The Ultimate Guide For Getting A Kenya Visa
Are you planning your next trip or looking for a perfect destination that offers time to party in the city, immerse yourself in African culture and shopping at Masai Markets, reflect on life at amazing beaches, and see the big 5 on a safari all on the same trip? If so, Kenya is where you need to go next. With beautiful scenery and awe-inspiring wildlife everywhere, it won’t be hard to find peace and a party in this country.
The first step in any travel plans, especially for us US citizens, includes securing a visitor visa for that particular country. And the list of countries is long, so Kenya was no different. The bright side was that Kenya’s visa application process was completely online and one of the easiest we’ve been through.
To be honest, we were a little surprised on how simple it was to get our Kenya tourist visa. You should apply online for a tourist visa. In this post, we will walk you through all the information you need on how to get your visa to Kenya as well as some essential pre-departure tips to consider before setting off for your African journey. The entire application should not take you more than an hour.
There are four types of eVisa to Kenya. depending on your reason for visiting the country, but in this article we will be talking about the one that your most likely to need, which is Tourist Visa. A tourist visa would allow you to visit Kenya for leisure purposes. It allows stays in Kenya up to 90 days with one entry into the country. So let’s get it started!
HOW TO GET A TOURIST VISA
Step 1: Kenya eVisa official website
To begin your application go to the Kenyan eVisa official website. TIP: Use the official government website link we’ve shared to avoid spam sites.
Step 2: Kenya eVisa Online Application Process
Once you are on the official website, follow the stepwise procedure below –
a) Click on “Create an account” on the top right of the page.
b) The account creation process is in 4 folds as shown below. Note: You will have to create individual accounts for each family members even if you are all traveling together. Remy & I had to create separate accounts.
c)Note: Make sure to use a clear photo that follows the photo requirements. We clicked our photos using cell phone camera which got approved. So you don’t need any fancy camera gear.
d)Once you have finished creating your account and have logged in, you will be navigated to a page that looks like this –
e) Click on the first box that says “Department of Immigration Services (New Applications)”. Here you will create a new visa application, by selecting “Get Service” box seen below.
f) Once you have done this, you will be navigated to a page that looks like this – Click on “E Visa Application”
g) You will need the following information handy to fill this form effectively.
CHECKLIST OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATION:
- Copy of passport
- Travel itinerary that should include
- Return trip flight booking to and from Kenya.
- Hotel or lodging information and printout, along with an address and phone number.
- If staying at a friend’s place or someone’s home please get a written letter from them being your host for the duration of the stay.
Step 3: Payment – Kenya Tourism eVisa Application Cost
Choose which visa you want to apply for:
- Kenya Tourist Visa: You will be asked to pay a fee of $51 (USD) via Visa or Mastercard.
- East Africa Tourist Visa: You will be asked to pay a fee of $101 (USD). (This Visa allows you to travel to Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda on the same trip but there are some caveats. Read ” Is a East Africa Tourist Visa Right for You” post to learn more about this Visa if you are planning to also visit one Rwanda or Uganda on the same trip.
Step 4: Fill out the Application
Some questions on the application that may seem tricky. I have included below how I answered the questions and my visa was approved 😉
Passport Place of issue * United States of America
Passport Issued by *United States Department of State
Applicants Surname / Family Name *This is your last name
Applicants Other Names in Full *Enter your first name
Host Details * Hotel
Full names and Physical Address of the Host *Enter the full name of your hotel and copy and paste the address from google. (The address format may look weird, but its the actual address) For example I entered: Movenpick Hotel, Mkungu Close, Westlands, Off Parklands Road, Nairobi, Nairobi, 30
Host Telephone Number *Look this up on google, if it’s not on your reservation confirmation email.
Host Email *Again, google is your best friend. 😉
Upload Passport Bio-Data Page *The USA bio-data page is just the page of your passport that has your picture and passport number on it. It also has a lot of numbers at the bottom of it. Make sure that that photo you upload doesn’t have the numbers cut off.
Step 5: Kenya eVisa Processing Time
Once you have completed your visa application, give it up to 5 business days for them to process. As I mentioned above, we applied for our Visas at the last minute and luckily it was approved in less than 36 hours but it is better to apply early. It would suck to have to cancel and/or change your hotel and air reservations because your visa wasn’t approved in time. You will not be allowed to enter Kenya without a visa, so ” Do as I say, not as I did” 🙂
You will be able to check the visa status by logging into your account and navigating to the same page as above. Remember, once are logged in, go to the dashboard and click on “Department of Immigration Services” to check your visa status. TIP: You might not receive an email confirming the visa approval, hence make sure you keep checking the status. We received a notification via email but others have reported otherwise.
Step 6: How to use your eVisa
Once your visa is approved online, print a hard copy and carry the e-visa printout with you when traveling to Kenya. You will need to show the hard copy of e-visa to the Kenyan immigration officer upon arrival. Now all you need is to get ready for an amazing trip in Kenya.
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OTHER PRE-DEPARTURE TIPS
#1. Apply Early Enough to Receive Your Visa on Time
If you are a traveler and want to go to Kenya, then you need to apply for your visa at least 3 days in advance because it is the standard handling time. The process is simple but there are a few things that could get in the way of getting your visa on time. Also be careful to provide the correct data since any mistake can extend the processing time.
#2. Make Sure Your Passport Won’t Expire Within 6 Months
Do I need to renew my passport? This is probably something that has crossed your mind at least once or twice when thinking about traveling abroad. Do not forget to check the validity of your passport since it cannot expire within at least 180 days from the date of your entry to Kenya. If your passport is to within 6 months, you’d better renew it and then go to the online application to get your visa to Kenya.
#3. Take Necessary Vaccines Before A Trip
It is important to take vaccines before going on a trip, especially if you’re going to Africa. There are several vaccinations that are recommended prior to a trip to Kenya and one that is required. You should check with your doctor about which vaccines you need for Kenya and make an appointment as soon as possible so that everything is taken care of early enough before departure day! Here are the full details on ” When, What, and How Much We Paid for Vaccinations for East Africa Trip“.
There are several vaccinations that are recommended prior to a trip to Kenya and one that is required. Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for entry into Kenya and you have to go to a Yellow Fever Vaccination Clinic to obtain one. You can use the link above to find doctor’s offices in your area that are licensed Vaccination Clinics and compare pricing since prices for travel vaccines can vary and usually aren’t covered by insurance. We were quoted various pricing ranging from $225- $500 for Yellow Fever. Ultimately, we paid a total of $330 for our vaccines. We were able to get our Yellow Fever Vaccination for $225 from a local Vaccination Clinic and Typhoid for $105 from Walgreens. We were able to get all of our other vaccines and Anti-Malaria Pills from our regular doctor for FREE. We got our vaccinations within a month of our travel date but I would highly recommend planning 2-3 months in advance so you don’t have to get several vaccinations at one time like we did. (Shaking my damn head) I mean it wasn’t horrible but I wasn’t pleasant either. My arm definitely was feeling like a rock for like 3 DAYS!
The moral of this story is to make sure all your vaccinations are up-to-date. You should check with your doctor about which vaccines you need for Kenya and make an appointment as soon as possible so that everything is taken care of early enough before departure day!
#4. Don’t overpack
DID YOU KNOW THAT HELL’S GATE, KENYA WAS THE MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR THE LION KING.
