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East Africa · 1.29° S · 36.82° E

Kenya visa and entry requirements

Every visitor to Kenya who is not exempt, children included, needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation approved before departure. Since early October 2026, the portal also requires Kenyan inbound travel health insurance before an application can be completed.

Verified on etakenya.go.ke · October 21, 2026

Key facts

Authorisation
Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) – Tourists & Visitors
Stay
90 days · Single entry
Validity
90 days from issue
Authority processing
Up to 3 business days
Passport
6 months beyond arrival

Kenya's immigration service recommends applying at least 2 weeks before travel. Standard processing takes about 3 working days (72 hours) and can take longer; for urgent trips, the expedited option costs USD 100 on top of the fee and is processed immediately.

With your passport

eTA required

You need an eTA before you fly

American passport holders need an eTA for to Kenya. It is linked to your passport and checked by the airline before boarding.

Standard

Filed within 24 hours

Rush

Filed within 4 hours, front of the queue

Super Rush

Filed within 1 hour, dedicated agent

Government express processing included

Apply now

Your typical itinerary

  1. Today
  2. Filed on the official portal
  3. Authority decision
  4. Delivery

Dates calculated for the Standard service, from a payment made today.

The Kenya eTA replaced visas in January 2024 and is issued by the Directorate of Immigration Services through etakenya.go.ke. Citizens of the East African Community partner states are exempt, as are nationals of the countries listed in the 2025 immigration rules, mostly African but also including Malaysia, Singapore and several Caribbean and Pacific states. The portal reads your passport page automatically and compares your selfie with the passport photo. The standard eTA is single-entry; the length of stay, up to 90 days, is set by the immigration officer when you arrive. Since early October 2026, Kenyan government-provided inbound health insurance, sold inside the eTA flow, has been a condition for completing the application.

Most visited cities

  • 1.29° S · 36.82° E

    Nairobi

    Capital and safari hub, with Nairobi National Park at the city's edge and the National Museum.

  • 4.04° S · 39.67° E

    Mombasa

    Historic port on the Indian Ocean, with Fort Jesus, the Old Town and nearby beaches such as Diani.

  • 3.22° S · 40.12° E

    Malindi

    Beach town with a Swahili history, the Vasco da Gama Pillar, a marine park and the nearby Gedi ruins.

Photo credits: Nairobi — Lebu Ayiga, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mombasa — Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Malindi — Lebu Ayiga, CC BY-SA 4.0

Documents you need

Your passport scan covers most of the form. These are the files the official portal asks for.

  • Passport photo page

    Clear colour photo/scan of the bio-data page, full page with MRZ visible, JPG/PNG/PDF. The portal auto-reads the page; passport must be valid 6 months after arrival with 1 blank page.

    Required
  • Selfie or passport-style photo

    Recent, plain/white background, face straight to camera, no hat/sunglasses; must match the passport photo (portal performs face-match). Upload or webcam capture.

    Required
  • Accommodation booking confirmation

    Hotel booking(s) covering the stay, or host invitation letter; PDF/JPG/PNG.

    Required
  • Arrival and departure itinerary

    Flight/ferry/bus ticket or booking confirmation showing arrival into and departure from Kenya; PDF/JPG/PNG.

    Required
  • Yellow fever vaccination certificate

    Only if arriving from or transiting a yellow-fever endemic country. Scan of the ICVP.

    If it applies
  • Any other supporting document

    Optional: invitation letter, host ID, vaccination/test certificates when requested.

    If it applies

How it works

From scan to payment in under 60 seconds.

  1. 01

    Scan your passport

    Point your phone at the photo page or upload it. We read it in seconds — nothing to type.

  2. 02

    See the full price, then pay

    Service fee and government fee are shown before you pay. No account needed, just your email.

  3. 03

    Answer what’s left

    Only the official questions your passport did not answer. Saved as you go; finishing them is what lets us file.

  4. 04

    Track it to your inbox

    We file on the official portal, follow up with the authority and send you the approved document.

Entry rules at the border

Passport
6 months beyond arrivalValid at least 6 months after your date of arrival in Kenya.
Blank pages
1 blank pageThe eTA FAQ asks for at least one blank page; UK government advice says two, so keep two free pages.
Onward ticket
RequiredRequired. The application asks for an itinerary showing arrival into and departure from Kenya, whether by air, road or ferry.
Vaccinations
Yellow fever certificate if arriving from a risk countryA yellow fever certificate is required only from travellers aged 1 year or more arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission; travellers flying in from Europe or North America are not concerned. Parts of Kenya are themselves a risk area, so WHO recommends vaccination for most itineraries outside Nairobi and the coast, and the next country on your trip may ask for the certificate. Because of the Ebola outbreak centred in the DRC, arrivals from Uganda, Ethiopia and the DRC may face enhanced health screening.
Insurance
MandatoryMandatory since early October 2026 for most visitors staying less than 12 months: Kenyan government-provided inbound travel health insurance, about USD 44 plus small fees for an adult, bought inside the eTA application or, if you already hold an eTA, on the eCitizen insurance portal. Foreign travel insurance is not accepted in its place. According to the UK government, the cover is valid 90 days for multiple entries. The scheme has been challenged in court, so check the portal before paying.
Ports of entry
The eTA is valid at all entry points, including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Moi International Airport in Mombasa and land borders such as Namanga, Busia and Malaba. Declare your actual arrival point on the form.

Also good to know

  • Single-use plastic bags are banned in Kenya; duty-free carrier bags may be confiscated on arrival.
  • Single entry, with one exception: you can re-enter after a side trip to an East African Community partner state while your visitor's pass is still valid.
  • Visitor's passes can be extended within Kenya up to 180 days in total through the Directorate of Immigration Services.

