Travel & Visa

 

Request an Invitation Letter

 

Health Information for Travelers to Kenya

 

a)     Types of visa

i.    Ordinary/Singe Entry Visa
Required by all persons intending to enter Kenya for visits or residency. The current standard visa fee for an ordinary or a Single Journey entry visa is US $ 50.

ii.    Transit Visa
Required by all person intending to transit trough Kenya for periods not exceeding seven days. The transit visa fee shall be US $20.

iii.    Diplomatic Visa
Issued gratis to holder of a Diplomatic Passport on official business.

NOTE: Diplomats and governing officials on private visits to Kenya and who are nationals of countries that require referred visas shall have their visa applications referred to the Principal Immigration Officer, Nairobi, for approval.

iv.    Official/Service Visa
Official, Service, Ordinary/Transit Visas are issued gratis to holders of Official or Service passport on official visits

v.    Multiple Journey Visa
All persons who are nationals of countries which require visas for Kenya and who by nature of their business or circumstances require to make frequent visits to Kenya may be issued with Multiple Journey Visa for Kenya within six (6) or twelve (12) months as the case may be. Multiple Journey Visas are referred to the Principal Immigration Office for processing and approval, ad are valid for six (6) or twelve (12) months as the case may be. The standard fee for a multiple journey visa is US $100 for all nationalities.


vi.    Courtesy Visas
Courtesy, Transit and Ordinary Visas may be issued gratis in accordance with the Provisions of categories 1, 2 and 3 of the Visa Regulations, where the applicant is not entitled to a Diplomatic Visa, but where it is considered by the issuing officer to be desirable on the grounds of international courtesy.

VISA FEES

i.    Transit Visa: US $10
ii.    Referral Visa: US $5
iii.    Ordinary/Single Journey Entry Visa: US $25
iv.    Multiple Journey Visa (for all nationalities): US $50
v.    NB. All Visa Fees are Payable in US Dollars ONLY (for all nationalities)

COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE VISAS TO ENTER KENYA

1a.  COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES NAMELY:

The Bahamas   

Jamaica  

Samoa

Barbados  

Lesotho

Seychelles

Botswana 

Malawi 

Singapore

Brunei Darusssalam 

Mauritius                

Sierra Leone 

Cyprus 

Maldives 

Swaziland

Dominica 

Namibia 

Tanzania     

Fiji Island

Naura

Tonga

Gambia

Nauru

Trinidad and Tobago

Grenada

Papua New Guinea 

Tuvalu

Grenadines

St. Lucia 

Uganda

Ghana 

Zimbabwe

St. Vincent and The  Vanuatu B

 

Zambia

 

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES WHO REQUIRE VISAS

  • Citizens of Australia, other than holders of diplomatic, official or service passports travelling on official business for visits of not more than 30 days.
  • Citizens of Sri Lanka
  • Citizens of South Africa (for visits of more than 30 days)
  • Citizens of Malaysia  (for visits of more than 30 days )
  • Citizens of Guyana
  •  Citizens of Nigeria
  • Citizens of India
  • Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda
  • Citizen of St. Christopher and Nevis
  • Citizens of New Zealand (for visits of more than 30 days)
  • Citizens of the UK(except serving members of the British military who are exempt from  Immigration formalities).
  • Citizens of Canada
  • Citizens of Ireland  

NATIONALS OF COUNTRIES, CLASSES AND CATEGORIES OF PERSONS WHO MAY BE ISSUED WITH VISAS ON APPLICATION EITHER ON ARRIVAL AT A PORT OF ENTRY OR AT ANY KENYA MISSION ABROAD

  Nationals of the following countries, classes and categories of persons may be issued with visas on application, and without reference to the Principal Immigration Officer, Nairobi, provided that they do not fall under the classes and categories of persons mentioned under Chapter 1, paragraph (E) of the Visa Regulations.  
Albania        

