How to get a visa for Kenya ?
Since January 1st 2021, Kenya has adopted the electronic visa. An e-visa is mandatory to enter Kenya. Passport visas are no longer issued by the Kenyan Embassy in Paris, nor on arrival in Kenya. This e-visa allows you to enter the country only once for a tourist stay or a business trip. The e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days of presence in the country; the electronic transit visa is valid for one stop in the country for up to 72 hours. Almost all nationalities are eligible for the e-visa, including France. Children under the age of 16 are not eligible for this visa if accompanied by at least one parent; they will only need to present their identity papers.
The online Kenya e-Visa will be applied for upon boarding the plane to Kenya. These visas are eligible at all entry points in the country: Lokichoggio Airport, Wajir Airport, Eldoret International Airport, Kisumu International Airport, Nairobi Wilson Airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Garissa Airport, Lamu-Manda Airport, Malindi Airport and Mombasa Moi International Airport.
How do I get an e-visa ?
As the Kenyan Embassy no longer issues visas, travellers should make arrangements prior to their trip to apply for their evisa in time. To obtain an evisa, the e-visa Kenya website offers this service. The formalities are straightforward; all that is required is to complete the online form. For a tourist stay in Kenya, you will have to indicate your name, first name, postal address, country, the name of your Kenyan accommodation, its postal address as well as its e-mail address and telephone number.
The date of your arrival and departure must be indicated as well as your means of transport (you must have a return ticket). You will need to indicate on the online document the sites and cities visited during your stay as well as the dates and places visited in the 3 months prior to your trip to Kenya and whether you have visited Kenya before.
Once you have completed the form and paid, you will then need to upload documents and submit them via the website. These documents are: a copy of your passport, a passport photo, proof of accommodation (hotel reservation, travel agency certificate), or if you are staying with a local resident, the invitation from the resident and their identity card. A copy of your return travel tickets is required.
For a business trip, the documents are slightly different, a copy of your passport, a passport photo and a copy of your return ticket are required. You will also need to send the invitation letter from the Kenyan company, together with the host’s identity card and the company’s registration certificate.
You will receive a travel authorisation which will act as an agreement to enter the country, within 48 hours, in electronic format, you will have to print this document, in colour. This document must be presented on boarding and on arrival in Kenya. The application cannot be made if you are not staying in Kenya at the time.
Price of the e-visa for tourism or business
For a single entry stay of up to 90 days in Kenya the cost of a visa per traveller is €79. The cost of a transit e-visa for a maximum stay of 72 hours in Kenya, single entry is €39. The e-visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. The price includes a consular fee and an editing fee.
The validity of the visa starts from the day of your arrival in Kenya, not when the e-Visa is issued. If you wish to stay in Kenya for more than 3 months, it is advisable not to apply for the e-visa too early but 3 to 5 days before the start of your trip.
Other mandatory formalities for travel to Kenya
In addition to the visa, travellers must present a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival in Kenya. Another formality currently required for travel to Kenya is the obligation for the traveller to present a negative COVID PCR test less than 96 hours old. Without any symptoms on arrival or during the flight, they will not be subject to quarantine. Persons entering Kenya will complete a document allowing them to be contacted if a positive case is reported during travel. As such, travellers should check that they have repatriation insurance for COVID.