Kenya eTA: How to Apply, What It Costs and Who Is Exempt
Apply on etakenya.go.ke from US$30; normal processing takes up to 3 working days, so apply 2 weeks ahead. Who is exempt, what to upload and what to show on arrival.
Nov 1, 2026 8 min read
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Most foreign visitors need an approved Kenya electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before they board, the standard fee starts at US$30, and normal processing takes up to 72 hours, so the government asks you to apply at least two weeks before you fly. You apply once per traveller, including babies and children, on the official site only. Citizens of the East African Community and nationals of about 70 other countries are exempt for short stays, and anyone transiting without leaving the airport does not need one. Below: the fee and timing, the exemption lists as published in the 2025 rules, what to upload, and what the immigration officer can ask for when you land.
Apply only on etakenya.go.ke or the official app
The eTA is run by the Directorate of Immigration Services, and its official site says applications must be made only there or in the "Kenya Travel Authorisation" mobile app, one application per person. Third-party sites that offer to apply for you are not the government and add their own fees. The steps on the site are short: click Apply Now, enter your details and upload the documents, submit, then watch your email. You get a receipt email, a payment email where a fee applies, and finally an approval or refusal email from an immigration officer. If approved, print the PDF attached to the email or save it to your phone or the app, because you show it at departure and on arrival. If refused, you cannot travel to Kenya for the moment and the site asks you to email its support team. You can check progress at any time with Check Status and the reference number from your first email.
On cost and speed, the official FAQ says fees vary with the type of application, with the normal service starting at US$30 and processing taking up to 72 hours (three business days, sometimes longer while checks run). An expedited option costs an additional US$100 and is processed immediately. The general information page adds the practical advice: submit at least two weeks before travel. Groups apply together by choosing "Apply as a Group", and you can apply on behalf of someone else as long as you say so at the end of the form.
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Airlines check for an approved eTA before boarding, so have the PDF ready at check-in, not just on arrival.
Photo credit: Christopher Thiemann, public domain
East African citizens and nationals of about 70 countries don't need one
The eTA site publishes the exemptions under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Rules, 2025. Check your passport against this table before you pay anything.
| Who | Exempt for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Citizens of East African Community partner states | Up to 180 days | Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda |
| Nationals of 43 listed countries | Up to 90 days | South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Eswatini, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Eritrea, Republic of Congo, Comoros, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Maldives, Cyprus, San Marino, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and other Caribbean and Pacific states |
| Nationals of 28 other African countries | Up to 60 days | Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Angola, Sudan, Madagascar, Seychelles, Djibouti, Mali, Benin, Togo, Guinea, Gabon and others |
| Kenya permit and pass holders | While valid | Permanent residence, valid work permits and passes, valid re-entry passes |
| Transit passengers | The transit | Arriving and leaving on the same aircraft or transferring without leaving the airport precincts; the same applies to ships and crew on a manifest |
Everyone else, including visitors from Europe, the Americas, most of Asia and Australia, applies. Two details trip people up. First, a Kenya eTA is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry; the general information page says admissibility is decided at the point of entry. Second, the exemption is tied to the length of stay, so a Nigerian or Ghanaian passport holder planning more than 60 or 90 days should ask the immigration directorate what applies before booking.
Have these six things ready before you start the form
The required-documents list is the same on the FAQ and the general information page: a passport valid for at least six months with at least one blank page, a selfie or passport-style photo, an email address and phone number, your travel itinerary with arrival and departure details, an accommodation booking confirmation, and a credit or debit card for payment. Depending on why you are travelling, the site asks for more: an invitation letter and company registration copy for business visits, an invitation letter plus the host's ID, passport or permit for family visits, a hospital referral letter for medical travel, and an invitation or participation letter for conferences. Vaccination or test certificates are listed under additional documents, so keep your yellow fever card scanned and ready; our vaccines by country guide covers what Kenya asks for.
A practical tip from the accommodation line: if your first nights are on a safari or a hosted trip rather than in a hotel, use the booking confirmation we send you as the accommodation document, and put the first camp or lodge as your Kenya address. The itinerary field needs your arrival and departure dates and flights, so book the flights first.
At the airport you show the eTA, your passport and proof of your plans
The immigration directorate's arrival procedures page lists what every traveller does on arrival: appear in person before an immigration officer with a passport valid for at least six months, and present yourself for biometrics (a facial photograph and fingerprints). Foreign nationals can then be asked for any of the following: the eTA, a return or onward ticket or other evidence of onward travel, evidence of enough funds for the stay, a hotel booking or the physical address and phone number of your host, and your travel itinerary while in Kenya. Keep all of it in one folder on your phone, with the eTA PDF saved offline. Arriving anywhere other than a designated point of entry means reporting to an immigration officer immediately, under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011.
Departure mirrors arrival: boarding pass, passport, biometrics, and an onward ticket if you are flying to a third country. The exit stamp goes in your passport if all is in order. The directorate's eTA services page is also where the official phone numbers and the [email protected] address live, if your application is stuck.
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International arrivals at JKIA. The officer can ask for your eTA, onward ticket, proof of funds and where you are staying.