Why applications get refused — and what we check

Selfie does not match the passport photo

The portal compares the selfie or uploaded photo with the passport photo it reads from your scan. A dark image, glasses, a hat or a passport photo taken many years ago can block the application.

What we checkA careful agent checks that the photo is recent, front-facing, on a plain light background without glasses or headwear, and recognisable against the passport picture.

Passport data read incorrectly

The portal pre-fills your name and passport details from the scan and asks you to confirm them. A misread letter that is confirmed without checking creates a mismatch with the passport at the border.

What we checkEvery pre-filled field is compared character by character with the passport's data page and machine-readable zone before confirming.

Missing itinerary or accommodation

A booking showing arrival and departure, and hotel bookings or a host's invitation covering the stay, are required uploads. Partial bookings that leave nights uncovered lead to refusal.

What we checkThe bookings are laid out against the trip dates to check that every night in Kenya is covered and that the exit date matches the declared departure.

Insurance not linked to the passport

Since October 2026 the application cannot be completed without recognised inbound health insurance tied to the passport number. A foreign policy or a policy bought under a different passport number is not detected.

What we checkThe policy is bought on eCitizen or inside the eTA flow with the exact passport number used for the application, and its dates are checked against the stay.

What if…

Real situations our agents handle, and what to do.

You cross into Tanzania for a few days and come back to Kenya
Re-entry after a side trip to an East African Community partner state is allowed while your visitor's pass is valid. Keep the Kenyan entry stamp and the eTA approval at hand for the return crossing.
You fly in 5 days
Standard processing takes about 3 working days and can take longer. The expedited option, USD 100 on top of the USD 30 fee, is processed immediately according to the eTA portal.
You are arriving from Uganda after a gorilla trek
Uganda is a yellow fever risk country, so the vaccination certificate is required at the Kenyan border; carry the original. Arrivals from Uganda may also face enhanced Ebola screening while the outbreak centred in the DRC continues.
Your child travels with you
Children need their own eTA. A parent or guardian applies for them with the 'applying for someone else' option, ideally within a group application so the family pays once.
Your safari runs longer than the stay granted at the border
Ask the Directorate of Immigration Services for an extension of your visitor's pass before it expires. Extensions can take the total stay to 180 days; overstaying leads to fines and possible removal.

Questions travellers ask

Who needs a Kenya eTA?
Every foreign visitor, including babies, unless they are a citizen of an East African Community partner state or a national of one of the countries exempted by the 2025 immigration rules, listed on etakenya.go.ke. Diplomats accredited to Kenya also apply, without paying the standard fee.
How much is the eTA fee?
USD 30 for the standard single-entry eTA, USD 20 for a transit eTA and USD 300 for a one-year multiple-entry eTA; US citizens can take a five-year multiple-entry eTA for USD 185. Expedited processing adds USD 100. The mandatory health insurance is charged separately.
Is travel insurance really mandatory?
Yes, since early October 2026: the eTA application cannot be completed without Kenyan government-provided inbound health insurance, about USD 44 plus small fees for an adult. Foreign policies are not accepted instead, and the UK government says the cover lasts 90 days for multiple entries.
How long can I stay?
Up to 90 days, as decided by the immigration officer on arrival and recorded in your visitor's pass. The pass can be extended inside Kenya up to 180 days in total.
Why does the portal ask for a selfie?
It matches your face against the passport photo read from your scan. If the two do not match, the application cannot proceed, so use good light and a neutral expression.
Can I apply for my whole family at once?
Yes. The group application lets one person enter each traveller and pay once. Parents or guardians complete the application for children under 18.
Do I need a yellow fever vaccination?
A certificate is only required if you are aged 1 year or more and arrive from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission; arriving from Europe, you are not concerned. Vaccination is still recommended by WHO for most of Kenya outside Nairobi and the coast, and countries you visit next may ask for the certificate.
Can I go to Tanzania and come back on the same eTA?
Yes. The eTA is single-entry, but re-entry after a side trip to an East African Community partner state, such as Tanzania, Uganda or Rwanda, is allowed while your visitor's pass is valid.
What if I am flying within the week?
Use the expedited option: USD 100 on top of the USD 30 fee, processed immediately according to the eTA portal. The insurance step still has to be completed first.
Can I bring plastic bags?
No single-use plastic carrier bags. Kenya has banned them, and bags from duty-free shops can be taken from you at the airport.
Do I need to print the eTA?
No paper is required: the portal says to print the PDF, download it to your phone or save it in the official Kenya Travel Authorisation app, and show it at departure and arrival. Keeping a copy of the insurance certificate as well avoids delays at check-in and at the immigration desk.

Other passports

The requirements above are for an American passport. For another passport, change it in the price column or see the list.

Entry without a visaSee the 77 passportsPassports77Stay60 to 90 daysGovernment feeNoneProcessingNone

77 passports enter Kenya without a visa, for stays of 60 to 90 days. Nothing has to be filed before the flight to Kenya: the passport is stamped at the border. What trips people up: Kenya wants the passport valid 6 more months from the arrival date.

eTA before departureSee the 121 passportsPassports121StayUp to 90 daysGovernment fee$74ProcessingUp to 3 business days
Your passport is in this group

121 passports need the eTA for Kenya, filed online before departure. The government fee for the eTA for Kenya is $74, and the authorities take up to 3 business days. Besides the passport, the eTA for Kenya asks for 6 documents.

Visaska is a private company, unaffiliated with any government. You can apply directly with the authorities at www.etakenya.go.ke.

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