Germany    

Panama  

Angola   

Greece 

Paraguay 

Algeria

Greenland

Pakistan

Australia 

Guinea

Peru  

Argentina          

Guatemala

Phillipines  

Bahrain

Guinea Bissau 

Portugal  

Belarus 

Guinea 

Poland  

Belgium 

Haiti

Qatar  

Bhutan 

Hungary

Reunion  

Bolivia

Iceland

Romania  

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Indonesia

Russia  

Brazil

Ireland   

Rwanda (gratis )

Bulgaria

Israel 

Salvador  

Burkina Faso

Italy

Sao Tome  

Burma 

Ivory Coast 

Saudi Arabia

Benin     

Japan 

Slovak  

Burundi

Kampuchea

Slovian

Bangladesh

Kazakhstan 

Spain  

Cambodia 

Kirghistan

Sri Lanka  

Canada

 Korea (South) 

St. Christopher CapeVerde 

Central African Rep.

Kuwait 

Sudan  

Chad  

Laos 

Surinam  

Chile (Nationalist)

Liberia

Switzerland  

China (China Peoples Republic) 

Libyan 

Sweden  

Columbia

Liechtenstein

Thailand

Comoros 

Luxembourg 

Togo  

Congo (Brazzaville)

Lithuania 

Tunisia

Costa Rico

Macedonia

Turkey  

Czech

Madagscar 

Turkmenistan

Cuba 

Malagasy

United Kingdom  

Denmark

Malta

United Arab Emirates  

Djibouti `

Mauritania 

Ukraine  

DRC 

Mexico

U.S.A.  

Dominican Rep

Moldavia

Uzbekistan  

Egypt

Monaco 

Vatican City

Equador 

Mongolia

Venezuela  

Equatorial Guinea

Morocco

Vietnam  

Former States of Estonia  

Mozambique  

Yemen

France

Nepal  

Yugoslavia - and also Yugoslavia 

French Guyana  

Netherlands

Niger 

Hong Kong

Nicaragua 

Oman Administrative

Georgia

Norway 

 

Holders of    Palau Pacific Isles           Region (HKSAR)

Special   
Gabon

 

(b)  Delegates attending regional or international conferences, meetings, workshops, seminars and courses sponsored by regional or international organisations of which Kenya is a member.  
Spouses and children accompanying delegates who fulfil the requirements of paragraph 2 (b) above may be issued with visas on application.  
(c)     Diplomats arriving to take up diplomatic assignments/appointments in Kenya may be issued with gratis entry visas on application and without reference to the Principal Immigration Officer, Nairobi provided that: -  
i)                    Such persons produce documentary evidence of their official Assignment / appointment to Kenya.  
ii)                  Wives and children accompanying such diplomats who fulfil the requirements of category 2 (c) above; and provided such persons, their wives and children do not fall under chapter I paragraph "E" of the visa regulations.  
(d)        Diplomats and government officials coming to Kenya to conduct official business or transiting through Kenya may be issued with entry/transit visas on application and without reference to the Principal Immigration Officer, Nairobi, for periods not exceeding seven (7) days, provided that: -  
        i.    Such persons produce documentary evidence of their nature of official business or transiting through Kenya, and spouses.  
      ii.      Spouses and children accompanying such diplomats and government officials who fulfil the requirements of category 2 (d) above and provided such persons, their spouses and children do not fall under Chapter I, paragraph "E" of the visa regulations.  
NOTE:       
Diplomats and government officials on private visits to Kenya and who are nationals of countries that require referred visas, shall have their visa applications referred to the Principal Immigration Officer, Nairobi, for approval, in the usual manner.

