THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED VERY SOON

 

 

COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE VISA TO KENYA

An entry Visa is required by all foreign nationals seeking to travel to Kenya with the exception of the following:

Barbados 

Belize 

 Benin

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam 

Burundi

 Cyprus 

Dominica

Ethiopia

Fiji Island 

Ghana

Grenada 

Jamaica 

Kiribati

Lesotho

 Malawi

Malaysia*

Maldives

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Nauru

Papua New Guinea

Rwanda

Samoa

San Marino     

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Solomon Islands 

South Africa*

St. Kitts and Navis

St. Lucia 

St. Vincent and the Grenadines 

Swaziland 

 Seychelles

Tanzania

The Bahamas

The Gambia 

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago 

Tuvalu

Uganda

 Vanuatu 

Zambia

Zimbabwe

 

 

*for up to 30 days stay

 

 

Please note: Countries marked do not require visas for a period of stay up to 30 days stay. A stay more than 30 days would require obtaining visa on application.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

On 20th February 2009, the Republic of Kenya and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye entered visa waiver agreement for holders of Diplomatic, Official, Special and service passports. This means that the holders of the aforementioned passport holders do not require a visa to enter Kenya.

 

  1. APPLICATION FOR VISAS TO KENYA

 

With effect from 1st January, 2021, the Government of Kenya implemented 100% e-visa application and processing. This means that all Foreign Nationals seeking to visit Kenya are expected to apply online and be issued with e-visa prior to their travel.

The official e-visa website is: www.evisa.go.ke .  Kindly note that this is the only official government website to apply for Kenyan visas online.  We are not responsible for any applications made through other websites.

Also note that the official email address for the Directorate of Immigration Services is [email protected]

 

For telephone enquiries, the directorate can be contacted on the numbers below:

+2541109222062, +254110922063 or +254110922064 Monday to Friday 8.00hrs to 17.00hrs or +254112620512 and +254112620693 after 17.00hrs and weekends.

 

 

 

HOW TO APPLY FOR KENYAN E-VISA ONLINE

 

Applying for e-visa to visit Kenya involves three simple steps:

1. Create an account at www.evisa.go.ke

2. Fill the application form, upload the requirements and pay using visa card, MasterCard and or debit cards

3. After a few days, please “sign-in” again to your evisa account, check your visa status then download the approval and print.

 

4. Download the e-visa PDF from your account once it is approved.

For further inquiries contact: [email protected]

This is for the following visa categories:

  1. Single Entry Visa for Kenya
  2. Referred single Entry Visa
  3. Courtesy/Diplomatic Visa
  4. East Africa Tourist Visa
  5. Multiple Entry Visa (Processing time is up to 6 weeks and only for proven frequent trips in a calendar year)
  6. Transit Visa
  7. 5 Year Multiple Entry Visa for USA citizens only
  1. EXEMPTION OF VISA FEES FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 YEARS OLD

 

With effect from 1st February 2016, children under the age of 16 years (until the 16th birthday), who are accompanying their parents to Kenya are exempted from paying visa fees. Do not submit an application or make any visa fees payment for a child under the age of 16 years. 

 

4. REFERRED VISA

The following countries fall under the visa category that require their visa applications to be referred to the Director of Immigration Services in Kenya for further processing.

  • Afghanistan
  • Armenia
  • Iraq
  • Lebanon
  • Libya
  • North Korea (Democratic Republic of Korea)
  • Somalia
  • Syria
  • Palestine
  • Tajikistan
  • Yemen
  •  Holders of Travel Documents or Certificates of Identity (non-national passports).

Please note that the processing period varies from case to case and may take up to two (2) months.

NB

Referred visa may take longer time to process with no expedited service. (Please note that application for this visa category has to be done online).

 

Applicants of referred visas are advised NOT to confirm their travel arrangements until their visas are considered and approval to issue visa is granted.

Referred Visa Requirements

 

The following are some of the documents you may be required to upload and attach:-

  1. Well completed online application.
  2. Request letter (covering letter) which must be signed by applicant.
  3. Introduction letter from employer (if one is employed).
  4. Attach a valid National Passport or Travel Document or Certificate of Identity. The validity must be at least six months at the time of entry to Kenya.
  5.  Copies of bio-data page (information page with picture) of travel document or passport.
  6.  Copies of Permanent Resident Card for Türkiye (if the applicant is a resident).
  7.  Copies of signed Letter of Invitation from the host
  8. Hotel/accommodation booking
  9. Air ticket reservation
  10.  Recent passport size photo (NB: Computer generated pictures are not acceptable)
  11. Colour copies of the host’s Identification as follows:-

 

For Kenyan hosts : 

  • Please attach colour copies of National Identity (I.D) Card or Bio-data Page of Kenya passport.
  • If you are being invited by your spouse, please attach a copy of Marriage Certificate.

