Visa policy and requirements in Kenya have changed to Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Kenya abolished visa requirements for all foreign visitors on January 1, 2024, and instead implemented an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system.

Most visitors must obtain an eTA before travel unless they are citizens of eTA-exempted countries

All visitors, including infants and children, who intend to travel to the Republic of Kenya must have an approved electronic travel authorization (eTA) before the start of their journey.

Persons who are exempt from obtaining the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

  1. Holders of valid Kenya passports or one-way emergency certificates issued by Kenyan missions abroad.
  2. Holders of Kenya Permanent Residence, valid Work Permits, and Passes.
  3. Holders of valid Kenya eVISAs
  4. Holders of a valid United Nations Conventional Travel Document issued by the Government of Kenya.
  5. Members of the Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations Accredited to Kenya (exempt from payment only).
  6. Citizens of the East African Partner States; These countries include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. (Exempt for Six (6) months)
  7. All passengers in transit through Kenya arriving and leaving by the same aircraft or transferring to another aircraft and who do not leave the precincts of airports in Kenya.
  8. All passengers arriving and leaving by the same ship and those who do not leave the ship.
  9. Members of the crew of any ship, aircraft, train, vehicle, or carrier; whose name and particulars are included in the crew manifest of the ship, aircraft, train, vehicle, or carrier; and who is proceeding in such ship, aircraft, train, vehicle, or carrier to a destination outside Kenya.
  10. Owners of private aircraft stopping over for refuelling in Kenya and who do not leave the precincts of the airport.
Please have the following documents ready before starting your application:

For all travellers

  • Valid passport for at least six (6) months after your planned date of arrival in Kenya, with at least one blank page 
  • Selfie or passport-type photo
  • Contact information, email address and phone number
  • Details of your arrival and departure itinerary 
  • Accommodation booking confirmation(s)
  • Credit card, debit card or other means of payment

Based on your country of residence and citizenship, the following may also be required:

  • Financial assets/bank letter(s)

Based on your purpose of visit, the following may also be required:

  • Letter and/or appointment letter from the referring doctor/hospital
  • Conference invitation/participation letter
  • Employment contract
  • Supporting documents for resettlement
  • Vaccination(s) or test results certificates

For travellers arriving for business

  • Invitation letter from company
  • Copy of registration of the company

For travellers visiting family

  • Invitation letter from family/host
  • Identity card/Passport/Alien card/Entry permit of the family member/host

For Diplomatic travel

  • A Diplomatic, Official and Service passport
  • An official letter from the country of origin, organisation, or foreign affairs.
Processing time is three (3) working days, but in some cases it may take longer.
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Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

General information

The Ministry of Interior and National Administration, State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, Directorate of Immigration Services, has developed and is operating the Republic of Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Kenya eTA is a semi-automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to Kenya. An eTA offers permission to travel and is authorised by the Government of the Republic of Kenya. The possession of an eTA is not the final authority to enter the Republic of Kenya. Admissibility will be determined at the point of entry. The eTA application collects biographic information and answers to eligibility questions from the traveller. eTA applications for Kenya are usually processed in 3 days, however it is recommended applications be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to travel to ensure adequate time for processing. Travellers can submit their applications up to 3 months prior to travel. It is highly recommended that travellers apply as soon as they have booked their accommodations and transport tickets.

Persons who are exempt from obtaining the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)

  1. Holders of valid Kenya Passports or one-way Emergency Certificate issued by Kenya Missions abroad.
  2. Holders of Kenya Permanent Residence, valid Work Permits and Passes.
  3. Holders of valid United Nation Conventional Travel Document issued by the Government of Kenya.
  4. Members of the Diplomatic Missions and International Organizations Accredited to Kenya (exempt from payment only).
  5. Citizens of the East African Partner States; These countries include Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. (Exempted for Six (6) months)
  6. All passengers in transit through Kenya arriving and leaving by the same aircraft or transferring to another aircraft and who do not leave the precincts of Airports in Kenya.
  7. All passengers arriving and leaving by the same ship, and who do not leave the ship.
  8. Members of crew of any ship, aircraft, train, vehicle or carrier; whose name and particulars are included in the crew manifest of the ship, aircraft, train, vehicle or carrier; and who is proceeding in such ship, aircraft, train, vehicle or carrier to a destination outside Kenya.
  9. Owners of private aircraft stopping over for refuelling in Kenya and who do not leave the precincts of the airport.
Each eligible traveller is required to apply for an eTA before starting travel. It is mandatory to use the Government’s official website to submit your application. Applications submitted via third party websites will be automatically denied. For children under the age of 18, the legal guardian, parent or accompanying adult is responsible for filling the application.

Benefits of Kenya eTA system

  • Kenya eTA enables travellers to submit all relevant information and documentation from the comfort of their homes before starting their trip. Travellers can enjoy peace of mind knowing that they meet the requirements for travel to Kenya.
  • Travellers do not need to fill out forms on the plane or upon arrival.
  • Transport carriers can easily verify that travellers have been authorised to travel by the Government of the Republic of Kenya and are in possession of an approved eTA.
  • Kenya eTA will improve arrival processes into the Republic of Kenya by reducing the queues on arrival for health, customs, and immigration inspections.
  • Kenya eTA supports the efforts of the Republic of Kenya to digitise its government processes.

