It has become easier for foreign tourists to apply for a Kenya visa. A recent investigation showed that the process of applying for a Kenya visa has improved.
Each year the African Development Bank (AFDB) conducts a survey as to the most visa-friendly African countries. Kenya has been steadily climbing on this index and currently stands on the 9th place. The index is an indication of how easy it is for tourists to acquire a visa for these countries. British travellers headed to Kenya are required to possess a Kenya visa on arrival.
Easier to apply for Kenya visa
Applying for a Kenya visa used to be a complicated process, of which tourists frequently complained about. Because many African countries struggle with their visa systems, the African Development Bank (AFDB) conducted a survey to find out how easy or hard it is to acquire a visa for these countries. Whereas Kenya came in 15th last year, this year it managed to end up in the top 10.
The African government made great efforts to ease the application process for the Kenya visa. President Uhuru Kenyatta signed, among other things, a decree to implement a visa on arrival. However, it is still advised to apply for the Kenya visa at home. This can be easily done online, allowing you to avoid the long queues at the airport.
The country scored a lot of points by implementing a number of new measures regarding the visa. African tourists from neighboring countries benefit the most from this, but other travellers can also acquire their visa more easily due to the new system.
Applying for a visa is the easiest for countries such as the Seychelles, Benin and Rwanda. They make up the top 3 on the index.
Other African countries: harder to get a visa
In some other countries, it is substantially harder to apply for a visa. This concerns countries in the Western Sahara, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan. The African visa index indicates how open African countries are regarding applying for a visa.
The data was gathered between June and July 2018 based on information gathered by the IATA, the International Air Transport Association. In the next edition, the index will also measure how long it takes before a visa is granted, if the price has lowered and if it has become easier to apply for a visa. Kenya is aiming to increase trade and tourism by improving the procedures.
Kenya visa application
Want to visit Kenya yourself? Everyone travelling to Kenya in 2019 or 2020 need a Kenya visa to do. This can be easily applied for online, it is no longer necessary to visit the Kenya embassy.
The Kenya visa is a so called e-visa. This is an electronic travel permit with which the government of Kenya provides permission to enter the country. It is mandatory to apply for a Kenya visa. Travellers that cannot present a visa are barred from entering the country. The Kenya visa is available for both business and tourist purposes. With the Kenya visa you can stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days. This concerns a single entry visa, meaning you can only enter the country once on a single visa.
Kenya visa requirements
It is important to remember that there are a number of requirements set to usage of the Kenya visa. For instance, children need to have their own passport. This needs to be valid for at least six more months from the moment of arrival in Kenya, and must contain at least one empty page. Furthermore, there are several limitations to the places tourists can arrive at. The dates of arrival and departure must also already be known, and at least one overnight stay in Kenya needs to have been arranged.
To prove this, tourists need to be able to present a booking confirmation of either a return flight, an overnight stay or potentially a letter of invitation from a person living in Kenya. Each traveller must apply for their own visa. Children up to and including 15 years of age that are travelling to Kenya with their parents don’t need to have their own visa. They do need to possess their own passport, however. It is also not necessary to apply for a Kenya visa if you are simply making a transfer at the airport, and you won’t be leaving the airport during the layover period.
Apply for an urgent Kenya visa
A Kenya visa application can be submitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week through this website. This is possible until four days before departure. We still recommend applying for the visa well in advance, preferably at least two weeks before departure. The costs of a Kenya visa application are € 64,95 per person. When applying, you are asked for a passport photo, a scan of the passport and a booking confirmation. Furthermore, the application is checked and if required corrected.
When the Kenyan government approves the visa, it is sent by e-mail. You are required to print it and keep it with the passport. Keep in mind that it can still take a few days before the Kenya visa is granted, even with urgent applications. Apply for a visa on time.
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.