahraini, Omani, Jordanian, Lebanese, Israeli, British, American, Canadian, Australian, European, Japanese and Indonesian passports.

Apply only through the official portal, etakenya.go.ke, at least two weeks before travel. Approval usually takes about three working days, and an urgent service is available.
Fee: US$30 for a standard eTA. Since 6 October 2026, the portal also requires non-African travellers to buy Kenya's mandatory inbound travel health insurance during the application, at US$44 per person plus small processing fees. Allow around US$75 to US$80 per person in total.
Every traveller needs their own eTA, including children.
You will need: a passport valid for at least six months with a blank page, a passport-style photo, your flight itinerary and your accommodation confirmations.

If you do not need an eTA

East African Community citizens (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) may stay up to 180 days.
Nearly all other African nationals, apart from Somalia and Libya, are exempt for stays of 60 or 90 days. This includes Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Some other nationals are exempt for up to 90 days, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Maldives and several Caribbean and Pacific nations.
Holders of Kenyan residence or work permits, and transit passengers who stay on the same aircraft.

The official portal states that all travellers must submit their information before departure, so exempt travellers should check the portal before flying.

Before you go

Yellow fever: a certificate is required if you arrive from a country with risk of yellow fever, and vaccination is recommended for the Masai Mara and most safari areas. See our yellow fever entry requirements page.
Insurance: Kenya's mandatory cover is a minimum, not a substitute for a full travel policy with evacuation and cancellation cover.
Moving on: travelling from Kenya into Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa or the Seychelles usually means showing a yellow fever certificate at the next border.

Kenya's insurance requirement is new and its details may change, so we confirm the current position for every client before travel.

For yellow fever, tipping and everything else to arrange before you travel, see Before You Travel. Every Oloi Shorua journey includes a check of the entry requirements for your passport and route. If you are planning a journey, we would be pleased to begin with a conversation.

Sources

Visa decisions rest with each government, and rules can change at short notice. Please confirm with the official source before you travel.