Getting your Kenya Visa
A visa is required for entry into Kenya and the Government of Kenya has an online visa application portal to allow visitors to apply and pay for visas online before they travel to Kenya (using Internet Explorer may cause problems when making the application, much better you apply on Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome).
NB: You can no longer get a visa on arrival in Kenya, you must get an e-visa before arriving in Kenya.
Main points:
- It can take up to seven days to get your visa but it's normally 24 hours
- Once it has been issued the visa is valid for three months
- The current fee is USD$51 or equivalent and you pay online with a card
- When making the application you will need to have your passport to hand
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months
Answers to some of the questions on the form:
Reason for Travel: Tourism
Host in Kenya: Select 'Firm'
Physical Address: Adventure Alternative Kenya, Rowallan Scout Centre, Kibera Drive, Nairobi
Tel: 00254771538965
Email: safari@adventurealternativekenya.com
Uploading documents to the portal:
- Passport sized photo (no bigger than 500 x 500 pixels) in jpeg format
- Photo or scan of passport front cover in jpeg format
- Photo or scan of your passport's bio-data page in jpeg format
- Your AA invoice under the hotel reservation requirement OR a visa invitation letter which we will provide if you are a student travelling with a group. This can be a pdf.
- Your return Ticket - upload this in the last section of the uploads, after you upload your passport bio-data page. this can be a pdf.
Online Application process
- Click on e-Visa link
- Select e-Visa and create an account
- Verify your email address (link will be sent to the email address you used to create account)
- Answer all the questions and upload all documents required
- Review and complete application
- Pay securely using Visa Card, Mastercard and other debit cards.
- Await approval via email
- Download and print the e-Visa from your account, it MUST be printed in colour (in our experience they don't always email even when the visa is approved so always worth logging in to your e-Visa account to check, particularly if it has been more than a week since you submitted the application).
- Present your printed eVisa to the immigration officer at the port of entry.
NB: You must carry a printed copy of your e-Visa to Kenya, failure to bring a hard copy will result in you having to pay for another Visa on arrival, immigration in Kenya has no way of checking online and will not accept a screenshot on your phone as proof.