Kenya

Visa Kenya

Afrique · Afrique de l’Est

In Kenya, the entry of travelers falls under the Directorate of Immigration Services, within the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. The portal consulted on 2026-09-17 is that of the electronic travel authorization (eTA), filed online. The pages read state the expected documents and a usual processing time of three business days; they recall that admission is decided at the point of entry.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Directorate of Immigration Services, State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, Ministry of Interior and National Administration
Where to apply: Online, on Kenya's official electronic travel authorization (eTA) portal
Electronic visa: The portal consulted issues an electronic travel authorization (eTA), applied for online; it describes no other channel
Portal language: English (version consulted)

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA): The only category named on the pages consulted. The period of validity and the authorized length of stay are not stated on the portal consulted. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The pages consulted state that the application for an electronic travel authorization is filed online, from anywhere and at any time, on Kenya's official portal. No other application channel is described on the pages read.

The portal specifies that certain categories of travelers are exempt from this authorization, in particular holders of a permanent residence permit, of a work permit or of a re-entry pass, crew members and people in transit without leaving the airport premises or the vessel. Exemptions based on nationality also appear on the portal; VisaGuideline does not reproduce them here and refers to the nationality selector on this page.

Steps of the procedure

Check on the portal whether the electronic travel authorization is required in your situation: the “How to Apply” page lists the categories of exempt travelers.
File the application online on the official portal, before departure.
Gather and upload the documents requested, including those that depend on the purpose of the trip.
Pay for the application with an accepted means of payment, in particular a credit or debit card.
Wait for the decision: the portal announces usual processing of three business days and mentions an urgent processing service.
Present yourself at the point of entry, where admissibility is determined according to the portal.

Documents listed by the authority

Passport valid for at least six months, with at least one blank page.
Passport-type photograph or self-portrait (selfie).
Contact details: email address and telephone number.
Travel itinerary: arrival and departure.
Accommodation booking confirmation.
Means of payment, in particular a credit or debit card.
Business trip: letter of invitation from the company and copy of the company's registration.
Family visit: letter of invitation from the host and the host's identity document, passport, alien card or entry permit.
Medical stay: letter of referral from the hospital.
Conference: letter of invitation or of participation.
Employment: contractual document.
Vaccination certificates or test results, where applicable.

The exact list depends on the purpose of the trip and on the situation; only the official page prevails.

Stated fees and processing times

Fees: not stated on the portal consulted. The pages read on 2026-09-17 mention that a means of payment is needed, without stating any amount or currency.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, processing usually takes three business days and may take longer in certain cases. The portal also mentions an urgent processing service, without stating its fee or its processing time.

After the decision

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, holding an electronic travel authorization does not constitute the final authorization to enter Kenya: admissibility is determined at the point of entry. The admission decision therefore rests with the immigration services on arrival.

The portal offers a service for verifying an authorization that has been issued. That page was not consulted.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Kenya to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is an authorization required to travel to Kenya?

It depends on nationality and purpose; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

Online, on Kenya's official electronic travel authorization portal. The pages consulted describe no other application channel.

Is there an electronic visa?

The portal consulted issues an electronic travel authorization (eTA), applied for and processed online. The pages read describe no other entry document.

What processing time does the authority announce?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, processing usually takes three business days and may take longer in certain cases; an urgent processing service is mentioned.

What is the fee?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The pages read state only that a means of payment is needed.

Does the authorization guarantee entry into Kenya?

No. The portal states that holding an electronic travel authorization does not constitute the final authorization to enter and that admissibility is determined at the point of entry.

Official sources

Autorisation électronique de voyage du Kenya — portail officiel (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Your visit to Kenya begins here · Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
How to Apply · Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
General Information · Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) (new tab) read on 17 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The amount and the currency of the fee are not stated on the pages consulted: a reviewer must check the portal's payment page.
The period of validity of the authorization and the authorized length of stay are not stated on the pages read.
The portal lists exemptions based on nationality, which this guide does not reproduce: they fall under the visa rules reviewed separately.
The portal mentions urgent processing without stating its fee or its processing time.
The “Eligibility” and “FAQ” pages of the portal were not consulted.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

Describe your situation

Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
Check at the source

Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.
Track what is left to do

Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case