You can apply for a visa to Kenya in advance online

Do Russians need a visa to Kenya in 2021?

Tourism in Kenya is the lion's share of government income, but you will still need a visa to visit the country. However, the obtaining procedure has been significantly simplified in recent years - permission to visit the country is issued via the Internet.

Russian citizens must obtain a visa to Kenya in advance by filling out an electronic application or at a diplomatic mission.

Tourist and transit single-entry visas are available electronically; multiple-entry permits are issued only at the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow.

An exception is made for certain groups of people who have the right to enter the country without obtaining prior permission:

• citizens who have the official right to reside in the territory of the Kenyan state for 2 years;
• transit passengers who do not leave the airport area;
• crew members of sea vessels during transit stay for 14 days, aircraft - for 7 days;
• owners of a private aircraft in case of emergency landing (without leaving the airport area).

Registration at the consulate

Citizens wishing to visit this African country should contact the Kenyan consulate or embassy in the country of their actual location.

Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Moscow

For citizens of the Russian Federation in 2021, it is possible to obtain a visa in the capital of Russia - Moscow.

Required documents

A person needs to collect and submit a package of documents consisting of:

1. Foreign passport.
2. There are two photographs.
3. There are two questionnaire forms.
4. Tickets for leaving the country.

It is important to remember that the foreign passport must be valid for a period of no less than six months from the date of official submission of the application. This document has special requirements, such as:

1. Having one blank piece of paper in your passport for further pasting of a visa into it.
2. Availability of photocopies of the original.

The form must be filled out strictly in English. There are no special requirements for photos. They can be either colored or black and white.

Kenya Visa Application

The main flow of visitors to this country are tourists. Kenya not only has a wonderful climate, but also all the conditions for a comfortable holiday. Therefore, it is mandatory to present a document confirming the hotel reservation for the entire expected period of stay in the country.

In the absence of such a document, you can provide an invitation from a travel company that organizes tours around this country.

If the purpose of the trip is to visit guests or close relatives, the person must have an invitation from him to visit this country.

The inviting person must be a citizen of Kenya or have a work permit.

An invitation is a must. This document must clearly indicate the following information:

1. Passport details of the inviter.
2. Passport details of the invitee.
3. Exact travel date.
4. Purpose of the trip.
5. Address of the intended stop for accommodation.

Also, by sending an invitation, the inviting party assumes all obligations regarding the person’s financial security, so there is no need to present documents about the financial situation.

Work Visa

Kenya is a tourist country and it is quite rare to see work visas issued.

For citizens wishing to find employment in Kenya, they will also need to provide an invitation directly from the employer, who guarantees the person’s employment in their enterprise. But in this case, obtaining a visa is possible only in the country of actual residence.

The employer sends an invitation to the person, which in itself is grounds for entry into Kenya.

Sample business invitation

Obtaining an e-visa

The advantages of applying for a visa using a special website are obvious - there is no need to waste time on a visit to the Embassy. The applicant only needs to follow a series of simple steps:

1. Register at ecitizen.go.ke. In the process, specify your email address and create an individual password;
2. Fill out the form in English;
3. Add scanned pages of a foreign passport (all but blank ones), a digital photograph;
4. Pay a visa fee of $51 for a tourist visa, $21 for a transit visa;
5. Receive a ready-made solution to the previously specified email address;
6. Be sure to print the document.

The applicant usually receives a response within 2 days from the date of application. The printed permit must be taken on the trip and presented to the authorized checkpoint officer at the time of crossing the border. The document is valid for 90 days.

Important! An e-Visa is valid from the moment it is issued, not from the time you enter Kenya.

Take this significant fact into account when calculating the remaining permitted days of residence in the country. For exceeding the specified period, the Kenyan authorities punish very strictly: a fine in an amount that can reach about 2 thousand dollars or imprisonment.

Kenya e-Visa

At the time of crossing the border, along with an electronic visa, you also need to provide:

• a foreign passport valid for six months after completion of the trip;
• return air tickets;
• proof of accommodation (for example, hotel reservation) or an invitation letter.

Prudent Kenyans, in case of theoretically possible failures of the electronic system, retained the option of obtaining a visa at the airport upon arrival. System failure is the main reason why a visa is issued on the spot; registration should be done in advance.

If for some reason the applicant cannot or does not want to use the website ecitizen.go.ke, or needs a multiple-entry visa, then he should contact the Kenyan Embassy in the Russian Federation.

What types of visas are there?

