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Last checked: October 2026.
The eTA replaced the Kenyan visa. It is a short online application, but three details trip people up: copycat websites that charge extra, a new insurance step added this month, and a passport rule that official sources state two ways. This page covers all three, then the health entry rules and the land crossing from Tanzania.
Everything here is dated. Where an official source has not settled a point, we say so rather than guess.
The detail
Who needs an eTA. Every visitor needs one before the journey starts, including infants. The eTA is a pre-screening step, not a guarantee: the official site says admissibility is decided at the point of entry. The exemptions are narrow. They cover Kenyan residents and pass holders, transit passengers and crew, nationals of some listed countries for set periods, and citizens of the East African Partner States (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) for up to 180 days. UK citizens must apply (GOV.UK). We have not read the full country lists, so if your passport is not British, check yours on the official site. If you hold an older Kenyan visa, GOV.UK says you can use it until it expires.
How to apply, and what it costs. Use the official site, etakenya.go.ke; evisa.go.ke, also a .go.ke government address, was still offering eTA applications on 9 October 2026, and anything that is not a .go.ke address is an agent. The fee starts at US$30 for standard processing; an urgent service adds US$100. Agent sites add their own fees on top for the same form. Processing typically takes three working days and can take longer, and Kenya's authorities recommend applying at least two weeks before departure (GOV.UK). If you are flying within days, build in slack: the urgent service costs an extra US$100; the official site says urgent applications are "processed immediately", but it does not promise an approval time. If you fly in under three working days and have not applied, pay for the urgent service on the official site or move your date; do not pay an agent to rush it. The portal does not state how long an approval is valid, how many entries it allows or how long you may stay, and sources disagree, so read those details on your own approval and do not rely on a blog.
The insurance step (new). GOV.UK states that from 5 October 2026, travellers applying for an eTA must buy travel health insurance as part of the application. The amount, the minimum cover and whether your own policy counts are not yet settled, and the rule faces a reported court challenge. The portal itself will show what it needs on the day you apply. This is separate from the cover we advise anyway: FCDO recommends insurance that pays for local treatment and medical evacuation. Keep your own medical-evacuation policy, whatever the portal adds.
Passport. It must be valid for at least six months after you arrive. For blank pages, the eTA site says at least one and GOV.UK says at least two. Carry two. The name on the eTA must match the passport exactly, and a renewed passport means a fresh application.
Before you fly. A short checklist:
- [ ] Approved eTA printed or saved, one for each traveller, infants included
- [ ] Proof of insurance from the portal, if the portal issues one
- [ ] Passport valid for six months, with two blank pages
- [ ] Yellow fever certificate, if you arrive from a WHO-listed country
- [ ] Return ticket and accommodation details
Yellow fever: the entry rule. Kenya requires a certificate from travellers over one year old who arrive from a country with yellow fever risk on the WHO list. Uganda is on that list; Tanzania is not. Certificates last for life, which makes the vaccine a one-time job for most travellers. What border staff ask of someone driving in from Tanzania is not set out in any Kenyan notice we could find, so carry your certificate if you have one.
Yellow fever and malaria: the health side. These are separate from entry rules. The US CDC advises yellow fever vaccination for most of Kenya but generally not for trips limited to Nairobi and most coastal counties. For malaria, TravelHealthPro describes a high risk in Kenya and a very low risk in Nairobi and the highlands above 2,500 m; the CDC includes the game parks in the risk area. Which medicine suits you is a clinician's decision. This is general information, not medical advice — consult a travel clinic, ideally at least eight weeks before you go.
Ebola notice. On 6 October 2026, Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Ebola (GOV.UK), and travellers arriving from Uganda, Ethiopia and DR Congo may face enhanced health screening at the border. For what it means for your safety, see is Kenya safe. Last checked October 2026.
Arriving by land from Tanzania. The eTA applies however you arrive. We found no exception for land borders, so apply before you leave the Tanzanian side. Citizens of Tanzania are on the exempt list, but a visitor on a Tanzanian visa is not. Combining the two countries also changes your Tanzania paperwork: see our Tanzania visa guide, because a traveller arriving there from Kenya needs a yellow fever certificate. Heading on to the island? Our Zanzibar visa guide covers it.
Key facts
Official site: etakenya.go.ke. Who: every visitor, children included, unless exempt. Fee: starts at US$30; urgent service adds US$100. Processing: typically three working days; apply at least two weeks ahead. Insurance: travel health insurance bought during the eTA application from 5 October 2026 (GOV.UK). Passport: valid six months beyond arrival; two blank pages advised. Yellow fever: certificate for arrivals from WHO-listed countries; Uganda yes, Tanzania no. Last checked: October 2026.
Planning it with Nobu
We design the route first and the paperwork around it, so a Kenya-and-Tanzania trip is ordered to keep the yellow fever and visa steps simple. We check entry rules and UK and US travel advice again for every quote, and tell you and adjust if advice changes before you travel. We tell you which forms to complete and which official page to use. The application itself is yours to make, on the official site, in your own name.
Is it right for you?
This page is right for you if you hold a UK, US or other non-African passport and are planning a Kenyan safari or beach stay in the next few months. It will not settle your stay length or the insurance details, which the official sources have not yet fixed. Choose another page if your question is whether Kenya is safe (see is Kenya safe) or when to go (see best time to visit Kenya).
Journeys to consider
- The Mara, unhurried — Five days in one place, with entry steps handled before you land. The Mara, unhurried
- A little wild. A little barefoot — Nine days from the Mara to Diani beach. A little wild. A little barefoot
- Your own way through Kenya — A ten-day self-drive across the country. Your own way through Kenya
