Kenya operates a digital visa system administered by the Department of Immigration Services under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. As of January 1, 2024, Kenya eliminated visa-on-arrival for all nationalities and replaced it with an Electronic Travel Authorization system accessible at etravelauthorization.go.ke. This platform processes all entry applications except for citizens of countries within the East African Community — Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia — who enter visa-free with valid national identification or passports. The shift to mandatory pre-arrival authorization applies to tourists, business visitors, transit passengers, and all other temporary entry categories. Citizens of Kenya do not require authorization and use Kenyan passports or national ID cards for re-entry.
The Electronic Travel Authorization system offers three primary categories. The Tourist eTA permits stays up to 90 days for leisure travel and costs 30 USD for single entry. The Business eTA permits stays up to 90 days for meetings, conferences, and commercial activities not constituting formal employment, also priced at 30 USD single entry. The Transit eTA allows up to 72 hours in Kenya while traveling to another destination and costs 20 USD. All three categories require online application submission at least three days before departure, though the Department of Immigration Services recommends seven days to accommodate processing delays. Multiple-entry eTAs for tourism and business cost 100 USD and permit stays totaling no more than 90 days within six months from first entry. Applications require a valid passport with at least six months validity beyond intended departure date, a recent color passport photograph in JPEG format under 300KB, confirmed return or onward ticket, and proof of accommodation such as hotel reservation or host invitation letter. Business applications additionally require a letter from the sponsoring Kenyan entity or invitation from a registered company.
Payment processing occurs exclusively through the eTA portal using Visa or Mastercard credit and debit cards. The system does not accept American Express, Discover, prepaid cards, or direct bank transfers. Applicants receive automated email confirmation upon submission, a second email if additional documentation is requested, and final approval notification with a PDF authorization document. This PDF must be printed and presented to immigration officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Moi International Airport in Mombasa, or any of Kenya's 35 gazetted land border crossings including Busia and Malaba on the Uganda border, Namanga and Loitokitok on the Tanzania border, and Moyale on the Ethiopia border. Immigration officers retain authority to deny entry even with approved eTAs if documentation appears fraudulent or if travelers cannot demonstrate sufficient funds, return tickets, or clear travel purpose. The Department of Immigration does not publish a minimum financial requirement figure but officers typically request evidence of at least 500 USD available funds or equivalent credit facility for tourist stays.
Citizens of East African Community member states enter Kenya without visas or eTAs under the Common Market Protocol ratified in 2010. Ugandans, Tanzanians, Rwandans, Burundians, South Sudanese, Congolese from DRC, and Somalis cross using valid passports or national identification cards and receive automatic 90-day stays. This protocol does not extend to permanent residents of EAC countries who hold non-EAC citizenship — a British citizen with Rwandan permanent residence must still obtain a Kenyan eTA. The EAC common tourist visa program, launched in 2014 and expanded in 2023, allows single application for combined entry to Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda at a cost of 100 USD, valid for 90 days across all three countries. This visa applies only to tourists, not business travelers, and must be obtained as an eTA through Kenya's portal if Kenya is the first point of entry, or through equivalent systems if entering via Uganda or Rwanda first.
Children under 16 years require individual eTAs but pay no fee if traveling with a parent or legal guardian whose eTA application lists them as dependents. Unaccompanied minors and children traveling with adults other than parents or legal guardians must present notarized parental consent letters, birth certificates, and guardianship documentation. Kenya's immigration regulations define unaccompanied minors as persons under 18 traveling without both parents present. The consent letter must contain full names of both parents, passport numbers, child's passport number, details of accompanying adult or receiving party in Kenya, duration and purpose of visit, and original signatures notarized by a recognized legal authority in the country of origin. Immigration officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport maintain a dedicated family processing lane but retain authority to interview children separately if documentation appears incomplete.
Work permits operate entirely separately from eTAs through the Department of Immigration's Kenya Missions Abroad portal and the National Employment Authority. The eTA system does not issue work authorization. Foreign nationals offered employment in Kenya must apply for Class D work permits through prospective employers, who must first demonstrate unsuccessful recruitment efforts for qualified Kenyan citizens and obtain approval from the National Employment Authority. Class D permits cost between 200 USD and 2,000 USD depending on job category and permit duration, with processing times averaging 30 to 90 days. Dependent passes for spouses and children of work permit holders cost 200 USD each and must be applied for separately. Business eTAs do not authorize formal employment, paid work, or contract service delivery — violations result in deportation and five-year entry bans. The Department of Immigration prosecuted 127 cases of unauthorized employment in 2023 according to its annual report published in March 2024.
Student visas require acceptance letters from institutions registered with the Commission for University Education or the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority. Prospective students apply through the eTA portal by selecting the Student Pass category, uploading the institutional acceptance letter, proof of tuition payment or scholarship award, and evidence of accommodation arrangements. Student eTAs cost 60 USD and permit stays matching the academic program duration up to one year, renewable annually. The Ministry of Education requires all foreign students to register with the Immigration Department within 30 days of arrival and obtain an Alien Identity Card valid for the study period. This registration occurs at Nyayo House in Nairobi regardless of study location and costs 40 USD. Students on exchange programs shorter than 90 days may enter on tourist eTAs if the exchange does not constitute formal enrollment or degree-seeking study.
Visitors extending stays beyond eTA validity must apply for extensions at least seven days before expiration through Immigration Headquarters at Nyayo House in Nairobi or Immigration Offices in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Nakuru. Extensions cost 50 USD for tourist and business categories and grant additional 90-day periods up to a maximum total stay of six months in any 12-month period. Applications require the original eTA approval document, passport, return ticket showing revised departure date, proof of sufficient funds for the extended period, and a written explanation for the extension request. Processing takes five to ten business days. Overstaying beyond eTA or extension expiration triggers fines of 100 USD per day for the first seven days, escalating to 200 USD per day afterward, with immigration detention after 30 days of overstay and mandatory deportation after 60 days.
Refugees and asylum seekers follow separate protocols under the Refugee Act of 2006 administered by the Department of Refugee Services and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Asylum applications must be submitted at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County or Dadaab Refugee Complex in Garissa County, not through the eTA system or at airports. Kenya maintains a policy of designated refugee camps and does not permit asylum seekers to reside in Nairobi or other urban areas without specific exemption documentation. As of December 2023, Kenya hosted 617,238 registered refugees according to UNHCR data, primarily from Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. The Kenyan government announced in March 2024 a continued timeline for closing Dadaab camp, initially set for June 2022 but repeatedly extended due to international negotiations regarding repatriation logistics.