Privacy policy

This “Republic of Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation Website” has been developed in order to provide information that relates specifically to the “Republic of Kenya eTA” application. This Privacy Policy is designed to assist and inform you of the measures that have been put into place to protect your personal data as you plan for your upcoming visit to Kenya.

Definitions

Applicable Privacy Laws

All relevant data protection and privacy laws, including the laws of the Republic of Kenya and certain foreign laws, such as the GDPR, the Kenya Data Protection Act and other regulatory requirements.

Personal Data

Any information relating to an identified or potentially identifiable living individual (data subject).

Privacy Authorities

The relevant supervisory authority with responsibility for privacy or data protection matters who supervises the application of the applicable Privacy Laws for the Government of the Republic of Kenya.

Process, Processing, or Processed

Any operation or set of operations that are performed automatically or non-automatically upon data that is collected, such as collecting, recording, organising, structuring, storing, adapting, altering, retrieving, consulting, using, disclosing, making available, aligning, combining, restricting, erasing, and destroying data.

Controller

The Government of the Republic of Kenya.

Processor

An entity engaged by the Government of the Republic of Kenya to process the data it collects.

Security

This website is operated by the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the National Government – Directorate of Immigration Services of the Government of the Republic of Kenya, which employs technology to prevent unauthorised access to the information you enter and view. This website is operated with the strictest controls to ensure the privacy of your personal data. The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government – Directorate of Immigration Services of the Government of the Republic of Kenya (the data controller)—ensures that there are procedures in place that allow travellers to exercise their rights. All rights of the traveller will be carried out without charge for the subjects.

Collecting information

The collection of information is authorised by the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011. When you apply for the Republic of Kenya eTA, the information you provide is used to determine your identity and your eligibility to travel based on government-defined criteria. Only the personal data necessary to process your application are requested, collected, and processed. The supply of your information is voluntary, however, if you do not supply the requested information, your eTA application will be rejected, and you will not be allowed to board the aircraft.

Use of Information

The information you provide will be exclusively used to process your application for the Republic of Kenya eTA in conformity with the Republic of Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011. A valid eTA is mandatory for all passengers seeking to travel to Kenya except Kenyan citizens and citizens of EAC partner states.

Information collected

Identity documentation
  • Photo or scan of an identity document
  • Surname
  • Given names
  • Identity document number
  • Expiration date
Photo
  • Photo suitable for use in an identity document
Contact information
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Permanent residence
Trip Information
  • Expected travel date
  • Airline with supporting documents
  • Flight number 
  • Departure airport
  • Arrival airport
  • Address(es) in Kenya with supporting documents
Additional information on a case-by-case basis:
  • Financial assets/bank letter(s)
  • Yellow fever certificate, other vaccination(s), and/or test results certificates
  • Letter and/or appointment letter from the referring doctor/hospital
  • Conference invitation/participation letter
  • Employment contract
  • Supporting documents for resettlement
  • Invitation letter from company
  • Copy of registration of the company
  • Invitation letter from family/host
  • Identity card passport, alien card, or entry permit of the family member/host
  • A Diplomatic, Official and Service passport
  • An official letter from the country of origin, organisation, or foreign affairs.

Sharing Information

The information collected by and maintained in the eTA will not be disclosed to any third party in a form that identifies the traveller, except to duly authorised officers of various departments of the Government of the Republic of Kenya or their representatives, who are legally authorised to receive it on a need-to-know basis. Your personal information is not shared with airport or airline staff; the check-in agent can only see your name and the status of your eTA.

Storage of Information

Any information collected from you is protected in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya and, where applicable, by foreign laws. Information submitted by applicants through the eTA website or mobile App is subject to the same strict privacy provisions and controls that have been established for similar traveller screening programmes. The Government of the Republic of Kenya keeps a record of the travellers’ personal data in accordance with its laws. The traveller’s personal data is the same as entered by the traveller when applying for the eTA. All collected data is stored in a secure manner and will be automatically anonymized or deleted after a set period of time after you left the country.

Safety of Credit Card Information

The eTA system does not retain your credit card information after the transaction is processed. Our payment implementation is fully compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which is the global security standard for all entities that store, process, or transmit cardholder data and/or sensitive authentication data. PCI DSS sets a baseline level of protection for consumers and helps reduce fraud and data breaches across the entire payment ecosystem.

Access to Your Personal Data

You have the right to access the personal data about you that is stored within the eTA system. You have a right to know the nature and scope of all your personal data held within the eTA system. To access this data, please contact the Government of the Republic of Kenya at the address provided below. Cancel Your eTA Application or Correct/Update Your Personal Data Once you have submitted your eTA application, you will be unable to delete the data contained therein, however, you will be able to update the information. You have no right to delete the data you submitted, as this data, once submitted, is key for police and border protection activities. Therefore, it is important to ensure the correctness of all data before its submission.

Rejection of Your eTA Application

If your eTA application is denied, you will not be authorised to travel to Kenya. Please contact support@etakenya.go.ke to report your situation and obtain further details.

Questions Regarding this Privacy Policy

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Data Controller

Name: The Director General, Directorate of Immigration Services, The Ministry of Interior and National Administration, State Department for Immigration and the Citizen, Republic of Kenya,  Address: Nyayo House, ground floor, Kenyatta Avenue/Uhuru, Nairobi, Republic of Kenya Email:  dg@immigration.go.ke The data controller will respond to all requests or complaints sent within forty calendar days. Should that not be the case, the controller ensures that an adequate, comprehensible, and complete justification is provided.