visa free policy Kenya

The government has announced that over 9787 travellers have applied to visit Kenya, days after President William Ruto’s administration declared Kenya a visa-free destination for the world.

The Kenyan ETA is a semi-automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to Kenya.

Principal Secretary State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services Amb Julius Bitok, in a statement issued on Sunday said 9787 ETA applications had been received on the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.

“Of these, 4046 have already been processed while the others are undergoing review on priority basis guided by the travel schedule submitted by each applicant,” Bitok said.

According to the PS, the introduction of ETA is premised on the need to have a fair, faster and reliable system that also addresses Kenya’s security and other strategic interests.

“Before ETA, citizens from 51 countries enjoyed visa-free entry to Kenya, while travellers from 155 other countries were subject to a visa application process at $50,” he added.

What has changed?

The new ETA system according to the government accords equal treatment and reduced application fee for all travellers in Kenya.  It also reduces the application time for travellers, from the previous 14 days to just 3 days (72 hours).

The government also says that  Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorisation system will enable the collection of travellers’ information for the government to make informed decisions.

“With the introduction of the ETA, we now have comprehensive data on all visitors, significantly improving our ability to ensure the safety and well-being of both our visitors and citizens,” Bitok announced.

Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system is part of President William Ruto’s commitment to promote Kenya as an open, accessible, and inclusive tourism and investment destination.

Kenya’s ETA requirements 

In a step-by-step guideline listed on the ETA website, the state has listed requirements that all visitors – including infants – will need. They include;

•  Valid passport for at least six (6) months after their planned date of arrival into Kenya with at least one blank page.
• Selfie or passport-type photo
• Contact information (Email address and phone number)
• Details of arrival and departure itinerary
• Accommodation booking confirmation(s)
• Credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or other means of payment