NATIONALS OF COUNTRIES, CLASSES AND CATEGORIES OF PERSONS WHO REQUIRE REFERRED VISAS

Afghanistan

Jordan

Senegal

Azerbaijan  

Lebanon 

Somali

Armenia   

Mali 

Syria

Cameroon

North Korea

Palestine

Iraq 

Nigeria (residing outside Nigeria)

 Tadjikistan

b)          Nationals of the following countries who are holders of Diplomatic and official Civil Servants with "Ordre de Mission" can be issued with Visas on application.
  i.          Cameroon
ii.         Nigeria
iii.        Senegal
c)         Applicants against whom there is some local objections or doubt in the country where the application is made. 
d)         Stateless persons or persons not holding valid passports or other travel documents issued by their own country of nationality, including recognized refugee holders of the United Nations Refugee Travel Documents. 
e)          Prohibited immigrants as enumerated under Chapter I, paragraph 'E' of the Visa Regulations. 
f)          Persons who intend to enter Kenya as immigrants but have not applied for and obtained entry permits or passes from the Principal Immigration Officer, Nairobi. 

 

THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES HAVE CONCLUDED VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENT WITH KENYA

  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • San Marino
  • Uruguay

PERSONS WHO DO NOT REQUIRE VISA TO ENTER KENYA

  • All persons endorsed with valid Kenya re-entry passes or any other written authority in lieu of a re-entry pass.
  • All passengers arriving and leaving by the same ship, and who do not leave the ship.
  • All passengers in transit through Kenya arriving and leaving by the same aircraft or transferring to another aircraft and who do not leave the international transit lounges at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
  • Holders of United Nations Organization Laissez-passers whilst on official UN business.
  • Holders of African Union Laissez-passers whilst on official AU business.
  • Holders of African Development Bank Laissez-passers whilst on official ADB business.
  • Holders of Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa Laissez-passers, whilst on official ABEDA business.
  • Holders of International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa Laissez-passers, whilst on official IRLCO business.
  • Holders of COMESA Laissez-passers, whilst on official COMESA business.
  • The manifested crew of ships and aircraft passing through or stopping in Kenya for periods not exceeding seven (7) days in the case of air crew and fourteen (14) days for ships crew.
  • Owners of private aircraft stopping over for refueling in Kenya and who do not leave the precincts of the airport.

PROHIBITED IMMIGRANTS

The following categories of persons are classified as prohibited Immigrants in Kenya and accordingly shall not be issued with visas or permitted to enter Kenya:

  • Any persons incapable of supporting himself/herself or his/her accompanying dependants in Kenya.
  • Any person suffering from a mental disorder or being a mental defective.
  • Any person who refused to submit to medical examination on arrival when required to do so by an Immigration Officer in accordance with the provisions of the Immigration Act.
  • Any person certified by a medical practitioner to be suffering from a disease, which shall make his/her presence in Kenya undesirable on medical grounds.
  • Any person who, not having received a free pardon has been convicted in any country including Kenya, of murder, or of any offence for which a sentence of imprisonment has been passed for any term and who, by reasons of such conviction and imprisonment is considered to be an undesirable immigrant.
  • Any person whose entry and presence in Kenya is deemed by the Minister to be contrary to national interests, including persons suspected to be involved with or sympathetic to terrorist groups.
  • Any prostitute or person living on or receiving or who has lived on or received the proceeds of prostitution.
  • Any person in respect of whom there is in force an order directing him/her to remain out of Kenya.
  • Any dependants of the persons mentioned in the foregoing categories and classes.
  • Any person who is involved or suspected to be involved in illicit trafficking and trade in narcotics.
  • Any person or groups of persons who are involved or suspected to be involved in human trafficking.
  • Any person involved or suspected to be involved in illicit arms trade.
  • Any person involved or suspected to be involved in money laundering.

.
Visitors are advised to have Yellow Fever vaccine.
Nairobi is served primarily by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) situated 20 km from Nairobi's Central Business District. The airport directly serves intercontinental passengers from Europe and Asia. There are duty free shops where a number of goods are sold among them are Kenyan souvenirs.
Transportation to the venue can be done through;
a)     Taxis which are readily available at the airport
b)     Hotels make arrangements to have their guests picked up from the airport
c)     There is public transport in form of buses available at the airport.
(map & options

5.     JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT- A CONNECTION HUB IN THE REGION

The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is the main airport in Nairobi. It is the largest and busiest airport in East and Central Africa. It serves as a transit hub for major airlines as well as the gateway for visitors to Africa’s treasured game parks, cultural heritage , scenic landscapes and business opportunities. The airport also serves as a major cargo centre for both inbound and outbound goods.