For Russians, obtaining a visa to Kenya does not take much time. Successfully obtaining an entry permit depends on a correctly collected package of documents. Depending on the timing and purpose of the trip, the Representative Office

Kenya issues the following visa categories:

• Single entry - allows one entry for a period not exceeding 90 days. Purposes can be: tourist, private or work (business). This visa can be extended if necessary for an additional 90 days.
• Multiple entry - if it is necessary to visit a country frequently, a visa is issued that provides an unlimited number of entries and exits for six months (a year). You will need to apply for it one month before your trip (deferred visa).
• Transit - needed in the case when Kenya is not the final destination of the trip, there is a transfer to the next country. Valid for 72 hours.
• East African – This visa allows you to enter three East African countries multiple times within a 90-day period.

All visas except multiple entry are ready for issue within 2 days and become valid immediately upon receipt. For a deferred visa (when you need to submit documents in advance, but the visa must begin at a later date), documents must be submitted a month in advance.

Documents for a visa to Kenya

During admission, the applicant must provide the following documents to obtain a visa:

• foreign passport and a copy of the first page (the document is valid for at least six months after the end of the trip);
• application form filled out in English and personally signed by the applicant (2 copies);
• photographs (2 pcs.). The requirements for the photo are minimal: passport format, full-face color image without a smile on the face;
• tickets to Kenya and back to Russia or another country.

Depending on the purpose of the visit, you will additionally need to provide:

• an invitation from the host travel company for a vacation trip. The document must contain the travel itinerary;
• invitation to a citizen of the Republic of Kenya for a guest visit. The receiving party must undertake to provide financial support for the guest and indicate the timing of the trip. There is no need to have a written invitation certified by a notary;
• letter of invitation from a local company – for a business trip.

A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is not required. Such paper is only needed if the traveler’s plans include visiting Tanzania.

Standard visa to Kenya

An optional document is a medical insurance policy. Usually tourists arrange it at their own request. In this case, the responsibility for organizing medical care, if necessary, rests with a representative of the assistance company, and the payment for services is covered by the insurance company.

The best way to get health insurance online is on the Cherehapa website.

The client needs to select a suitable company from the list of proposed reliable insurance organizations in the Russian Federation, order and pay for the necessary options included in the contract. The completed document will be delivered to the email address specified during registration.

It is also advisable to make sure that there is no ban on traveling abroad before leaving. It happens that a traveler learns about such a ban at the moment of crossing the border. Due to unpaid debts, bailiffs have the right to impose such a taboo. Therefore, citizens need to find out in advance whether they have travel status, whether there are unpaid fines, taxes, or other debts. This can be done most quickly and conveniently on the special website nevylet.rf.

Documents for children

Children under 16 years of age do not need a visa, and no fee is charged accordingly. If a child is sent to Kenya without a family or with one of the parents, then it is necessary to fulfill the standard requirements often presented in other countries:

• when crossing the border accompanied by a third party, written permission from the father and mother to travel the child abroad, certified by a notary, is required;
• If a minor is accompanied by one of the parents, then the permission is issued by the second.

Unified East African Visa

At the Embassy you can obtain a visa, which allows you to visit three countries - Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda for 3 months for tourism purposes. The contents of the package of documents are similar to those for a Kenyan visa: international passport, application form, photograph, invitation or hotel reservation.

Kenya

Visa refusal: what to do?

Cases of refusal of entry into Kenya are quite rare. There may be several reasons for non-issuance of a visa, and it may be indicated in an official letter:

• Inaccurate data specified in the application form;
• Incorrect completion of the visa application form;
• Incorrect behavior during previous visits, violation of state laws;
• Problems with the law at home, being wanted nationally or internationally.

If you refuse, you should correct the issues that served as the reason and contact the embassy again. If another ban follows, then you can write a letter addressed to the consul and state the situation in it. Alternatively, you can try to apply for an East African visa at the Ugandan or Rwandan embassy.

Naturally, in cases of offenses or criminal records that have not yet expired, letters and repeated requests are unlikely to have an effect.

How much does a Kenya visa cost?

The cost of the consular fee directly depends on the type of entry permit and is:

• $50 single entry 90 day visa;
• $100 – multiple entry visa;
• 20 dollars – transit.

To make a payment, you need to prepare an amount in cash in US dollars or have the required amount of money on your credit card.

Holders of official and diplomatic passports are issued courtesy visas and others related to the performance of official duties free of charge.

Transit visa

A transit visa will be required if you want to visit other countries after Kenya.

Many travel agencies, along with holidays in Kenya, offer tours to Tanzania or Burundi. In this case, a special visa is not required if the exit and entry back to Kenya is planned once.

Also, upon arrival in the country on a tourist visa, a transit visa is issued to the person. Its validity period is three days.

Transit visa to Kenya

A transit visa will be required in cases where there is only a transfer in Kenya, and the final destination of the tour will be another country.

In this case, the border service will need to provide all tourist tours and routes along them.

You can quickly obtain any visa to visit Kenya here within 2-3 working days.

List of papers for the trip

To travel, Russians will need a valid passport with a reserve of 6 months from the end of the trip and an issued electronic visa. Other documents are attached depending on the purpose of the trip.

