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How to Get a Kenyan Visa

by | Feb 24, 2016 | Kenya Government, Travel | 0 comments

If you intend to visit the Republic of Kenya, you may require a visa. Visa Applications are currently running concurrently until further notice. Online visa applications are made via ecitizen.go.ke.

Do I Need a Visa to Visit Kenya?

There are three Kenyan visa categories.

Category One – Do not Require a Visa (Exempted)

You DO NOT require a visa to enter Kenya if you are a national of any of the following countries:

  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Burundi
  • Cyprus
  • Dominica
  • Fiji Island
  • Ghana
  • Grenada
  • Jamaica,
  • Kiribati
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia (For less than 30 days stay)
  • Maldives
  • Mauritius
  • Mauritius
  • Namibia
  • Namibia,
  • Nauru
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Rwanda
  • Samoa
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa (For less than 30 days stay)
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
  • St.Kitts and Nevis
  • St.Lucia
  • Swaziland
  • Tanzania
  • Tanzania
  • The Bahamas
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Vanuatu
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

    You DO NOT require a visa if:

    1. Your passport is endorsed with valid Kenya re-entry passes or any other written authority in lieu of a re-entry pass. 
    2. You are part of a group of passengers arriving and leaving by the same ship, and who do not leave the ship. 
    3. You are part of a group of passengers in transit through Kenya arriving and leaving by the same aircraft or transferring to another aircraft and who do not leave the international transit lounges at the International Airports in Kenya. 
    4. You are a holder of United Nations Organization Laissez-Passers whilst on official UN Business. 
    5. You are a holder of an African Union Laissez-Passers whilst on official A.U. business. 
    6. You are a holder of an African Development Bank Laissez-Passers, whilst on official A.D.B. business 
    7. You are a holder of Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa Laissez-Passers, whilst on official ABEDA business. 
    8. You are a holder of International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa Laissez-Passers, whilst on official I.R.L.C.O. business. 
    9. You are a holder of Desert Locust Control Organization Laissez-Passers, whilst on official D.L.C.O. business. 
    10. You are a holder of COMESA Laissez-Passers, whilst on official COMESA business. 
    11. You are a holder of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Laissez – Passers whilst on official IMF/World Bank Business. 
    12. You are a holder of an Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Laissez- Passers whilst on official IGAD business. 
    13. You are a holder of an African Airlines Travel Association (IATA) Laissez- Passers whilst on official business. 
    14. You are a holder of an Environment Liaison Centre International (ELCI) Laissez-Passers whilst on official ELCI business. 
    15. You are a holder of a Union of Radio, Television Network of Africa (URTNA) Laissez- Passers whilst on official URTNA business. 
    16. You are a holder of an International Labor Organization (ILO) Laissez – Passers whilst on official ILO business. 
    17. You are a holder of a Preferential Trade Area/Common Market of East & Southern African Bank Laissez – Passers whilst on official PTA/COMESA business. 
    18. You are a holder of a European Union Laissez – Passers whilst on official European Union business. 
    19. You are a holder of a CIP (International Potato Centre) Laissez – Passers whilst on official CIP business. 
    20. You are a holder of an African Reinsurance Corporation (ARC) Laissez – Passers whilst on official ARC business. 
    21. You are a holder of a Diplomatic and Service Passports from The Islamic Republic of Iran for a period not exceeding (30) Days stay. 
    22. You are a holder of a Diplomatic, Official, Special, and Service Passports, from The Republic of Turkey and members of their families holding valid Diplomatic, Official, Special, and Service Passports, while on Transit or Stay not exceeding ninety (90) days. 
    23. You are a holder of a Diplomatic, Official or Service Passports from the Federal Republic of Brazil for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days. 
    24. You are a serving member of the British Military (are exempted from visa formalities). 
    25. You are part of the manifested crew of ships and aircraft passing through or stopping in Kenya for periods not exceeding seven (7) days in the case of aircrew and fourteen (14) days for ship’s crew. 
    26. You are the owner of a private aircraft stopping over for refueling in Kenya and who do not leave the precincts of the airport. 