JKIA is situated in naiorbi, 20 minutes from the Central Business District. Most major hotels in Nairobi have their stations at the arrival terminal for facilitation of guests on arrival. Its connectivity to the rest of the world is also enhanced by the presence of the world’s popular airlines.

 

Health Information for Travelers to Kenya

 

Before visiting Kenya, you may need to get the following vaccinations and medications for vaccine-preventable diseases and other diseases you might be at risk for at your destination: (Note: Your doctor or health-care provider will determine what you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, and planned activities.)

To have the most benefit, see a health-care provider at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect and to start taking medicine to prevent malaria, if you need it.

Even if you have less than 4 weeks before you leave, you should still see a health-care provider for needed vaccines, anti-malaria drugs and other medications and information about how to protect yourself from illness and injury while traveling.

 

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

 

Vaccine recommendations are based on the best available risk information. Please note that the level of risk for vaccine-preventable diseases can change at any time.

 

Vaccination or Disease Recommendations or Requirements for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Routine 

Recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots such as, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc.
Yellow Fever  CDC yellow fever vaccination recommendation for travelers to Kenya: For all travelers ≥9 months of age. The cities of Nairobi and Mombasa have lower risk of transmission than rural areas. Kenya requires travelers arriving from countries where yellow fever is present to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. Vaccination should be given 10 days before travel and at 10-year intervals if there is ongoing risk.
Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG)

Recommended for all unvaccinated people traveling to or working in countries with an intermediate or high level of hepatitis A virus infection (see map) where exposure might occur through food or water. Cases of travel-related hepatitis A can also occur in travelers to developing countries with "standard" tourist itineraries, accommodations, and food consumption behaviors.
Hepatitis B 

Recommended for all unvaccinated persons traveling to or working in countries with intermediate to high levels of endemic HBV transmission (see map), especially those who might be exposed to blood or body fluids, have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment (e.g., for an accident).
Typhoid  Recommended for all unvaccinated people traveling to or working in East Africa, especially if visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas and staying with friends or relatives where exposure might occur through food or water.
Meningococcal (meningitis)  Recommended if you plan to visit countries that experience epidemics of meningococcal disease during December through June (see map).
Rabies  Recommended for travelers spending a lot of time outdoors, especially in rural areas, involved in activities such as bicycling, camping, or hiking. Also recommended for travelers with significant occupational risks (such as veterinarians), for long-term travelers and expatriates living in areas with a significant risk of exposure, and for travelers involved in any activities that might bring them into direct contact with bats, carnivores, and other mammals. Children are considered at higher risk because they tend to play with animals, may receive more severe bites, or may not report bites. 
Polio 

Recommended for adult travelers who have received a primary series with either inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) or oral polio vaccine (OPV). They should receive another dose of IPV before departure. For adults, available data do not indicate the need for more than a single lifetime booster dose with IPV.

 

Malaria

Areas of Kenya with Malaria: Present in all areas (including game parks) at altitudes <2,500 m (<8,202 ft). None in Nairobi.

If you will be visiting an area of Kenya with malaria, you will need to discuss with your doctor the best ways for you to avoid getting sick with malaria. Ways to prevent malaria include the following:

  • Taking a prescription antimalarial drug
  • Using insect repellent and wearing long pants and sleeves to prevent mosquito bites
  • Sleeping in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms or using bednets

All of the following antimalarial drugs are equal options for preventing malaria in Kenya: Atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine. For information that can help you and your doctor decide which of these drugs would be best for you, please see Drugs to Prevent Malaria.

Note: Chloroquine is NOT an effective antimalarial drug in Kenya and should not be taken to prevent malaria in this region.

To find out more information on malaria throughout the world, you can use the interactive CDC malaria map. You can search or browse countries, cities, and place names for more specific malaria risk information and the recommended prevention medicines for that area.