Practical implications for travellers to Kenya

The introduction of the Seventeenth Schedule brings significant changes to Kenya’s eTA requirements.

East African Community partner states

Citizens of East African Community member states remain exempt from the eTA and may stay in Kenya for up to 180 days.

Other African countries (90-day stay)

Nationals of the following countries are now exempt from the eTA for stays not exceeding 90 days: Botswana, Union of Comoros, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Other African countries (60-day stay)

Nationals of these countries are exempt from the eTA for stays not exceeding 60 days: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia.

Select non-African countries (90-day stay)

Nationals from the following Caribbean and Pacific nations are also exempt from the eTA for up to 90 days: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brunei, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Transit passengers and crew members are exempt

Transit passengers who remain within the airport during layovers are exempt from the eTA.

Crew members of ships, aircraft, trains, or vehicles en route to destinations outside Kenya are also exempt, provided they are listed on the official crew manifest.

Holders of permits and passes are exempt

The following individuals remain exempt from the eTA requirement:

• Holders of Kenya permanent residence permits
• Holders of valid work permits and passes
• Holders of valid Kenya re-entry passes
• Holders of laissez-passers from prescribed international and regional organisations
• Holders of diplomatic, official, and service passports from prescribed countries

Conclusion

These exemptions fulfil the commitment to remove visa requirements for citizens from the listed countries, which will significantly ease travel for business, tourism and family visits to Kenya from across the continent. The amendments also mean that travellers from exempted countries can now enter Kenya without applying for an eTA, which simplifies their travel logistics.