Photo credit: Fawaz.tairou, CC BY 4.0
If you are also visiting Uganda or Rwanda, read about the regional visa first
The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda on one US$100 visa, but it is issued through the country you enter first, and Kenya's eTA site does not describe an EATV application. Our East Africa Tourist Visa guide explains the first-entry rule and when the regional visa saves money over a Kenya eTA plus separate Uganda and Rwanda visas.
Once the eTA is approved, book the first days around your arrival
Every hosted safari below meets you in Nairobi, and two of them meet you at the airport, so the only paperwork you add to the eTA is the booking confirmation that doubles as your accommodation proof. The Nairobi National Park Half-Day Game Drive is the layover and first-morning option: about three hours in the park with a driver-guide, Nairobi National Park entrance fees included, and hotel or airport pickup inside the host's published zone (an out-of-zone pickup, including some airport runs, adds US$30). It costs US$95 per person for six to fifteen travellers, with smaller groups paying more per head: US$205 solo, US$135 each for two or three, US$105 each for four or five. No sighting is guaranteed and elephants do not live in this park.
Nairobi National Park Half-Day Game Drive
An early-morning or afternoon half-day game drive in Nairobi National Park, the wildlife reserve on the capital’s doorstep. After hotel or airport pickup, a professional driver-guide enters the park for approximately three hours of game viewing across open plains, forest, valleys and scrub. Possible sightings include black or white rhino, lion, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, antelope and extensive birdlife; elephants are not resident in this park and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. The official product detail table captured 5 August 2026 starts at USD 95 per person for six to fifteen travelers, with USD 205 solo, USD 135 each for two to three, and USD 105 each for four to five. The page headline separately advertises “from USD 85,” but because its detailed table does not contain an USD 85 tier, Visatile uses the verifiable USD 95 table rate. Tripadvisor lists Excellent GameSpotting Adventures at 5.0/5 from 136 operator reviews. Feedback about its Nairobi wildlife outings highlights knowledgeable guides, punctual pickup, careful photo positioning and rhino and bird sightings.
per person · 4 hours
$95
View experienceFor a full first trip, the Seven Day Classic Kenya Wildlife Safari runs 14 to 20 January 2027 at US$4,457 per person for up to four guests in a private 4WD Land Cruiser, with six nights, listed meals, park and conservation fees, a Lake Naivasha boat ride and an airport welcome included. The host lists Kenya visa and passport costs, flights and insurance as excluded, so budget the eTA on top. Send your arrival details and a working phone number after booking; the guide meets you in the arrivals area.
Seven Day Classic Kenya Wildlife Safari
Travel through a classic sweep of Kenya in seven days, from Amboseli's elephant country and Kilimanjaro views to the cool waters of Naivasha, the rhino habitat of Lake Nakuru and the predator-rich plains of the Maasai Mara. A private 4WD Land Cruiser and professional driver-guide keep the route flexible, while comfortable stays, listed meals, park fees and a Lake Naivasha boat ride are included. The pace blends long scenic drives with early and late game viewing, giving first-time safari travellers a rich change of landscapes without losing the joy of simply watching the wild. Hi Five Adventures is licensed by Kenya’s Tourism Regulatory Authority.
per person
- Accommodation
- Pickup Dropoff
$4,457
View experienceOn a tighter budget, the Six Day Kenya Group Safari at US$913 per person is a group-joining route through the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli with five nights of budget accommodation, listed meals, park fees for the route as stated by the host, and Nairobi hotel or airport pickup and return. The vehicle and timetable are shared, so pack light. Kenya visa and travel insurance are excluded here too.
Six Day Kenya Group Safari
Share six lively safari days across three of Kenya’s best-known wildlife landscapes. Begin on the big-cat plains of the Maasai Mara, look for rhinos and birdlife around Lake Nakuru, then finish among Amboseli’s elephant herds and wide Kilimanjaro views. The group-joining format keeps the journey sociable and budget-friendly, with a professional guide and a pop-roof safari vehicle. Five nights, the listed meals, park fees and Nairobi transfers are included as stated by the provider.
per person
$913
View experienceMore on Kenya
Read next: the East Africa Tourist Visa for three-country trips, vaccines for Africa travel by country, SIM cards in Kenya, Nairobi National Park on a layover and getting around Kenya by air, rail and road.
Prices checked 30 October 2026.
Good to know
The standard eTA starts at US$30, and the official FAQ says fees vary with the type of application you select. An expedited option that is processed immediately costs an additional US$100.
Normal processing takes up to 72 hours, or three business days, and can take longer while checks run. The government recommends applying at least two weeks before you travel.
Yes. The immigration directorate says all visitors, including infants and children, must have an approved eTA before the journey starts. A family can apply together with the Apply as a Group option, and one person can apply on behalf of another.
Citizens of the East African Community states (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) for up to 180 days; nationals of 43 listed countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Malaysia and Singapore for up to 90 days; and nationals of 28 other African countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco for up to 60 days. Kenya permit holders and passengers transiting without leaving the airport are also exempt.
A passport valid for at least six months with a blank page, a selfie or passport-style photo, an email address and phone number, your arrival and departure itinerary, an accommodation booking confirmation and a payment card. Business, family, medical and conference visits need an extra letter or document.
Your passport, and you give biometrics (a facial photo and fingerprints). The officer can also ask for your eTA, a return or onward ticket, evidence of enough funds, your hotel booking or host's address and phone number, and your itinerary in Kenya.