Kenya Visa Policy

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Visa Policy for Kenya

Kenya’s visa policy are regulations by which the Kenyan government determines who can enter the country without a visa, as well as the requirements for foreign visitors for whom a Kenyan visa is required to travel to, enter and stay within the country.

Visa regulations to travel to Kenya state that citizens of approximately 45 countries can visit the country of Kenya without the need to obtain a visa, depending on the duration and purpose of the planned stay in the country.

Citizens of these countries are able to access Kenya by simply presenting a passport with 6 months of validity before the date of entry to the country, for a period of stay of up to 90 days. If these citizens want to travel to Kenya for longer periods and for purposes other than tourism, business, or transit, they must apply for a visa.

Although the country of Kenya does not offer foreign citizens the option of obtaining a visa on arrival, it allows up to 140 countries and territories around the world to obtain an electronic visa through an online application. A Kenya eVisa allows short stays for tourism, business, or medical treatment.

Citizens of an additional 60 countries are required to obtain a visa from a government office, either an embassy or a consulate, no matter the purpose of travel or the period of intended stay.. Therefore, nationals of around 200 countries must pre-register to obtain a visa before departure for Kenya.

Kenya eVisa-eligible citizens must also obtain an embassy visa if they plan to visit Kenya for purposes other than those permitted with the eVisa, whether a student visa, work visa,or other visa type. Therefore, it is important to check the visa laws for each nationality before planning to travel to Kenya.

Below you will find a complete list of Kenya travel visa restrictions from your country of residence. Travelers are recommended to check this page regularly to be informed of any changes in Kenya’s immigration policy.

Tourist Visa Policy for Kenya

Foreign citizens who are not part of the list of visa-exempt countries, and who wish to visit Kenya for tourism, need to obtain a visa in advance to travel to the country. This may be either an electronic travel visa, or a visa through the nearest embassy or consulate.

A Kenyan tourist visa online is issued for a single entry and allows a stay of 90 days in the country. As mentioned in the previous section, there are up to 140 countries that can obtain an electronic visa for Kenya through an online application form, which eliminates the need to submit an embassy visa in person.

An approved Kenya tourist eVisa is electronically linked to the applicant’s passport and a PDF copy is also sent to the traveler by email.

All other foreign citizens who are not visa-free for Kenya are required to obtain a visa for tourism purposes from a Kenyan government diplomatic office before departure. It is normally necessary to submit a tourist embassy visa application well in advance of the intended arrival date in Kenya, as in some cases the processing time may take up to several weeks.

Check below for further information about Kenya visa requirements for your nationality.

Kenya eVisa

Nationals of around 140 countries and territories around the world are able to apply for an eVisa in order to travel to Kenya.

The eVisa for Kenya is a single entry electronic visa that permit holders to the visit the country for a period of stay up to 90 days. It allows eligible citizens to travel to Kenya for purposes including tourism, business, medical treatment, and transit.

Foreign citizens are required to apply through an online form at least 7 days in advance of travel, although an eVisa may be requested up to 80 days before a trip to Kenya. The traveler must complete a simple application with personal, passport, and travel information, to receive an approved eVisa linked to their passport.

The validity of an approved Kenya eVisa is 3 months from the date of issue or until the associated passport expires, whichever comes first.

A mandatory eVisa requirement is holding a passport from an eligible country with at least 6 months validity from the expected arrival date in Kenya, which must be presented at Kenyan border control to gain entry to the country.

Holders of a Kenyan online visa also have the option to extend a stay for up to 90 days, they have already gained access to Kenya with the eVisa.

Find below a full list of all the countries for which an eVisa is needed to visit Kenya.

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Federated States of Micronesia
Finland
France
Gabon
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Greenland
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam

Kenya eVisa Info

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Embassy or Consular Visa Required

Kenya’s immigration rules identify around 160 countries for which an embassy visa is required to travel to Kenya, regardless of the length and purpose of the intended stay in the country.

Furthermore, although visa-exempt and eVisa nationalities do not need to apply for an embassy visa for stays up to 90 days, they are required to obtain an embassy visa for longer stays.

The period of validity of an approved Kenya embassy visa, and how long the applicant may stay in the country, depends on the purpose of the intended stay, whether for tourism or business, to study or work, or for other purposes.

The protocol for obtaining an embassy visa for Kenya involves making an appointment at the nearest Kenyan government diplomatic office before their trip.

Once there, it is necessary to submit an application along with a variety of different supporting documents depending on the type of visa required. The applicant’s passport must always have a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of arrival in Kenya.

As it may take several weeks to obtain Kenyan embassy visa approval, travelers are advised to make an appointment well in advance of their intended travel dates.

Browse the list below to discover if you require an embassy visa to travel to Kenya for your nationality.

Aland Islands
American Samoa
Anguilla
Antarctica
Armenia
Aruba
Bermuda
Bonaire
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cameroon
Cayman Islands
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Cook Islands
Curacao
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gibraltar
Guadeloupe
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Martinique
Mayotte
Montserrat
New Caledonia
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Tokelau
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States Virgin Islands
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen

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Visa Not Required

Kenya’s visa law states that a visitor visa is not required for citizens of up to 45 countries and territories who wish to visit the country for short stays.

Additionally, nationals of a number of countries can travel to Kenya without a visa if they are diplomatic or service passport holders.

To obtain visa-exempt entry to Kenya, it is necessary to have a valid passport from an eligible country. However, some visa-exempt nationalities can enter Kenya using their National ID card, including citizens of a number of countries in East Africa.

Kenya’s immigration requirements for visa-free citizens state that these nationalities can stay in Kenya for up to 90 days. However, as visa requirements may change over time, travelers are advised to check this page before planning any future trips to the country.

In order to travel to Kenya for periods of stay longer than 90 days, visa-exempt foreign citizens need to obtain a visa from a Kenyan embassy or consulate.

Find below a full list of the visa not required countries for Kenya.