If you plan to visit Kenya for a short period of 1 to 3 months, you will need an electronic or e-visa. It is necessary that you belong to an eligible country, possess the necessary travel documents, and have access to a financial card to pay the visa fee. Don't worry. This fee is nominal as Kenya is one of the most affordable travel destinations in the world. Still, it is essential to understand the fee variations and payment-related rules and guidelines imposed by the Kenyan government. On this page, you will get all the details about Kenya's e-visa cost, including payment methods and urgent visa fees.
What is the Cost of a Kenya e-Visa?
Kenya e-visa cost varies as per the type of visa you require, such as Kenya Single Entry Visa or Kenya Multiple Entry Visa, visa validity, such as 3 months, 6 months, or a year, and your nationality. Although nationality is not a big concern regarding e-visa costs, mostly Kenya e-costs are the same for travelers from different regions. But, additional government fees might be added depending on your country of origin.
Choose your Country
Please note that on this website, it is comparatively easy to apply for the e-visa and pay the fees. We offer three different processing options to accommodate travelers' diverse needs. Here is the breakdown of our offered fee packages:
- Standard: Visa service costs 59.00 and Issued in 1-4 days
- Rush: Visa service costs () and Issued in () days - Coming Soon
- Super Rush: Visa service costs () and Issued in () hours - Coming Soon
Please Note: The total visa fee will be calculated as government fee (Visa Cost) + processing fee (+ rush processing / super rush processing).
Points to Note:
- Remember that the visa cost applies to tourist and business visas. This range is for a short-term e-visa with a stay validity of up to 90 days.
- The e-visa can be used for tourism and business trips. Compared to other countries, Kenya's visa costs are much lower, and you get longer stay validity.
- Applying for an e-visa is also pretty straightforward. You will complete the online e-visa form, provide the scans of your passport-size photograph, passport, and proof of accommodation, and pay the visa fees. It is a simple three-step process completed within 15 minutes.
- The approved visa is dispatched directly to your email account in PDF format.
- The traveler must take a printout of the approved visa and take it along when departing for Kenya, along with the same passport they used to apply for the e-visa.
Do Children Need a Visa?
As per Kenyan government guidelines, infants, minors, and children do not require an e-visa. If you are traveling with your kids, remember that children up to 15 years of age don't need a visa and can travel to Kenya using a valid passport. The passport should be valid for at least six months after entering Kenya.
However, remember that the visa fee exemption for children 15 years or below applies to those traveling with their parents.
Kenya E-Visa Processing Time
The Kenya electronic visa is usually dispatched within a week or 8 days. The duration involved is calculated after all the documents have been received and meet the validity criteria set forth by the government. Please note that this is just an average processing period. Usually, it doesn't take more than 3 days for a standard visa's processing, whereas urgent visas are delivered within 24 hours. This relies on the accuracy of data provided in the application form, the applicant's eligibility, and the travel documents' validity. Visa processing may take some time.
Urgent E-Visa Cost and Processing
If you cannot wait for long to obtain the e-visa and need to travel to Kenya urgently, you can apply for an urgent visa. To avail of this feature, you must check on the Urgent Delivery button. Please note that you will be charged an additional fee for the urgent visa. That is because urgent visas are processed on a priority basis and take much less time than a standard or normal visa.
A normal visa takes around 1 to 4 days to be processed, whereas an urgent visa can be obtained within 24 hours, and in some circumstances, you can even receive it on the same day. Sometimes, the visa can be delivered within an hour. This, however, would be costlier than normal visas. But it would be best if you remembered that the same verification rules apply to urgent visa categories that apply to normal visas. This means if there are discrepancies found in the information on your visa form and the passport, or you have provided inaccurate/inauthentic information, the urgent visa will not be processed. Hence there is no guarantee that the visa will be granted at any cost.
How is Kenya E-visa Cost Calculated?
As mentioned above, the cost of a Kenyan electronic visa depends on several factors. This cost includes service costs, consular costs, and taxes. The consular cost is around half of the visa's total cost. This covers the immigration services involved in visa application processing. For your information, visa processing involves several procedures, including assessment of visa application, authentication of provided data, and necessary preparations for visa approval.
This fee is essential for the Kenyan government as this is how it earns from international tourism. Service cost is included for the visa facilitation agency. Since we have dedicated visa specialists to inspect the application for any mistakes before forwarding it to the Kenyan immigration services, we keep a percentage of the visa fee as service charges. There is extensive checking involved to prevent the chances of a visa getting rejected.
It is worth noting that the Kenya visa fee does not include transaction costs, administration costs, or additional expenses at all. An additional fee is charged only on urgent visas. Service costs are flexible as per the changing exchange rates, so the total price stays the same.
How to Pay?
You can use MasterCard, American Express, Visa, and PayPal for payment. The payment process is completed online entirely. You cannot make cash payments; therefore, it is necessary to have a payment card to apply for the Kenya e-visa. You can use a debit or credit card to process the e-visa fees.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Kenyan tourist e-visa processing can take as early as 24 hours if you have applied for an urgent visa or three working days. Typically, the Kenyan immigration department takes up to 7 business days for the processing, but it can be issued within 3 days. However, you must apply at least one week before your expected travel date to avoid unnecessary delays.
The visa-on-arrival facility is not offered by Kenya immigration authorities anymore. All foreign travelers, whether they intend to visit the country for tourist travels or business trips, seek medical treatment, or need to work or study, everyone must apply for an electronic or sticker visa before traveling.
The Kenya government visa fee varies per your required processing period (i-e urgent visa or normal visa) and visa category (multiple or single entry visa). If you want to apply for a visa with longer validity, the fee will be higher than a shorter validity visa. Your nationality may also be one of the decisive factors for an e-visa.
When you fill out an e-visa form and submit it to a third party to process it on your behalf, you will have to pay the service fee to that party. It is the amount you pay for the visa application assessment before it is sent to the immigration officials for further verification.