News report | | 07-02-2023 | ±3 minutes reading time

The number of tourist visa applications in January 2023 has seen an explosive rise in comparison to last year. Applications are generally also being submitted well before departure, indicating that travellers are confident COVID-19 will not cause any issues.

Figures from the CAA show that flights were down 23% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to pre-pandemic numbers. However, visa agency e-Visa.ie noticed a turning point being reached last month. Based on recent visa application numbers, the visa agency expects travel to be back to normal in 2023.

Travel limitations not decisive for many travellers

It is noteworthy that the rise in visa applications is not just due to travel limitations being lifted. Several destinations had already dropped most of their limitations in the winter of 2021/2022. Take Egypt and Kenya as an example. To travel to these countries in January 2022, all that was required was a vaccination certificate or test result. However, the number of visa applications for those countries was down almost 50% compared to pre-pandemic numbers. A general sense of unease about the future played a major part in this.

This downward trend has since turned. According to recent numbers from visa agency e-Visa.ie, the number of visa applications for Egypt and Kenya in January 2023 has more than doubled compared to the same month a year ago. The most likely reason for this rise is that travellers are no longer concerned that the coronavirus will impact their travel plans.

Time between visa application and departure date

This increased sense of trust is also confirmed by another indicator. e-Visa.ie monitors how long before departure visa applications are submitted. In January 2022, visa applications were on average being submitted two weeks closer to the listed departure date compared to pre-pandemic applications. In January 2023, the average time between submitting a visa application and the departure date was back at its old level. The fact that tourists are once again submitting their visa applications well in advance of their holiday suggests that they are not particularly concerned about COVID-19 impacting their travel plans.

Spectacular rise New Zealand, Australia and India

The rise in visa applications is even more spectacular for destinations that still had strict entry requirements in January 2022. Prime examples are New Zealand, Australia and India. After gradually relaxing their coronavirus rules throughout 2022, the number of visa applications for these destinations has increased more than sixfold in just a year’s time.

Percentage increase in visa applications for various destinations

Destination Increase
USA 53%
Australia 673%
Canada 119%
Egypt 175%
India 917%
Kenya 130%
New Zealand 10638%
Sri Lanka 95%

Percentage increase in the number of visa applications in January 2023 compared to January 2022

Remember your visa when travelling

More and more Brits are making plans for faraway trips. Applying for the required visa remains an important part of travel preparations. This can always be done directly at an embassy or consulate, but many travellers prefer to let a professional visa agency take care of all the hassle.

Visa agency e-Visa.ie is happy to help you with your application. Are you, for example, travelling to Kenya? Then you can easily apply for your visa with the simplified application form on this website. All the required details and documents can be submitted digitally. e-Visa.ie will always check your application and point out any errors or omissions, allowing them to be corrected in time. This will ensure that your application is processed without any problems, allowing you to enjoy a wonderful holiday.

Please note: this news article about the visa for Kenya is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Kenya.

e-Visa.ie is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the Kenya visa. e-Visa.ie is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a visa directly with the immigration service (32,50 USD per visa, via www.etakenya.go.ke). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.ie, our support centre is available to you 24/7. In addition, we manually check your application and all the documents you provide before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 32,50 USD in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as € 35,23 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Kenya visa was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.