Kenya ETA: The Application Process, Fees & What Goes Wrong

Kenya ETA: Quick Summary

The Kenya ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) replaced the old visa system in January 2024. Most visitors need one before flying—apply at etakenya.go.ke, pay USD 30 (roughly £24), wait up to 72 hours. Third-party sites charge more and can’t speed things up.

The Kenya ETA website crashes. I’ll say that upfront because nobody else does. It works most of the time, but I’ve had clients messaging me at midnight because the portal froze mid-application and they’re flying in three days. Switching browsers sometimes fixes it. Clearing cache helps occasionally. Sometimes you just have to try again the next morning when the servers are less busy.

I mention this not to scare you off but because the official advice—”apply at least 3 days before travel”—assumes everything goes smoothly. Apply the moment you’ve booked your flights. Three months early isn’t overkill.

While You’re Sorting Your ETA

Once your Kenya ETA is approved, you’ll want something to actually do in Kenya. Here’s one of our popular routes:

A Week in Northern Kenya & the Mara

Tier	What It’ll Cost You
Budget	£2,048 pp
Mid-Range	£2,336 pp
Luxury	£3,289 pp

Two nights in Samburu for desert elephants and Grevy’s zebras, one night at Lake Nakuru for rhinos and flamingos, three nights in the Masai Mara for big cats.

Covered: Private 4×4, guide, full-board accommodation, park fees, game drives, transfers.

Not Covered: International flights, ETA fee, tips, drinks, travel insurance.

Book This Safari

The Basics

The system replaced visa-on-arrival in January 2024. If you’ve visited Kenya before that, forget what you remember. No paying at the airport anymore. No filling forms on the plane. Either you have an approved ETA when you land, or immigration turns you around.

Most nationalities need one. EAC citizens—that’s Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, and South Sudan—don’t. There are a few other exemptions (diplomats, certain permit holders, ship passengers in transit), but if you’re reading this as a tourist from the UK, US, Europe, or most other places, you need the ETA.

Here’s the application process. It’s mostly straightforward, but there are a few places where things go wrong.

Start at etakenya.go.ke. This is the only official site. If the URL doesn’t end in .go.ke, you’re on a third-party site that’ll charge you £80-150 for the same application.

Create an account with your email. Use an email you actually check—all communications come there.

Fill in your details exactly as they appear on your passport. I mean exactly. If your passport says “JAMES PETER SMITH” and you type “James P. Smith,” that’s potentially a problem. The system is literal.

Upload your passport’s information page. Clear scan or photo. The system rejects blurry images.

Take a selfie or upload a photo. This is where most people have trouble. More on that below.

Enter travel details: flight numbers, accommodation address in Kenya. Have your booking confirmations handy.

Complete the declarations about customs, health, insurance.

Pay USD 30 by card. Visa or Mastercard. This is where the second-biggest problem happens.

Wait for approval. Officially up to 72 hours. I’ve seen some clear in under an hour; others take the full three days with no apparent reason for the difference.

Why Your Photo Keeps Getting Flagged

The selfie function trips up more applicants than anything else. What nobody tells you: the algorithm is specifically sensitive to shadows behind the ears or on the neck. Standing directly against a wall creates exactly those shadows.

Move about three feet away from the wall. Have someone take the photo with flash, or position yourself facing a window. This depth eliminates the silhouette that triggers the auto-rejection.

The background needs to be white or off-white. Take off your glasses—even prescription ones cause problems. Keep your face neutral, no smiling. And the photo should be recent, within the last six months ideally.

If you’re using a saved photo rather than the selfie function, make sure it meets these same standards. A passport photo from two years ago won’t cut it.

Cards Keep Declining? Here’s What’s Actually Happening

Your card fails. You try another. That fails too. You assume there’s something wrong with your bank. There probably isn’t.

The Kenyan payment gateway uses 3D-Secure verification—that’s the “Verified by Visa” or “Mastercard SecureCode” system. Many US and UK bank cards silently block this handshake without any notification. The transaction just doesn’t go through.

What actually works: digital bank cards like Revolut or Wise. These are built for the two-step verification the Kenyan system demands. They work almost every time because they’re designed to send you a push notification to approve each purchase.

If you don’t have a digital bank card, call your bank before applying. Tell them you’re making an online payment to a Kenyan government website and ask them to whitelist the transaction. Some banks will do this; others won’t.

Don’t keep retrying with cards from the same bank—they’ll all fail for the same reason. Check your bank statement before assuming the payment didn’t go through. The fee is non-refundable, and paying twice is an expensive mistake.

Once Your ETA is Approved

Applying as a Family? Do It Separately

The portal has a “Group Application” feature for families travelling together. It looks convenient. It isn’t.

The group function frequently hangs, especially when uploading multiple passport scans. One slightly blurry image can freeze the entire application for everyone. I’ve seen families stuck in limbo for days because of this.

If you’re a family of four, apply as four separate individuals. Yes, it’s more work. But each application processes independently. If one gets flagged for a photo issue, the others still go through.

