Step-by-Step Guide to Kenyan eVisa Application

If you wish to explore East African countries, you currently need only a single visa. The governments of Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya have introduced a common visa - the East African Tourist Visa (EATV)- to enable foreign travelers to visit three nations with a single electronic travel authorization; this visa type is part of the Kenya visa policy.  

If you are a foreign traveler who plans to start his/her East African trip from Kenya, you need to apply for the EATV through the official website of Kenya’s immigration service.  

The application process is completely online, and the official portal is easy to navigate. However, if you are not familiar with online visa applications, you may find it a bit cumbersome and confusing. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the Kenyan EATV application.  

Before Your Application  

In our experience, the online application process for a Kenyan East African tourist visa is easy and straightforward. However, the applicants must have a good internet connection so that your application can be completed smoothly. You should also be careful in filling in the correct information since erroneous data can result in a visa denial.  

You should also gather all the required documents, such as soft copies of your passport, flight ticket, hotel bookings, and photographs. Note that the Kenyan portal accepts only the JPEG images of these documents.  

Creating Your Account  

To start the online application process, you should create an account on the official website of Kenyan Immigration. You have to log in to the portal and click on the Create Account tab. A new page will be loaded wherein you are required to fill in information such as full name (including first, second, and last names), passport number, email address, nationality, and gender.  

You also need to agree to all the terms and conditions. Once you click the Continue tab, your account will be automatically created. The next page asks you to select the immigration service (in this case eVisa application) that you wish to access and to verify your account before going further.  

Once you log in, you are led to a page wherein you can get the contact details of Kenyan consular offices and other services. You can note down the customer care number. The customer care/immigration offices work from 8 am to 5 pm on all business days.  

The page also has phone numbers that you can reach during non-working hours. There is also an emergency hotline contact number. The eVisa application has many steps. Read on to know them in detail.  

Your Nationality and Residence  

On this page of the official immigration of the Kenyan government, you are required to provide information related to your nationality and residence.  

Your Nationality at Birth: Here, you must enter your country of birth. In most cases, you will be considered citizen of your country of birth. Nationality identifies a person as a subject of a sovereign nation. You can seek help from the consular mission of this country in case of emergencies in a foreign land.  

Present nationality, if different: You must enter your current nationality if it is different from your country of birth.   

The continent of residence: You have to select your continent from the drop-down list of seven continents.  

Country of residence: The country in which you are residing at the time of application.  

Residential address: In this field, you need to type in the address of your current residence.  

Phone number: You have to enter your contact number. This number will be used by the authorities to contact you.  

Email address: This is your electronic mailing address. All communication with regard to the eVisa is sent via this mail ID. You have to ensure that you are entering the right email ID. It will typically have your name and the service provider.  

Your Passport Information  

You are required to share information about your passports.  

Travel document: Here, you need to specify the document with which you are traveling, whether it is a passport or any other ID.  

Passport number: The number of the passport, as shown on the biodata page.  

Passport place of issue: The place in which your passport was issued, as mentioned in your passport.  

Date of passport issue: The date from which your passport is valid.  

Passport expiry date: The date from which your passport becomes invalid. This should match the information given in your passport.  

Passport issuing authority: This will be mostly the government of your home country.   

Information about Minors  

Are you traveling with a minor: If you are a foreigner traveling with a minor (a person who is aged below 18 years), you need to provide information about the minor’s age, name, and passport number.   

Visa Details  

Type of visa: You need to clarify the kind of eVisa that you are applying for. The Kenyan government issues all types of visas online. The visa fee and validity vary based on the visa type.  

The Kenyan government grants different types of visas for tourism, work, business, transit, and study.  

Your Personal Details  

As part of the visa approval procedure, you need to submit information about yourself. We had to submit the following details:  

Surname: This is your official second name, as mentioned in your passport.  

Given name: This is your official first name, as mentioned in your passport.  

Gender: Your gender, as mentioned in the passport.  

Marital status: Here, you need to state whether you are single, widowed, or married.  

Date of birth: Your birth date as mentioned in your passport. The date of birth will typically have the date, month, and year in which you were born.  

Father’s details: You must share your father’s name and phone number. You also need to state whether your father is alive.  

Mother’s details: Similarly, you must state if your mother is alive or not. You also should share your mother’s name and phone number.  

Details of the next kin: In this field, you must share the name and phone number of the next kin. 

After filling in the above fields, we were able to navigate to the next section.  

Travel Information  

For the Kenya eVisa, we were also required to share information about our intended trip. You will need to submit the following information: 

Purpose of your trip: In this field, you will need to enter the purpose of your trip. You need to select from a drop-down list.  

Date of entry: The date on which you are planning to enter Kenya.  

Date of exit: The date on which you are planning to leave the country.   

