By Chris Ronneseth, 30 June 2015 Posted in: East Africa

The Kenyan government has introduced an Electronic Visa Application system to apply for your Kenya Online Visa. We have outlined how to apply for the Kenya Online Visa in the simple steps below. The processing time can take up to seven days, so please plan accordingly.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Visit the Kenya Online Visa at ecitizen.go.ke
  2. Select Create an Account for ‘eVisa Visitors’.
    • As part of this process, you will receive a confirmation email that you need to click on to verify and confirm your registration.
    • At this point, you will be asked to supply a digital passport photo for upload (Maximum size 500 px by 500 px).
  3. Once logged in, select Department of Immigration Services.
  4. Select Apply for a Single Entry Visa and read the instructions carefully, click Apply Now.
  5. Complete the application form. Please note that incomplete applications will be rejected and you will lose your processing fees. You will need the following to complete this application:
    • You will need your full personal information.
    • You will need the name, address and phone number of your first night’s accommodation in Kenya.
    • You will need a scan of the main page of your passport (with your name, date of birth and other information) – the bio data page.
    • You will need to re-upload your passport photo.
    • You will need a copy of your travel itinerary in digital format which can be obtained by us.
  6. Pay using your Visa card, MasterCard or other debit card.
  7. Await your approval which will be sent to you by email.
  8. Await a return email that will notify you of your approval (up to 7 days). We have noted that some clients are not receiving emails. We suggest in this case you log back into your account to check for your visa.
  9. Log back into your Ecitizen account and download your visa.
  10. Print a copy of your visa to bring with you and present to the immigration officer at your point of entry into Kenya.

From September 1, 2015 onward the new Kenya Online Visa system will be in place and you may be denied boarding of your flight to Kenya or denied entry to Kenya if you do not have your printed copy of your e-visa to show for proof.