Kenya

Kenya visa guide: eTA, passes, work permits, residence and asylum

15 visa types
checked 24 October 2026

How visas for Kenya work

Kenya no longer issues classic visas to visitors. Since January 2024 every foreign traveller who is not specifically exempt, infants included, must hold an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before boarding. The eTA is run by the Directorate of Immigration Services under the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services and is applied for only on etakenya.go.ke or the official Kenya Travel Authorisation app. Citizens of the East African Community partner states, a list of mainly African and Caribbean countries, and certain diplomatic passport holders are exempt; everyone else needs an eTA.

On arrival the immigration officer issues a visitor's pass, which allows a holiday, family visit or business visit but no paid or unpaid work. The total stay on a visitor's pass may not exceed six months from entry; extensions are requested online and cost USD 50. Since 5 October 2026 most non-Kenyan travellers staying less than 12 months must also hold a Kenyan inbound travel health insurance policy bought through the eTA or eCitizen platforms; according to an official Kenyan notice, foreign travel insurance policies are not accepted.

Longer stays are governed by the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011 and its 2012 Regulations. Work and residence permits are grouped in classes (A to N, plus newer classes P, Q and R listed in the Directorate's 2025 service charter), while students, interns, researchers, dependants and short-term workers receive passes. All permits, passes and permanent residence applications are filed on the Foreign Nationals Services portal (eFNS, fns.immigration.go.ke) and are endorsed at Nyayo House in Nairobi once issued. Citizens of East African Community states receive permits and most passes free of charge.

Asylum is handled separately by the Department of Refugee Services under the Refugees Act 2021. People seeking protection register in person at a DRS office in Kenya within 30 days of arrival; there is no asylum application from abroad.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday, safari or family visit: eTA (USD 30 standard) plus the mandatory Kenyan travel health cover; the visitor's pass is issued on arrival.

Meetings, conferences or contract negotiations: eTA with the company invitation; any actual work of up to six months needs a Special Pass (USD 200 a month).

Changing planes at a Kenyan airport without leaving the airport: no eTA; leaving the airport while in transit: transit eTA (USD 20).

Frequent trips over a year: one-year multiple-entry eTA (USD 300); urgent trips: expedited eTA (USD 100 on top).

Studies at a Kenyan institution: Student's Pass (USD 100 a year); internships or academic research: Internship/Research Pass.

A job with a Kenyan employer: Class D work permit; practising a regulated profession: Class C; running a business with at least USD 100,000: Class G (or A, B, F for mining, farming, manufacturing).

Remote work for a foreign employer: Class N digital nomad permit (income of USD 55,000 a year); retirement on foreign income: Class K (age 35+, USD 24,000 a year).

Joining a Kenyan citizen, permit holder or permanent resident: Dependant's Pass; long-term settlement: permanent residence; fear of persecution: asylum with the Department of Refugee Services.

Visa types for Kenya

Visits and short stays

Tourist visa Visitor's pass with a standard eTA (and the East Africa Single Tourist Visa)
Tourists and people visiting family in Kenya no longer apply for a visa: they need an approved standard eTA (USD 30) before boarding and, for arrivals from 5 October 2026, a Kenyan inbound travel health insurance policy.
Maximum stay: Set by the officer on entry; total stay on a visitor's pass up to 6 months from entry
Transit visa Transit eTA and transit pass
Passengers who change planes in Kenya without leaving the airport precincts do not need an eTA.
Maximum stay: Transit pass: up to 3 days

Business and self-employment

Business visa Business visit on an eTA and Special Pass for short-term work
Business visitors who only attend meetings, negotiations or conferences travel to Kenya on a standard eTA backed by a company invitation and receive a visitor's pass on arrival.
Maximum stay: Visitor's pass: up to 6 months in total; Special Pass: up to 6 months
Self-employed and freelancer visa Class C permit (prescribed profession)
The Class C permit lets a member of a prescribed profession practise it in Kenya, alone or in partnership.
Maximum stay: Period set by the Director, up to 5 years per issue or renewal
Investor visa Class G permit (specific trade, business or consultancy) and investor classes A, B and F
Foreigners who invest in and run their own business in Kenya apply for a Class G permit (specific trade, business or consultancy), which requires documentary proof of at least USD 100,000 to be invested, a registered company and the necessary licences.
Maximum stay: Period set by the Director, up to 5 years per issue or renewal

