KENYA – Visas to be replaced with new eTA program from 2024.

Published: December 14, 2023

In a speech on December 12 in Nairobi, Kenya’s President William Ruto announced the introduction of a new Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) scheme in January 2024, eliminating the requirement for all nationalities to obtain a visitor visa for Kenya.  

Full details of the eTA scheme have yet to be announced, but President Ruto said in his speech that his government has developed a “digital platform to ensure that all travellers to Kenya are identified in advance on an electronic platform.” 

Earlier this year, President Ruto signalled that visas to visit Kenya would be eliminated for other African nationals from 2024 in the interests of growing trade and travel on the continent. In his latest comments, this policy appears to be extended to include all nationalities globally. 

Kenya’s decision to introduce an eTA scheme for some or all foreign visitors is consistent with that of many other countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United States, all of which operate eTA schemes for incoming visitors. Both the United Kingdom and the European Union are in the process of introducing eTA schemes for non-visa visitors. 

Travisa insights.

Currently, we have not confirmed changes to existing travel requirements for Kenya. We recommend that travelers visit cibtvisas.com for the latest information on travel documentation required to visit Kenya.