It is now official! Beginning this January 2021, you can directly apply and pay for your Kenyan Visa from the new eVisa portal. If you are travelling from a destination that requires an entry visa to Kenya, simply follow the following three easy steps:

  1. Set up an account at the eVisa portal, which you will use for all your future Kenyan Visa applications.
  2. Fill out the online application form and pay securely using Visa or Mastercard.
  3. Download the eVisa PDF from your account.

The new portal replaces the Visa on arrival facility, which allowed you to apply for a Kenyan Visa at the airport on arrival. Now you will need to make the application before taking your flight. The new service comes months after Kenya’s Directorate of Immigration announced it had lifted its earlier amnesty on stay. So what types of Visas does the new online system allow you to apply for?

Single Entry Visa

The Single Entry Visa issued for single entry allows travellers who require a Kenyan Visa to enter the country either for business, tourism or medical reasons. The Visa is valid for three months before you travel. You may renew it for an additional ninety days at the immigration headquarters in Nairobi. However, bear in mind that the maximum number of days you may stay in Kenya is six months. Plan to spend USD 51 for this type of Visa. Additional card handling surcharges and a USD 1 service charge will also apply.

ADVERTISE HERE

To obtain a single entry Visa, you should have the following:

  1. A valid travel document which is not less than six months old.
  2. At least a blank page in the holder’s passport.
  3. A return ticket

Transit Visa

If you are connecting through Kenya to other destinations for a period not exceeding seventy-two hours, then the Transit Visa is what you need. If you are connecting flights directly without leaving the airport, you do not need a Transit Visa. This type of Visa will set you back some USD 21, excluding service fees and card surcharges. You require the following items to get this type of Visa:

  1. A valid travel document which is not less than six months old
  2. At least a blank page in the holder’s passport.
  3. A ticket for onward travel.

Courtesy Visa

The Courtesy Visa is issued mostly to diplomats and government officials travelling on official duty or passing through Kenya to a third country for official business or reasons. It is dispensed free of charge and requires the following:

  1. A valid travel document which is not less than six months old.
  2. Must hold a service, official or diplomatic passport.
  3. Must have an official letter from the country of origin, organisation or foreign affairs.
  4. At least a blank page in the holder’s passport.
  5. An onward ticket (or a boarding pass if the passenger is in transit).

Spouses and children accompanying diplomatic, service or official passport holders on duty, but travelling on ordinary passports do not qualify for the courtesy visa whether on transit, business or holiday.

Have you used the new eVisa portal to apply and pay for a Kenyan Visa recently? We would love to hear about your experience. Leave your feedback in the comment section below.