Entering Kenya: the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)

All visitors who intend to travel to Kenya, including infants and children, must have an approved eTA before they start their journey, unless they are exempt — this guide lists who is.

You apply online through the official eTA portal, etakenya.go.ke.

Every applicant needs: a passport valid for at least six months after the date you plan to arrive, with at least one blank page; a selfie or passport-type photo; an email address and phone number; your arrival and departure itinerary; accommodation booking confirmation; and a credit card, debit card or other means of payment.

Depending on why you are travelling, you may also need: a letter from the referring doctor or hospital; a conference invitation; an employment contract; documents supporting resettlement; or vaccination or test certificates.

Business travellers need an invitation letter from the company and a copy of its registration. Travellers visiting family need an invitation letter from the family or host, and a copy of the host's identity card, passport, alien card or entry permit.

Processing takes three working days, though in some cases it may take longer.

An eTA is valid for travel within 90 days from the date it is issued. How long you may stay is decided when you arrive, at the point of entry.

Apply well before you travel — not three working days before — so a delay doesn't affect your flight.

Citizens of the East African Community partner states — Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda — are exempt for stays of up to 180 days.

Nationals of these countries are exempt for stays of up to 90 days: Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cyprus, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Union of Comoros, Samoa, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Congo, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Nationals of these African countries are exempt for stays of up to 60 days: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia.

Holders of Kenya permanent residence, valid work permits and passes are exempt, as are people whose passports carry a valid Kenya re-entry pass or other written authority in its place.

Passengers in transit who arrive and leave by air without leaving the airport, and passengers who arrive and leave on the same ship without leaving it, are exempt. So are listed crew members travelling on to a destination outside Kenya.

Some official travellers are also exempt, including holders of laissez-passers from the United Nations, the African Union and several other international organisations on official business, some diplomatic and official passport holders from listed countries, and serving members of the British military. The portal lists them all.