Study and training

Student visa Student's Pass
Foreigners admitted to a Kenyan school, college or university need a Student's Pass.
Maximum stay: Duration of the course as stated by the institution; renewable
Researcher visa Internship/Research Pass
Foreigners who come to Kenya for an internship or for academic research hosted by a Kenyan institution need an Internship/Research Pass.
Maximum stay: Period of the internship or research stated by the institution

Work

Work visa Class D work permit (employment)
Foreigners hired by an employer in Kenya need a Class D work permit.
Maximum stay: Period set by the Director; no permit is issued or renewed for more than 5 years at a time
Digital nomad visa Class N permit (digital nomad)
Kenya's Class N permit, added to the Regulations by Legal Notice 155 of 2024, is for people employed by a company based outside Kenya or freelancing for foreign companies while living in Kenya.
Maximum stay: Period set by the Director, up to 5 years per issue or renewal

Family

Family reunification visa Dependant's Pass
Family members who depend on a Kenyan citizen, a work permit holder, a permanent resident or an exempted person live in Kenya on a Dependant's Pass.
Maximum stay: Linked to the principal's status; for permit holders the permit must have at least 6 months left when applying

Residence

Retirement visa Class K permit (ordinary residents)
The Class K permit is Kenya's residence option for people who want to live in the country on their own income without working.
Maximum stay: Valid for the period stated, as long as the income is maintained; up to 5 years per issue
Permanent residence Permanent residence (sections 37–39, Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011)
Kenya grants permanent residence to four groups: former Kenyan citizens, foreigners who have held work permits for at least seven years and lived in Kenya continuously for the last three, children of Kenyan citizens born abroad, and spouses married to a Kenyan citizen for at least three years.
Maximum stay: Indefinite, as long as the holder abides by Kenyan law

Online travel permits

Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)
The Kenya eTA is the online pre-travel authorisation that replaced visitor visas in January 2024.
Maximum stay: Not set by the eTA; the officer issues a visitor's pass of up to 6 months in total

Fast-track and priority services

Fast-track and priority visa services Expedited eTA processing
Kenya's eTA portal offers an official expedited option for urgent trips: for USD 100 on top of the normal eTA fee, the application is processed immediately instead of within the usual three working days.
Processing time: Immediate, compared with up to 72 hours normally

Asylum and international protection

Asylum and international protection Asylum and refugee status (Refugees Act 2021)
People seeking protection in Kenya apply in person to the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), which registers asylum seekers and decides claims under the Refugees Act 2021.
Maximum stay: Asylum seekers may stay while the claim is pending

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Kenya?

Kenya no longer issues visitor visas, but travellers who are not on an exemption list, such as citizens of East African Community states and certain diplomatic passport holders, must obtain an eTA online before travelling. The standard eTA costs USD 30 and is usually decided within three working days.

Is travel health insurance compulsory for Kenya?

Yes, for arrivals from 5 October 2026. Non-Kenyans staying less than 12 months need an individual Kenyan policy bought through etakenya.go.ke or insurance.ecitizen.go.ke; according to an official Kenyan notice, foreign policies are not accepted. The policy is valid for 90 days and airlines check it at check-in. Residents, EAC citizens, asylum seekers and diplomatic passport holders are exempt.

Can I get a visa on arrival in Kenya?

No. Visas were replaced by the eTA, which must be approved before boarding. Airlines may not carry passengers without a valid eTA and must return them to their last port of call.

How long can I stay in Kenya as a visitor?

The officer sets the period on the visitor's pass at entry. A visitor's pass can be extended online for USD 50, but the total stay may not exceed six months from the date of entry.

Where do I apply for a Kenyan work permit?

Online on the eFNS portal (fns.immigration.go.ke), usually with the employer's cover letter. The Directorate's 2025 charter sets 21 working days for new permits and 10 for renewals; the issued e-permit is printed and endorsed in the passport at Nyayo House.

Can I apply for the eTA at a Kenyan embassy?

No. Kenyan missions direct travellers to the online platform etakenya.go.ke; the eTA is applied for and paid online and arrives by email.