The Kenyan Visa for your Trip to Kenya
If you are considering of travelling to Kenya on a holiday or to visit a relative or on a business trip, then applying for a Kenyan visa can become a necessary task.
Generally, you should be able to apply for the necessary Kenyan visa online/ at the nearest Kenyan consulate in the country where you live.
General Visa Requirements and Validity Period of Kenyan Visa
It is advisable to check the Kenyan visa requirements, before applying for your visa to Kenya.
A brief summary of the most important requirements and conditions when obtaining the visa for Kenya:
- You do not intend to undertake unpaid job that can otherwise be done by a paid employee in Kenya.
- You do not mean to join an employment relationship in Kenya.
- You do not mean to offer services to Kenyan organisations (this is allowed with a Kenyan work visa or business visa).
- You do not mean to give or offer product or services to consumers in Kenya.
- You and your relative are not in debt to the Kenya Government.
- You do not pose a risk to the health or safety and security of residents of Kenya.
- You are able to demonstrate that you have adequate funds to cover your trip and return from Kenya.
Do you require a Kenyan visa?
It depends upon your citizenship as well as the type of travel document you are using to take a trip to Kenya.Please go here to verify if you need a Kenyan visa.
Who can get a Kenyan visa?
Anybody choosing to go on vacation to Kenya can request a Kenyan visa.
There are several types of visa for Kenya which you can use as a visitor to Kenya. If you are not exactly sure which kind of Kenyan visa you require to apply, please contact the local Kenyan visa office to get more information as purpose of this web page is to offer you basic overview when obtaining Kenyan visa.
What kind of Kenyan visa do I require?
This relies on three aspects:
- The citizenship according to your passport – If the nationality according to the passport is from a country that is on visa free travel to Kenya or eligible to obtain a visa on arrival in Kenya, then you may not require to get a Kenyan visa prior to leaving from your home country. Please click here to find out if you need a Kenyan visa.
- The length of your visit in Kenya – If you want to stay in Kenya for a shorter period no more than ninety days, then you can get the Kenyan visa. If you prefer to stay longer, then speak to the nearby Kenyan visa office to obtain the appropriate visa for your travel.
- The activities you want to carry out in Kenya – If your sole purpose of taking a trip is for holiday, then you can apply for all kinds of Kenyan visas mentioned on this page.
General Visa Application Requirements to Make An Application For Kenyan Visitor Visa
- Tourist visa Form for Kenya – Completed Kenyan visa application form.
- Original and signed passport – The passport needs to be valid for at the very least six months prior to going into Kenya and 3 months after leaving Kenya. It has to have at least 2 spare visa pages and can not be older than ten years.
- Passport type photo – Photo needs to be no older than six months and should be 35 x 40mm in size.
- Previous passport – Supply a previous passport if you had any.
- Previous visas – Copies of previous Kenyan visas information if you had any.
- Flight tickets to Kenya – Reservation of return or round trip flight tickets. In some instances the Kenyan visa office may ask for pre-paid air travel tickets to Kenya.
- Travel insurance policy – Evidence of travel insurance policy with a minimum cover set by the Kenyan embassy provided with the Certification of Insurance policy and the table of benefits. The travel insurance policy need to cover the expense of repatriation for medical reasons and the Certificate of Currency need to be issued by an insurance company. If you are thinking of utilizing your credit card travel insurance for your travel to Kenya, please get in touch with Kenyan embassy to learn more and travel insurance policy requirements for the Kenyan visa.
- Original bank declarations – Original financial institution statements for the last 3 months showing enough funds to cover your trip in Kenya. If statements are printed online after that it has to be Authenticated (stamped) by the financial institution officials.
- Hotel Reservations in Kenya – Copy of confirmed hotel reservations including name of the applicant, name and address of the hotel, time-span of stay. In many conditions, only bookings which are partially or completely pre-paid can be accepted.
- Employment letter – This letter has to be: original and signed letter from employer written on company letter head paper, verifying your ongoing employment, the status of employment, monthly income and annual leave. Additionally, please provide your three most recent pay slips. If you are self-employed: offer certified copies of business registration, tax return.
- For students. Please give the following:
- Proof of current student status: Certificate of Enrollment.
- Original and signed letter from university written on university letter head paper, confirming on-going enrolment, confirming the payment of tuition fees or any scholarships, and confirming term break.
- Insurance coverage from Organisation/University– Provide a letter from the University stating the purpose, duration of travel and confirmation that you will be covered by the insurance for the whole trip along with the Certificate of Currency and summary of benefits.
In general, visa applications for Kenyan visa must be sent for a maximum of 6 months, and no behind 15 days, before the journey.