Visa Requirements for Kenyan Citizens

Visa requirements for Kenyan citizens are the pre-established by other countries’ governments rules and regulations that cover the eligibility of the travelers from Kenya, as well as the required documents to enter.

The established requirements must be met when traveling abroad since otherwise the customs officials at the selected destination may refuse one’s entry.

Citizens of Kenya can visit other countries with an electronic visa, a visa obtained on arrival, an Embassy visa, and visa-free.

The most difficult type of visa to get is the Embassy-issued one since it requires going through a lengthy application process with numerous supporting documents to provide. Currently, there are 115 countries that make it obligatory for Kenyan passport holders to have a regular, Embassy visa upon their arrival.

eVisa is the electronic alternative to the regular, Embassy visa and is much easier to obtain. The whole process can be completed online using any working device with an internet connection. eVisas are offered to citizens of Kenya by 16 countries.

There is also a Visa on Arrival option, currently offered by 27 countries to Kenyan passport holders arriving. It eliminates the need to handle a visa before departure; however, the process of obtaining it at one of the border control points is often connected with long waiting lines and stress.

Lastly, 38 destinations welcome Kenyan citizens visa-free, which allows them to travel without any type of visa on hand. Some supporting documents still may be required; however, this type of travel is still the most effortless one to follow.

Further information on each visa/entry type is available below, along with specific lists of countries requiring each type of document from citizens of Kenya upon visiting.

Electronic visa

An electronic visa is an online travel authorization document that permits its holder to travel abroad for a short-term visit relating to leisure, business, or transit. Sometimes eVisas are issued for other purposes, including medical reasons. No matter the type, application for an eVisa can be submitted online using a phone, laptop, PC, or tablet.

List of countries offering eVisas for Kenyan citizens

• Bahrain
• Cambodia
• Djibouti
• Gabon
• Georgia
• Guinea-Bissau
• India
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Madagascar
• Myanmar
• Pakistan
• Papua New Guinea
• Qatar
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Suriname

Currently, only 16 destinations make it possible for Kenyan citizens to visit with an eVisa on hand. Kenyan passport holders visiting these countries need to apply for an eVisa a few days prior to departure to receive the necessary document on time.

What’s usually needed to apply for an eVisa is simply a valid passport, an active email address, and access to any preferred online payment method. Moreover, most applications are approved by the foreign governments within a maximum of 72 hours and, later on, delivered directly to the applicant’s email box.

Approved eVisa links to the traveler’s passport and in most cases should also be printed for the planned trip. The document then allows their holders to stay abroad for a short period of time, for Kenyan citizens ranging between 14 and 90 days depending on the selected destination.

Once abroad with an eVisa on hand, citizens of Kenya can enjoy all leisure, business, and transit-related trips, including to:

• Go on vacation,
• Meet with their friends and family,
• Attend meetings, conferences, seminars, or trade fairs,
• Negotiate future contracts or deals,
• Take a leisure while reaching another final destination.

Visa on Arrival

A Visa on Arrival is a type of visa that gets handled after arriving at the selected destination in one of the country’s border control points. This is when travelers are expected to fill out the application forms, cover the issuing fees, submit the supporting documents (if any are required), and wait for approval.

List of countries offering a Visa on Arrival for Kenyan citizens

• Bolivia
• Burkina Faso
• Cambodia
• Cape Verde
• Comoros
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Guinea-Bissau
• Iran
• Jordan
• Laos
• Madagascar
• The Maldives
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mozambique
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Saint Lucia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tuvalu

27 countries make it possible for citizens of Kenya to get their visas on arrival, eliminating the need to apply for one before departure.

The first step into getting a VoA starts before arriving in the selected country and requires Kenyan passport holders to check if there are any supporting documents to prepare. If there are, the documents must be collected prior to departing.

The supporting documents may include e.g., hotel bookings or proof of having sufficient funds for the planned stay abroad, and they all should be attached to one’s VoA application.

The next step is to ask for a VoA application form at one of the border control checkpoints on arrival. The form must be filled completely and correctly to avoid any issues or delays with approval.

Some countries also require travelers to cover the VoA issuing fee, often in cash and using the local currency. The last step is simply waiting for approval.

VoA, just like eVisa, allows its holders to take on short-term stays (usually up to 30 or 90 days) abroad, relating to leisure, business, or transit.

It’s also worth noting that some countries (e.g., Cambodia, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, or Madagascar) that offer a VoA option, have an additional eVisa option for those travelers who wish to get their visa in an easier way online, omitting the long waiting lines on arrival.

Embassy visa

An Embassy visa or a regular visa is a traditional type of visa that may be stamped into the traveler’s passport and requires travelers to complete an application process directly at an Embassy or Consulate of the country they plan to visit. Embassy visas may be issued for both short and long-term stays, even those relating to working, studying, or joining a significant other abroad.

List of countries that require Kenyan citizens to present a valid Embassy visa on arrival

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Bhutan
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Cameroon
• Canada
• The Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• The Republic of the Congo
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• The Czech Republic
• Denmark
• The Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guyana
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Ivory Coast
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Liberia
• Libya
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• The Marshall Islands
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Nauru
• The Netherlands
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• North Korea
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Oman
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• The Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Tonga
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• The United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Yemen

As many as 115 countries have made it obligatory for Kenyan passport holders to have an Embassy-issued visa upon their arrival. This means that when visiting these destinations, citizens of Kenya must apply for a regular visa since this is the only document that will grant them entry into the selected country.

The process of obtaining an Embassy visa differs depending on a few factors, the specific Embassy visa type, the country to be visited, and the applicant’s nationality. The differences may be visible in the supporting documents, processing time, and other parts of the application process.

Applications for Embassy-issued visas should generally be submitted a few weeks prior to departure to allow for appropriate processing time. It’s best to check the exact processing time before booking one’s flight or hotel since it may be even longer than a few weeks.

The next important part of applying for an Embassy visa is collecting the supporting documents, which may vary depending on the specific Embassy visa type selected.

Once the documents are collected, citizens of Kenya should carefully fill out the Embassy visa application form that should be available on the official government website of the selected country.

With the collected paperwork on hand, travelers should submit their application in person at an Embassy or Consulate. This should trigger the start of the application processing. However, some countries may require additional steps to be taken, such as covering the issuing fee or going through a visa interview.

Travelers should also carefully choose the specific Embassy visa type that will correlate with their needs and the reason for the planned trip abroad.

Visa-free countries

38 countries grant citizens of Kenya a visa-free entry eliminating the need to apply for any type of visa for the trip. This serves as the most effortless way to travel since the only document that’s usually needed is a valid passport or a valid ID.

List of visa-free countries for Kenyan citizens

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Benin
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Haiti
• Indonesia
• Jamaica
• Kiribati
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Mauritius
• Micronesia
• Namibia
• Panama
• The Philippines
• Rwanda
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Senegal
• Singapore
• South Sudan
• Tanzania
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Uganda
• Vanuatu
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The process of travelling visa-free is as simple as it can get! Most of the time, Kenyan citizens will simply need to prepare their valid passports or IDs on the basis of which they can enter a visa-free country.

Sometimes, it may be necessary to prepare a few additional supporting documents, such as proof of hotel bookings, having sufficient funds for the trip, or a copy of their return ticket.

Visa-free countries allow citizens of Kenya to enter for short-term stays that relate to leisure, business, or transit. This means that visiting the above-listed destination for vacation, a business trip, family and friends visit, or simply a layover is more than simple!