 

For non-Kenyan hosts:

  •  Please attach colour copies of Foreigners Certificate Card or Work Permit.
  • Colour copies of Bio-data page of your own Passport/Travel document.
  • If you are being invited by your spouse, please copy of Marriage Certificate

 

Applications that do not meeting the above requirements may be considered INCOMPLETE and will remain unprocessed or returned for correction.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

The system will take you to payment of the application fees. After the visa has been approved, you will be required to pay the visa fees before the system allows you to print your e-visa.

5. E-VISA FOR DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT HOLDERS

 

PLEASE NOTE:

On 20th February 2009, the Republic of Kenya and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye entered visa waiver agreement for holders of Diplomatic, Official, Special and service passports. This means that the holders of the aforementioned passport do not require a visa to enter Kenya.

 

Visa Requirements for Other Countries holding Diplomatic, Official, special or Service passports.

 

Holders of the above types of passport will apply for Single Entry Visa if they are NOT travelling on official duty.

 

For those travelling on official duty, they are required to apply for Courtesy e-Visa. They will be required to attach the following documents.

 

  • Diplomatic Note (Note Verbal) confirming that the holder is travelling on official duty.
  • A valid national Diplomatic/Official/Service/special passport (with a minimum validity of six (6) months or more with at least two (2) blank pages)
  • Make application online.
  • One passport-sized photograph taken on a white background and within the last six months.
  • Payment is not required
  • Flight itinerary
  • Upload the above requirements and attach to the provides spaces in your online application

 

 

6. EAST AFRICAN TOURIST ENTRY VISA (VALID FOR KENYA, UGANDA AND RWANDA ONLY)

 

This visa allows for Multiple Entry between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda within 90 days from the date of issue (For Tourism purposes only).

 

Requirements

 

Upload and attach the following

  • A valid national passport with a minimum validity of six (6) months with at least two (2) blank pages)
  • Online e-visa application
  • Recent clear colour passport size photo with white background taken within the last six months, taken without glasses, or head-gear.  Religious headgear is allowed.
  • Flight itinerary.

 

 

 

NOTE:

  •  Work is NOT PERMITTED.
  • An East Africa Tourist visa shall NOT be extended.
  • The holder of the East Africa tourist visa shall enter through Kenya and move to either Uganda or Rwanda and return to Kenya without having to apply or pay for another visa within a period of 90 days
  • Payment will be done online.

 

7. TRANSIT VISA

 

A Transit Visa is issued to persons connecting through Kenya to other destinations within a period not exceeding 72 hours within which no available connecting flight. Those connecting flights directly without leaving the airport do not need to apply for a transit visa for Kenya.

 

Requirements

  • A valid original national passport with a minimum validity of six (6) months or more with at least two (2) blank pages.
  • Make application online
  • Attach a recent clear passport-sized photograph taken on a white background and within the last six months.
  • Flight itinerary.

NOTE:

  • Minors (under 18) travelling on their own require written consent from either parent.
  • Transit visa is only valid for three days specifically for transit only. Applicant must give evidence that he/she is purely on transit and could not get a direct onward flight.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE

Visa applications without complete requirements will not be processed. Please ensure all the requirements are met.

For more information on visa application and visa categories based on nationalities, please visit www.immigration.go.ke. or [email protected]. This websites provides comprehensive details on all immigration services provided by the Department of Immigration of Kenya in Nairobi including but not limited to work permit, passes, citizenship, other immigration services and frequently asked questions (F.A.Qs).

Visa applicants who intend to undertake an internship/ placement and volunteer work in Kenya are further required to liaise with their host organizations/ companies in Kenya to make an application for the appropriate authorization to the Director of Immigration Services (P.O. Box 30191, Nairobi. Telephone: +254-222022), prior to their engagement in the respective attachments.

Please note that the possession of a Kenyan Visa is not the final authority to enter Kenya. The immigration officer at the port of entry may deny permission to enter if the visitor is unable to fulfil other immigration requirements and if the entry and presence of such a person in Kenya would be contrary to national interests. Even if such a person is in possession of a valid e-visa for Kenya, provided that any such refusal is consented to by the Director of Immigration Services in Nairobi, his Deputy or Regional Immigration Heads in Mombasa and Kisumu.

A Kenyan visa is e-valid for 3 months from the date of issuance within which one is supposed enter Kenya. If Visa holder fails to enter Kenya within the three months, the visa becomes null and void. For referred visa, the validity is one month. The length of stay in Kenya begins on the date of entry into Kenya, NOT from the date of visa issuance. The authority to stay is the entry stamp issued by the immigration officer at the port of entry. Multiple entry visas are valid for one (1) year or six (6) months.

 

NB: The e-visa system is designed to request for the appropriate visa fees which should be paid online.