Kenya eTA: who needs it, what it costs and who is exempt

Kenya uses an Electronic Travel Authorisation, the eTA, for tourist entry. Instead of a visa on arrival, visitors apply online, are screened before they travel, and show the approval when they leave and when they land. If you are planning a safari, the Kenya travel guide and the Maasai Mara guide cover the trip itself.

Since 2025 the rule has had a long list of exemptions. Citizens of the East African Community partner states, and of dozens of other countries, can enter without an eTA for set periods. For most travelers from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia the eTA is still required.

The eTA is run by the Directorate of Immigration Services under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. You submit your details and answers to eligibility questions, and an immigration officer approves or refuses the application.

The official site is etakenya.go.ke. Its how to apply page sets out the requirement and the full list of exemptions, and its eligibility page lists the fees. The UK government's Kenya entry requirements say the same thing from the traveler's side: "You must apply online for electronic travel authorisation in advance of travel." The UK page adds that travelers who hold a visa can continue to travel on it until it expires.

The eTA is for short visits. Work, study and residence are handled through permits and passes from the Directorate. The how to apply page lists holders of Kenyan permanent residence and valid work permits and passes as exempt, so a resident returning from abroad does not apply.

The exemptions come in three time bands, all set by the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Rules, 2025 and listed on the how to apply page.

Citizens of the other East African Community partner states, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, can stay up to 180 days without an eTA. Nationals of a second group can stay up to 90 days. That list includes South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, the Maldives, Brunei, Cyprus, San Marino and a long run of Caribbean and Pacific states such as Jamaica, Barbados, Fiji and Samoa.

A third group of named African countries can stay up to 60 days without an eTA. It includes Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Madagascar and Seychelles, among others. Somalia and Libya are on none of the three lists, so their citizens still need an eTA.

Other exemptions are narrower. They include passengers in transit who stay within airport precincts, passengers who arrive and leave on the same ship without leaving it, crew listed on a manifest, owners of private aircraft stopping to refuel, serving members of the British military, and holders of the long list of international laissez-passers on official business. Diplomatic and service passports from some countries have their own limits. The page also lists holders of valid Kenya re-entry passes.

The exemption is a maximum, not a promise

The periods of 60, 90 and 180 days are written as "a period not exceeding" the stated number of days. They are limits, and the officer at the border decides how much time you receive. If you rely on an exemption, carry your onward ticket and your accommodation details, and do not plan a stay right up to the limit without checking.

If your nationality is not on any list

Apply for the eTA. That covers citizens of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, China and most of Europe. The lists are a closed set of names, so the absence of your country is the answer.

The same document works very differently depending on the trip. These are the cases where travelers most often get it wrong.

A first safari from Europe or North America needs one standard eTA for each traveler, applied for well ahead. A safari that crosses into Tanzania and back, for example from Maasai Mara to the Serengeti, needs more thought: the standard eTA allows entry once (see the fee table below), so a second entry needs a second authorisation or a multi-entry type. Check Tanzania's own entry rules separately, since they are not covered by Kenya's eTA; the Tanzania guide and the Serengeti guide cover the other side.

A connection through Nairobi is a special case. The how to apply page exempts passengers in transit who do not leave the airport precincts, but the eligibility page also sells a US$20 transit eTA for travelers on a transit flight through Kenya. The two statements sit on official pages side by side, so do not guess: if your connection involves leaving the airport, an overnight in a hotel or a change of airline on separate tickets, treat yourself as a visitor, and confirm with your airline before you book.

A traveler from an exempt country should still carry proof of nationality and plans. The airline will look for either the document or the exemption, and the check-in desk is where a misunderstanding costs the most.

The FAQ states the channel precisely: "eTA applications must be completed only through this official website or the 'Kenya Travel Authorisation' official mobile application and must be done for each individual who intends to travel to Kenya." Many private sites use Kenya and eTA in their names and add a service fee, so check that the address ends in go.ke before you pay.

The steps are short: choose Apply Now, complete the form, check that every detail is correct, submit, and watch for three emails. The first confirms receipt, the second confirms payment, and the third gives the decision. If approved, you print the attached PDF or save it to your phone or the app, since it is shown at all departure and arrival points.

The required documents, per the official pages, are a passport with at least six months of validity and at least one blank page, a selfie or passport-type photo, an email address and phone number, a travel itinerary with arrival and departure dates, an accommodation booking confirmation, and a payment method such as a credit or debit card. Extra papers apply for medical, conference, employment, resettlement, business and family visits, and for diplomatic travel.

