Kenya’s e-visa must now be purchased online and prior to travel, effective September 1. Travellers must produce a printed copy of the e-visa at check-in and those who fail to do so will not be allowed to travel.
The e-visa is valid for 90 days from the date of approval, not from the date of arrival in Kenya. Approval can take up to seven days.
E-visas can be applied for via http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html. The website is mobile-friendly, allowing applications to be completed from a mobile device. The system also accepts photos taken and uploaded from a mobile. The website is currently offered only in English.
The following countries do not need a visa to travel into Kenya: Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Jamaica, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Samozo, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa* Swaziland, Tanzania, Tobago, Tonga, Trinidad, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The following countries require a referral visa: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Eritrea, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Senegal, Somalia, Syria and Tajikistan.
All other countries including the UK, US and Ireland, require a visa prior to travelling to Kenya.
The Kenyan Government also introduced a new e-visa service for UK and Irish citizens, effective July 2.