    You DO NOT require a visa if your country has completed a visa abolition agreement with Kenya. The following countries currently have completed abolition agreements:

    • Ethiopia
    • San Marino

    Category 2 – Require a Visa/Issued on Application

    You require a visa if you are national of the following countries. Your visa will be issued on application without reference to the Kenyan Director of Immigration Services.

    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Jordan
    • Kazakhstan
    • Kirghizstan
    • Korea (South)
    • KuwaitLaos
    • Latvia
    • Liberia
    • Liechtenstein
    • Lithuania
    • Luxembourg
    • Macedonia
    • Madagascar
    • Malta
    • Marshall Islands
    • Mauritania
    • Mexico
    • Micronesia
    • Moldavia
    • Monaco
    • Mongolia
    • Montenegro
    • Morocco
    • Mozambique
    • Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
    • Nepal
    • Netherlands
    • New Zealand
    • Nicaragua
    • Niger
    • Nigeria
    • Norway
    • Oman
    • Pakistan
    • Palau Pacific Isles
    • Panama
    • Paraguay
    • Peru
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Qatar
    • Romania
    • Russia
    • Russia
    • Salvador
    • Sao Tome and Principe
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Serbia
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • Southern Sudan
    • Spain
    • Sri Lanka
    • St. Christopher Cape
    • Sudan
    • Suriname
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Timor East
    • Togo
    • Tunisia
    • Turkey
    • Turkmenistan
    • UAE
    • Ukraine
    • United Kingdom
    • Uruguay
    • USA
    • Uzbekistan
    • Vatican City
    • Venezuela
    • Vietnam
    • Yemen

    Category 3 – Referred Visas

    Visa requests from nationals of the following countries are referred to the Director of Immigration Services for approval and processing.

    • Afghanistan
    • Armenia
    • Azerbaijan
    • Cameroon
    • Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Formerly North Korea)
    • Eritrea
    • Iraq
    • Kosovo
    • Lebanon
    • Libya
    • Mali
    • Palestine
    • Senegal
    • Somalia
    • Syria
    • Tajikistan

    How to Apply for a Kenyan Visa

    1. Click register on www.ecitizen.go.ke.
    2. Select Register as a Visitor.
    3. Once Logged in, Select Department of Immigration services.
    4. Select Submit Application.
    5. Select Kenyan Visa.
    6. Select the type of Visa and read the Instructions Carefully.
    7. Fill in the application form.
    8. Pay Using Visa Card, Mastercard, and other debit cards.
    9. Await approval via email, then download and print the eVisa from your eCitizen account.
    10. Present your printed eVisa to the immigration officer at the port of entry

    Types of Kenyan Visas

    There are currently two types of Kenyan visas:

    1. Single Journey Visa: for Single or Multiple entries 
    2. Transit Visa: for periods not exceeding three days 

    Kenya Visa Tips and Warnings

    • Waiver of visa fees for all children under 16 years from foreign countries. Children aged 16 years and below who are accompanying their parents to Kenya. Effective Date 1st February 2016.
    • The Government of Kenya has waived visa fees for all
    • The Visa processing fee is non-refundable.
    • Incomplete applications will be rejected.
    • The possession of an eVisa is not the final Authority to enter The Republic of Kenya.
    • Engaging in any form of business or employment without a required permit or pass is an offense. Find out how to get a Kenyan work permit if you need to work in Kenya. 
    • A visa is required prior to entry into The Republic of Kenya.
    • The e-Visa printout must be presented at the port of entry.
    • If have any questions, you can reach out to the Kenyan Department of Immigration Services via:

    Suggested Reading

    List of Kenyan Embassies and Consulates around the world

    Source

    Kenya Department of Immigration Services

    E-Citizen Portal

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