Wrong Name on the Payment Screen

This is rare but worth knowing: some users see a different person’s name on the payment summary screen. Sometimes a Kenyan name like “Kwamboka” appears instead of your own. This is a database caching issue with the payment gateway.

If this happens, do not pay. The system has cached data from a previous session.

Clear your browser cookies. Switch to Incognito mode. If that doesn’t work, change your IP—use a VPN or switch from WiFi to mobile data. This forces the site to forget the previous session and start fresh.

Got Rejected? Your Options

The rejection email rarely explains why. Your options:

WhatsApp the support line. The official email ([email protected]) is often slow. There’s a semi-official WhatsApp number that local operators use to nudge stuck applications: +254 110 922064. Message with your reference number (starts with “ETA-“). It often triggers movement within hours.

Fix and reapply. If the rejection was a fixable error—blurry photo, typo—correct it and submit again. You’ll pay the USD 30 fee again.

Don’t wait until the last minute. This is the real point. A rejection three days before your flight leaves almost no recovery time.

Re-entering Kenya from Tanzania or Uganda

Most articles say the Kenya ETA is “single entry.” Technically true. But there’s a transit exception that saves people money every week:

If you leave Kenya to visit Tanzania, Uganda, or Rwanda and then return to Kenya to fly home, you don’t need a new ETA. Your original authorisation revives as long as you stayed within the East African Community bloc.

Many travellers waste USD 30 applying for a second ETA while in Arusha before returning to Nairobi for their flight. If your entire trip stayed within EAC countries, you don’t need to.

The exception: if you left the EAC entirely—flew to Ethiopia, went to South Africa, whatever—then yes, you need a fresh ETA to re-enter Kenya.

Showing Your ETA at Immigration

Your approval email comes with a PDF containing a QR code. Immigration officers scan this at JKIA.

Here’s what catches people out: the handheld scanners at Nairobi airport don’t read QR codes well from dark mode screens or phones with low brightness. I’ve watched travellers hold up their phones while the officer taps the screen repeatedly, nothing happening.

Set your phone brightness to 100%. Use a white background. Better yet, save the original PDF to your Files app rather than your Photos—the resolution is higher and the scanners pick it up faster.

Or just print the thing. Paper still works.

Yellow Fever Cards at JKIA

At JKIA, health officials occasionally pull travellers aside to check Yellow Fever vaccination cards. This happens even if you arrived from a non-endemic country like the UK or US.

If you came directly from a non-endemic country, you’re legally exempt. Some officers may pressure you toward a $50 “on-site vaccination.” Politely say you arrived from a non-endemic zone and ask to see the WHO list they’re referencing. They’ll almost always let you through immediately.

That said, if you’re coming from or transiting through a yellow fever endemic country, you do need the certificate. Check the WHO list before travelling.

Approved ETA ≠ Guaranteed Entry

Having an approved Kenya ETA gets you on the plane. It doesn’t guarantee entry. Immigration officers still make the final call. They might ask:

Purpose of your visit
Where you’re staying
Proof of accommodation
Return or onward flight
Funds for your stay

Bring printed confirmations. Hotel bookings, safari itinerary, return flights. Having these ready makes the conversation shorter. Not having them makes it longer.

Special Cases

Children and babies all need individual ETAs. Parents fill out applications on their behalf. Same fee.

Business travel uses the standard ETA—select “business” as your purpose. Some visitors also need an invitation letter from the Kenyan company they’re meeting.

Transit through Nairobi without leaving the airport technically doesn’t require an ETA. But if your layover is long or you want to leave the airport, you do. The transit version is cheaper—around USD 20—for stays under 72 hours.

Previous visa overstays will flag your application. Be honest about it. Lying makes things worse. If you’re unsure of your status, contact immigration before applying.

Multi-Country Trips: Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda

If you’re planning a multi-country trip—Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda—the East African Tourist Visa (USD 100) covers all three with multiple entries for 90 days. Apply through the embassy of whichever country you’re visiting first.

This works well for Masai Mara combined with gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. One visa, three countries, no reapplication hassle.

Quick Answers

The questions I get asked most about the Kenya ETA:

How long does Kenya ETA take to process?

Up to 72 hours officially. Some clear much faster—I’ve seen approvals come through in under an hour. If yours is stuck beyond 72 hours, message the WhatsApp support line.

Can I get a visa on arrival anymore?

No. That system ended January 2024. You need an approved ETA before boarding.

Is the fee refundable?

No. USD 30 is gone whether you’re approved, rejected, or cancel your trip.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate?

Only if arriving from an endemic country. Direct flights from the UK, US, or Europe don’t require it—though individual officers may ask anyway.

Can I extend my stay beyond 90 days?

Extensions are possible through immigration in Nairobi. Apply before your current authorisation expires. Overstaying carries penalties.

Ready to Book?

The ETA is the paperwork. Kenya is the experience. Once your authorisation clears, we can handle the rest—private safaris in a 4×4 Land Cruiser, no shared vehicles, no group tours. Just you, your travel partner, and the wildlife.

Start Planning Your Safari

Useful Links

Official Kenya ETA Portal — the only legitimate site
Kenya Immigration Department
FCDO Kenya Travel Advice