Home to wildlife’s big five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, cheetah and lion), Kenya has been mentioned year in year out as one of Africa’s best travel destinations.
Here’s everything you need to know about obtaining your tourist visa before travelling to Kenya.
From the marine life in coastal Kenya to bird watching at Lake Nakuru and the wilder beast migration at the Masai Mara National park. The wildlife experience is a sight that your family can look forward to with excitement.
Kenya is East Africa’s largest economy with a rich history to tell. From the Nobel peace prize laureate Wangari Mathai to president Obama, Oscars winner Lupita Nyong’ o and even the legendary athlete Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya is a country with a big story to tell.
If you’re planning your trip then this is everything you’ll need to know about applying for Kenya’s online visa application and other entry requirements.
Kenya Visa and Entry Requirements
To gain passage into the Republic of Kenya, you require a visa. However, residents of Cyprus, East Africa member states, as well as select African countries, do not require a visa when traveling to Kenya. Also, some countries from the Caribbean island have a treaty that exempts their nationals from visa requirements on arrival to Kenya.
Holders of service or diplomatic passports coming into the country, or transiting through Kenya to a third country are not required to have a visa while in the country. They are issued with a courtesy visa free of charge. There are three ways to get your Kenya travel visas, on arrival, via online visa application, or by visiting a consulate near you.
The eVisa
The online eVisa applications are open to several nationalities of the world except for some nationalities. They include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Iraq, North Korea, Kosovo, Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Senegal, Somalia, Armenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Eritrea, and Yemen who must obtain their visa in the embassy.
To get a visa, you require a proof of yellow fever vaccination, or you may be denied entry into the country.
Visa Validity
Transit visa for Kenya: If you’re transiting through the country and have some business to take care of, you can obtain a transit visa valid for overnight only. For one to get a transit visa from the immigration authorities, an onward ticket or tour itinerary confirmation is required.
Tourist visas for Kenya: For travellers planning on spending some time in Kenya, you can get the single-entry visa valid for up to thirty days or the multiple entry visa valid for up to one year.
East African tourist visa: However, a piece of good advice if you plan to visit more than one east African country is to apply for the East African tourist visa allowing you access to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. These mean that the multi-entry visa charges are not applicable.
Getting a Visa on Arrival in Kenya
Kenya’s immigration department has made it possible for many nationalities who have not had time to make a visa application online to obtain the same on arrival. You will need a passport with at least two blank pages with six months validity.
The maximum period a foreign national can stay in Kenya is six months.
However, Kenya’s immigration authorities have announced that they plan to end the visa on arrival policy in the future. Therefore, it is always advisable to make an online application, which the authority encourage for ease of transit at the JKIA Airport in Nairobi.
Other Kenya Travel Tips
Be sure to confirm with your medical insurance that the same applies overseas, otherwise in case of an emergency you may have to pay in cash. If you are traveling with prescription medicine, be sure to carry with you the prescription and confirm with authority. Medication without prescription may be a suspect for drug trafficking and related crimes.
The climatic condition in Kenya is favourable to all nationalities and great for road trips(safaris). Every county in Kenya has a tourist site making the country a top travel destination over the years. So, be ready to explore this beautiful country full of friendly people.
Summary
If you love traveling and you have never visited Kenya before, then you are yet to experience the magic of African tourism.
With an East African visa, you can not only visit Kenya but other countries within East Africa.
Getting a visa for Kenya is fast and not restrictive to tourists, as Kenya welcome tourists who contribute to the country’s GDP.
Author Bio
Susan Noel is an experienced content writer. She is associated with many renowned travel blogs as a guest author where she shares her valuable travel tips with the audience.
