Kenya Visa for Safari: The Honest 2026 Guide
Kenya no longer issues visas. The old eVisa ($51) was replaced by the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) in January 2024, which costs $30 and must be approved online before arrival. This guide covers who needs one, how to get it approved without problems, and the mistakes that delay the process. The eTA is separate from Masai Mara park fees ($100-$200/day), which go to a different authority.
Who Needs an eTA
Not everyone. The rules changed significantly in 2025, and many travellers now enter without any application at all.
African passport holders (except Libya and Somalia) walk through immigration with no eTA, no forms, and no fee. They get 60 days. East African Community nationals (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, South Sudan) get 180 days.
Travellers from the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and most other non-African countries still need an eTA. Apply at the official portal before departure. The airline checks the manifest against the immigration database and will deny boarding if no approved eTA is in the system.
How to Apply
Application Aspect | 2026 Mandate & Critical Window |
Official Gateway | etakenya.go.ke only: Avoid third-party scams charging $80–$150. |
Photo Specification | Natural light selfie: Shoot against a white wall. Scanned print glare triggers auto-rejection. |
Submission Window | 2 to 3 weeks pre-departure: Validity lasts 90 days from issue, not flight date. |
The only official website is etakenya.go.ke. If the URL doesn’t end in .go.ke, it’s not the government portal. Third-party websites charge $80 to $150 for the same $30 application, and some are outright scams. Applications submitted through third-party platforms are automatically denied.
The application asks for passport details, a selfie or passport photo, flight itinerary, and accommodation confirmation. The names and dates on the flight booking must match the lodge reservation exactly; if the automated system flags a mismatch, the application goes to a manual review queue and can take two weeks instead of three days. For the photo, don’t scan a physical print because the glare triggers an automatic rejection. A clean selfie against a white wall in natural light works, hair behind both ears, mouth closed, JPEG under 300 KB.
Apply 2 to 3 weeks before departure, not earlier. The eTA is valid for 90 days from the date of issue, and the clock starts when it’s approved, not when the flight departs. Guests who apply three months early have had eTAs expire before the trip and had to reapply and pay again.
The Portal Problems and How to Avoid Them
The payment step is where most applications stall. The portal’s fraud filters reject many international credit cards, especially from US and UK banks. Retrying immediately can lock the passport profile for 24 hours or trigger a double charge.
What works: Chrome or Firefox rather than Safari, VPN turned off (the portal blocks some foreign IPs), and a Visa debit card instead of credit. If the page times out, wait an hour before trying again. Morning attempts in East Africa time have lower server traffic and fewer failures.
If the payment keeps failing, try a different card or ask someone in a different country to complete the payment step on the same application. The portal allows a different cardholder to settle the fee.
Three emails arrive during the process: one confirming the application was received, one confirming payment, and one with the approval PDF containing a QR code. If the approval email doesn’t arrive within a week, check the spam folder before contacting the eTA support team.
Children and Families
Children under 16 are entirely exempt from the eTA. They don’t need one and are not added to a parent’s application. They enter Kenya on their passport alone. From age 16, each person needs their own separate eTA with its own QR code. Every child, regardless of age, needs their own passport.
For families where some members need an eTA and others don’t, use the “Group Application” option on the portal to process the adults together in a single folder.
Multi-Country Safaris
Safari Route Block | 2026 Border & Re-entry Protocol |
EAC Side Trips | Kenya eTA remains valid for re-entry if you temporarily visit Uganda or Rwanda. |
Tanzania Crossings | Separate eVisa required ($50–$100): Land borders ignore the Kenyan eTA entirely. |
Three-Country Loop | East Africa Tourist Visa ($100): Best option if combining Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. |
The standard eTA is a single-entry document, but there’s an important exception. If leaving Kenya temporarily to visit another EAC country, the original Kenyan eTA remains valid for re-entry. No second fee. This only applies within the East African Community zone.
For a multi-country safari combining the Masai Mara with gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda, the East Africa Tourist Visa ($100) is better value. It covers Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda for 90 days with multiple entries and is applied through the first country entered.
If crossing into Tanzania by land, for example from the Mara over the Isebania border into the Serengeti, Tanzanian immigration ignores the Kenyan eTA entirely. A separate Tanzania eVisa is required ($50 for EU/UK, $100 for US citizens). Have both digital approvals ready before the vehicle leaves camp; processing a manual entry at the land border without pre-approved documents can hold up the vehicle for hours.
At the Airport
Print the eTA approval PDF. Immigration at JKIA scans the QR code from the printout, and paper scans faster than a phone screen under the immigration hall lighting. If the phone battery is dead and there’s no paper copy, the guest joins the manual lookup queue, which can take over an hour at busy times. Passport validity is also enforced at check-in, not just at immigration. If the passport expires within 6 months of the arrival date or lacks one blank page, the airline can deny boarding before the guest leaves home.
An approved eTA does not guarantee entry. Immigration officers at JKIA can still ask questions. Having a hotel booking confirmation, return flight ticket, and proof of sufficient funds accessible on the phone speeds the process. Refusals are rare but they happen.
Questions Guests Ask
Do I need a visa for Kenya?
No visas. Kenya uses the eTA system since 2024. Most African passport holders are exempt. Travellers from the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia still need an eTA. Check the official portal for the current list.
How much does the eTA cost?
$30, paid on the official portal. This is separate from Masai Mara park fees ($100-$200/day).
How long does approval take?
Usually 2 to 3 working days. Some approvals come within hours. Payment portal timeouts are the main bottleneck, not government processing.
Can I get a visa on arrival?
No. Kenya does not issue visas or eTAs on arrival. The application must be completed and approved before boarding.
What if I’m visiting Kenya and Tanzania?
The Kenyan eTA stays valid for re-entry after a Tanzania side trip. But Tanzania requires its own separate eVisa. Have both approved before departure. For Kenya-Uganda-Rwanda trips, the East Africa Tourist Visa ($100) covers all three. Start a booking if dates are set, or send us your dates for a recommendation. A 5-day safari gives enough time for the full Mara experience. The 3-day and 4-day trips work for shorter windows. For Amboseli alongside the Mara, the 6-day circuit or three-park loop add Kilimanjaro. All packages, luxury camps, and fly-in options are on the site. The migration guide and wildebeest migration page cover seasonal timing.
This guide was authored by David Njunge, a TRA-licensed safari guide with over 10 years of experience, and edited by Cecilia Wambui, a travel consultant with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
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