Host details: You need to inform the authorities about your place of stay in Kenya. You have to mention whether it is a hotel or a friend’s home. You also need to submit the address and contact details (phone number and email IDs) of your place of stay.  

Arrive by: Here; you need to mention your mode of commute to Kenya (Air, sea, or road)  

Important Information  

This page provides information about the requirements for a Kenyan eVisa. In our case, we were warned against providing false or erroneous information. If you provide any false information, it will result in visa rejection.  

Your passport must have at least six months of validity and three blank pages. Your visa fee is not refundable. Apart from your visa fee, you need to pay a service charge of 1 USD for a Kenyan eVisa. The page also has information about the fee for various eVisas.  

Travel History  

On this page, you need to answer queries with regard to your previous trip. We had to share information if we had visited Kenya before our current trip. We were asked if we had ever been denied entry to Kenya or any other nation. Moreover, we also had to share the history of our travel in the last three months and criminal convictions (if any).  

Photo Requirements  

This page had information about the size and format of the photograph to be uploaded by us. If you are an applicant for Kenyan eVisa, you should not scan the photograph or take a picture with the computer’s camera.  

We had to upload the JPEG of our original photograph. Moreover, we had to follow instructions not to wear any wig or headgear that obscured our hairline, and the photograph had to be recent. We could wear prescription glasses but were warned to avoid sunglasses.  

Uploads  

On this page, we had to upload various documents. Remember, Kenyan immigration only accepts JPEG copies of the original documents. The documents you need to upload are as follows:  

• Your Photograph  
• Your Passport copy  
• Passport biodata page  
• Hotel reservation  
• Additional documents, if any  
• Flight tickets 

Preview Page  

On the preview page, you can view and verify the information that you have shared in the application form. You can edit the data, and for this, you just need to click on the edit button.  

Pay for Service  

After reviewing our application form, we could make the payment digitally. We could use our credit or debit cards. The cost of an EATV is 101 USDs. Remember, once the payment is completed, your application will be sent for verification.  

Technical Issues While Applying for Your Kenyan eVisa/East African Visa  

In our experience, navigating the Kenyan eVisa/East African Visa application process is generally straightforward and user-friendly, with most applicants, such as yourself, able to complete the process within minutes if you have all the necessary documents readily available.  

However, technical issues may occasionally arise during your application process.  

Read on to learn common technical issues that you may encounter and the solutions to ensure a seamless eVisa application experience if you are planning a trip to Kenya or East Africa. 

Kenya eVisa Website is Very Slow to Load At Times  

You may find the official Kenya eVisa application website a bit slow to load. This can be a result of a heavy volume of applications at the same time span or can be caused by bad internet connection and data and content-blocking applications.  

Solution: We will suggest that you ensure that you have a good internet connection and clear your cache before starting the application process. You have to disable/uninstall applications that block or filter content.  

Photo Uploading Takes Time  

Many applicants believe that they are not able to upload their photographs and passport image even after multiple times. This can mostly be because of the size and resolution of the photograph.  

Solution: You should try changing the resolution and size of the photograph to 239 KB or less. In most instances, it works.   

Payment Not Getting Registered  

Applicants have reported issues in the Kenyan eVisa porta’s payment gateway. They have complained that even after several attempts, their card is getting rejected.  

Solution: There is not much you can do about this. You can change your card and try paying again. 

Conclusion

We hope with our step-by-step guide for the Kenya eVisa application form, you will be able to apply for it easily. If you face any difficulty, you can always reach out to the experts at Natvisa.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Kenyan Tourist eVisa?

The Kenyan Department of Immigration Services launched an eVisa program in September 2015, which allows visitors to apply for and receive their visas online without visiting a Kenyan diplomatic mission.

What is the validity of the Kenya eVisa?

Once the visa has been granted, it is valid for a period of 90 days per entry. To extend their stay here, applicants are required to re-apply.

What documents do I need to apply for a Kenya eVisa?

The applicant will be required to submit several documents along with their visa application, including a scanned copy of the last page of their passport, a photograph of themselves, a scanned copy of their passport, as well as an airline confirmation of their arrival and return tickets.

Do I need to present any documents when I reach Kenya?

Upon reaching Kenya, visitors are required to submit the following documents - and approved Kenya Visa and a passport.

What is the number of entries allowed by one Kenya eVisa?

A valid Kenya eVisa allows only a single entry. This means an applicant can visit Kenya only once, with their visa.

What conditions must my passport meet in order to apply for an eVisa to Kenya?

Before you apply for an eVisa to Kenya, make sure that you have a legitimate passport that is valid for a period of 6 months or more.

What is the standard method to pay the Kenya eVisa fee?

They can choose any online payment method to pay the visa fee. Payment can be made using a valid credit card or debit card.