Someone else can apply for you: the FAQ says to provide the traveler's information and to indicate that you are applying on their behalf. For a family or group, the FAQ says each passenger needs an eTA and to select Apply as a Group when you start. You can check an application at any time with the reference number emailed to you, using the Check Status button on the home page.

Processing time

The general information page says "eTA applications for Kenya are usually processed in 3 days and there is an urgent processing service, however, it is recommended applications be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to travel." The FAQ describes normal processing as up to 72 hours and expedited processing as immediate. Treat these as best cases. A refusal or a request for more information takes longer, which is the reason for the two-week advice.

If your application is refused, the FAQ is direct: "you will not be able to travel to Kenya for the moment." It lists a support email address for the next step, so contact it before you reapply.

The fees are listed on the official eligibility page. They are charged in US dollars, and the page shows one price list for the normal service, with the expedited option as an extra.

The FAQ says normal processing "starts at $30 and expedited (immediate processing) at an addition $100." An East African Tourist eTA is shown on the eligibility page as coming soon, with no date.

Which type should you buy?

The arithmetic is simple. Ten standard eTAs cost the same as one one-year multi-entry eTA, so the one-year option only wins if you expect to enter Kenya more than ten times in a year. For a safari that leaves Kenya once and returns once, two standard eTAs cost US$60. For the five-year type, aimed at American nationals, US$185 equals the price of just over six standard eTAs, so it is only worth it if you plan seven or more separate entries over five years. A first-time visitor on a single safari buys the standard eTA and stops there.

For a family, the cost scales per person, so a family of four pays US$120 at the standard rate. Check how the total is shown before you pay for any expedited service, because the FAQ describes the extra amount per application without saying how it is applied to a group.

The UK page lists three items beyond the eTA that are worth a minute. It says travelers need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if they are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk. It says travelers arriving in Kenya, particularly from Uganda, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, may be subject to enhanced health screening measures because of an ongoing Ebola outbreak. And it says it is illegal to import or export drones without prior approval from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, so contact the authority well in advance of travel if you want to bring one.

These are statements from another government about its own citizens' trips, so check the health and entry notice from your own government as well.

At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, and at other entry points, show your passport and the approved eTA. The officer can ask about your return ticket, accommodation and plans. The airline will have checked the eTA before boarding, so problems usually surface at check-in rather than on arrival.

Travelers on exempt passports should carry evidence of their nationality and plans in the same way. Keep the approval email, the PDF and the app copy on your phone, and carry a printout. A printout works when your battery or signal does not.

The most expensive mistake is paying a private site. It costs more than the official fee and delivers nothing the official site would not. The second is assuming an exemption applies without finding your country on the how to apply page. The third is applying late: the site's own advice is two weeks, and a refusal or a request for more information can use up that margin.

Do not use a different passport for the trip than the one on the application. Do not treat the eTA as a guarantee of entry; the site says plainly that admissibility is decided at the border. And do not assume one eTA covers a multi-country loop, since the standard type allows entry once.

Work out first whether you need an eTA at all. Find your nationality on the how to apply page: if it is in the East African Community group or on the 90-day or 60-day lists, you do not apply, and any site selling you an eTA is taking money for nothing. If it is not listed, apply on etakenya.go.ke once your flights and first nights are booked.

Have the documents ready before you start: a passport with enough validity and blank pages, a clear selfie, your flight dates and an accommodation confirmation. For a safari, the confirmation from your lodge or operator is the accommodation record for the nights it covers. Use the same passport for the application and the trip.

Think about the rest of the route. Many safaris combine the Maasai Mara with Tanzania's Serengeti or with Uganda. If you leave Kenya and come back, apply for a second eTA or choose a multi-entry type. Then buy cover for the trip itself: the travel insurance guides explain what to look for, and the connectivity guide helps with data for the airport.

The eTA replaced Kenya's tourist visa system, and the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Rules, 2025 now set out the exempt groups and their permitted stays. The official eligibility page lists an East African Tourist eTA as coming soon, without a date.

Fees can change, so use the figures on the official eligibility page rather than older ones you may see quoted. The exemption lists can change too, so reread the how to apply page close to departure, especially if you are relying on an exemption rather than an eTA.