If you want to experience the splendour of the African continent, then you have to take a trip through time and visit Kenya. Kenya was the home of the old British Colonials in all their splendour and even today the royal family still regularly visit this jewel in Africa.
From its white sandy beaches on the East African coast to the more than 45 national parks and reserves, plus its bustling metropolitan cities and towns, Kenya has a lot to offer discerning visitors.
The Maasai herders, wide plains, herds of animals and intense escarpments all describe the Great Rift Valley, which reaches through Kenya as part of a 6Â 000 km long scar that stretches from Jordan in the Middle East across Africa to Mozambique.
This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements when you are planning to take a trip to, or via Kenya.
It is important that you familiarise yourself with these legal requirements of entry before your visit, in particular if you are travelling with minors.
Visa requirements are governed by the Kenyan Immigration Act and are subject to change without prior notice. Rather check the country’s official website or enquire from a reputable travelling agency or tour operator like MoAfrika Tours what the latest updates or changes to the requirements for a visa application may be.
WHAT IS A VISA?
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting Kenya for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons.
Visas are normally issued for a maximum 30 or 90 days, depending on your country of residence. A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified in your visa.
Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING KENYA
A visa is authorised and issued upon application by a representative of a country’s embassy, mission or consulate after it has been determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.
Visitors holding passports from countries that are classified as ‘exempt’ do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in Kenya. Instead, they are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
While Kenya does have a visa waiver system that allows nationals from certain countries to visit the country for up to three months, this is generally excluded to African, Caribbean and a few European and Asian states.
The majority of European Union nations, as well as residents from the United States of America will be required to apply for a Kenyan visa.
Additionally, while United Kingdom passport holders are eligible to purchase a visa on arrival, it is generally advised that all travellers to Kenya buy their visas in advance to avoid possible and unnecessary complications.
COUNTRIES EXEMPTED AND COUNTRIES THAT NEED VISAS
While Kenya does have a visa waiver system, this excludes the majority of EU states, including the UK. However, the UK is the only country whose nationals can apply for multiple-entry Kenyan visas.
The countries exempted for a visa are:
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Cyprus, Dominica, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia (30 days), Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa (30 days), Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and  Zimbabwe.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF VISAS
Kenyan Tourist Visa
A Kenyan Tourist Visa is issued only to applicants entering the country for the purpose of tourism. The duration of the visa means the holder is eligible to visit the country for up to three months in total.
Multiple entry visas are also an option, but these can only be issued to British Passport holders currently. Multiple entry visas are also eligible for a maximum of three months, but they allow the holder to enter and leave Kenya as often as they like within either a one year or two year period (depending on the type of multiple entry Kenyan visa they apply for).
An application for a Kenyan tourist visa requires that you submit a valid passport, as well as a completed visa application form, a recent passport-sized photo and your travel itinerary.
The Kenyan tourist visa is granted on the basis that the holder returns to their country of residence upon the expiry of the visa, and not engage in employment while residing in Kenya.
Kenyan Business Visa
The application process for the Kenyan business visa is very comparable to the process for the Kenyan tourist visa, as it also guarantees entry to Kenya for no longer than three months.
The Kenyan business visa grants you the right to attend meetings, conferences and other business-related activities. However, you are not permitted to be employed in any capacity during their time in Kenya.
An application for a Kenyan business visa requires that you submit a valid passport, as well as a completed visa application form, a recent passport-sized photo and a letter from an acknowledged business as proof of their need to visit Kenya for business purposes.
HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FOR VISAS WHEN VISITING KENYA
The processing time for a Kenyan visa depends mostly and greatly on the method in which the visa is applied for. If the visa application is made in person, then the processing time can be as little as three days.
However, postal applications and referral cases can take a number of weeks. A visa application will be referred if the applicant is a national of one of the countries that is subject to further checks in order to gain visa approval.
Kenya began an e-Visa system from July 2, 2015. According to the government an application should be done at least seven days in advance and visitors can stay for up to 90 days with an e-visa.
The following countries citizens require a visa that cannot be obtained online but instead you are referred to the Director of Immigration services for processing and approval:
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Eritrea, Iraq, North Korea, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan and Yemen.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR AN APPLICATION FOR VISA
The documents required for a single and multiple entry visas are:
COST OF A KENYAN VISA
A single entry visa for a tourist or business is $51
A transit visa costs $21
An East Africa Tourist Visa costs $101
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING KENYA
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is often required for a foreign visitor who is travelling from or transiting through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by a certain type of infected mosquitoes. The disease is similar to malaria, but patients become severely jaundiced (a yellow colouring which gives the disease its name). Yellow fever is endemic in tropical areas of Africa and Central and South America.
A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Kenya. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Kenya within the 10-day waiting period.
Ways to avoid getting mosquito bites during your visit:
Insect repellent is your best friend when it comes to avoiding mosquito bites, you can buy insect repellents from the local supermarkets and/or pharmacies and apply to any exposed areas of the skin. Those products, which include DEET, claim to be the most effective, but there are alternatives if you are allergic.
It is a good idea to apply insect repellent before leaving your hotel room/ lodge or chalet for the day.
It is recommended to apply frequently throughout the day and before bed in the evening to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Keep air circulating in your room, mosquitoes aren’t strong flyers (that’s why they are more active during the evening and in the mornings when there is little wind). Using fans is a good way to avoid getting bitten by a mosquito, as it makes it difficult for them to fly near you.
A little-known fact is that wearing light coloured clothing can prevent mosquito bites, they are more attracted to darker colours because of the contrasting that dark-coloured clothes provide against the horizon during dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN VISITING KENYA
You must carry a photo identification or a copy of your passport at all times. Police and immigration officials have the right to request proof of your identification, residency or valid visas. It is illegal to work or volunteer in Kenya without a valid work permit.
Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment and heavy fines. You could also face fines and jail time if you are convicted of being in a location where there are illegal drugs, even if they are not yours.
There are strict restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages and on consuming alcohol in public places. Smoking is prohibited in all public places. Convicted offenders could pay heavy fines or face a jail sentence.
Possession of ivory or other banned wildlife items, even if you bought it outside of Kenya, is strictly prohibited. Killing, buying, selling or trading any protected wild animal or any of its parts is illegal. You can be arrested and given long prison sentences and heavy fines.
The use, manufacture or importation of plastic bags, which includes garbage bags and shopping bags, is illegal. Convicted offenders, including tourists, can face very heavy fines (up to USD 40,000), imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
To carry firearms, you must obtain permission from local authorities prior to entering the country. Firearms are strictly forbidden in wildlife reserves and national parks.
Possession of pornographic material is forbidden.
VISITING KENYA WITH MINORS
Children aged 16 and below do not require a visa to enter Kenya.
If you are travelling to Kenya with a minor, please take note of the additional documents you will need per child:
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS ON A VISA IN KENYA
Foreign visitors who overstay on a visa are normally declared ‘undesirable persons. If one overstays your 90 day period, you can extend your visa by another three months to avoid overstaying your visa in the country. If you overstay your visa, you will probably be heavily fined, deported or you can be imprisoned.
ENJOY A SAFE HOLIDAY IN KENYA WITH A REPUTABLE TOUR OPERATOR
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Kenya. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Kenya who make safety a priority.