• For a tourist trip, attach the original or a copy of the invitation from the travel agency. If the trip is planned independently, then the tourist provides confirmation of the hotel reservation.
• In the case of a private trip, provide a personal invitation, a letter from a Kenyan citizen and a copy of the passport.
• A business trip requires an invitation from a Kenyan company.
• To apply for a transit visa, you need a visa from the destination country and confirmation of your flight reservation.

The invitation indicates the duration of stay, address, and also confirms that the receiving party is ready to cover the costs associated with the trip. Notarization is not required. If you apply for permission to the consulate, you will need 2 photos measuring 30x40 mm and a completed form.

If a family or a group of tourists goes on a trip, then invitations, booking confirmation and tickets are collected in one package of papers and submitted at once by all participants of the trip.

Registration, payment and terms

To fill out an application on the site, first register and create an account. After this, they begin to fill out the questionnaire. During the application process, the system will require payment of a document processing fee - $50 for single entry, $100 for multiple entry and $20 for transit. Payment is made in American dollars. You can use VISA or Mastercard.

This is what a tourist visa looks like

During the registration process, a scanned passport page with personal data and a passport standard photo are uploaded.

Consideration of the request takes from 2 to 7 days, so the application must be submitted in advance before the trip. If you need a deferred visa, then the application must be submitted no earlier than 1 month before the trip. If papers are submitted through the embassy, ​​the review takes 1 hour.

After two to seven days have elapsed, a visa confirmation will be sent to the applicant’s email. You will need to go to your personal account, download and print an electronic entry permit. It is presented at the entrance to the country. The visa is valid for up to 90 days.

Other types of visas

Kenya issues several types of travel documents. Tourist destinations are in greatest demand. All registration methods are available: at the consulate, online, upon arrival.

A transit ticket is issued to those who land at a Kenyan airport to continue the route by another aircraft. There must be a ticket for it. The visa is valid for 72 hours, during which time you can move between airports and go into the city. Receive via the Internet or at the consulate.

A business visa can be opened after the business plan is approved by the Kenyan government. Throughout the year, the entrepreneur must organize the business. If the business is successful, taxes are paid and the permit period is extended. A family may arrive in the country together with a businessman.

A tourist visa is a document giving the right to visit the country designated therein for tourism purposes.

The country willingly accepts foreign specialists. A work visa is issued after concluding a contract with a Kenyan employer, which is certified by the relevant ministry. In addition to basic documents, they submit an invitation to work and a bank statement on personal finances. For the first year, the employee is required to work in the inviting company, then the place can be changed and the permit extended.

Visas by invitation are in demand. The written document is made by a person residing in Kenya. It indicates the personal data of both parties, residential addresses, relationship or other relationships. The inviting party confirms that it is capable of providing financial support if necessary. She is also required to have a citizen's passport or residence permit. The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs must approve the invitation, after which you can obtain a visitor visa for 1 year.

Special visas are issued for investors for a period of 2 years if you invest $300 thousand.

Scientists conduct research with special permission. An invitation from local organizations is desirable. Volunteers and missionaries come to the country. In addition to the main documents, they submit a petition from their management.

Visa for Ukrainians

Ukrainian nationals also need to pre-apply for a visa to Kenya through the online registration system or at a diplomatic mission. representative office But it is worth noting that there is no Kenyan embassy on the territory of Ukraine, so citizens of this country will have to go to Moscow to register at a diplomatic mission.

The procedure for obtaining a visa for Ukrainians is no different from the procedure for obtaining visas for Russians. The only difference is the cost of the visa. Citizens of Ukraine will have to pay not 51 dollars, but 53. Ukrainians can also get a visa on arrival without prior registration at the country’s airport.

Its price will be 50 US dollars or 40 euros. You can also pay 30 British pounds sterling.

The best route to Kenya from Russia

There are direct flights between Moscow and Nairobi (the capital of Kenya). You can also get there with transfers in Europe. Flight duration varies from 10 to 16 hours.

Air travel to Nairobi is carried out by many companies, as the city serves as a starting point for all tourists traveling around Africa. In this regard, there is a huge selection of offers on the market, varying significantly in service and price. Ticket prices range from 15 to 35 thousand rubles one way.

You can fly to Kenya using EMIRATES, AIRFLOT, QATAR AIRWAYS, EGYPT AIR airlines. With a transfer in Europe - by BMI, BRITISH AIRWAYS, KLM, SWISS. For example, on a QATAR AIRWAYS route with a connection in Qatar, the journey to Nairobi will take 12 hours. A trip via BRITISH AIRWAYS with a stopover in London will take 15.5 hours. And the Swiss SWISS will deliver within 24 hours, with two transfers.

Special services help you search for inexpensive tickets and keep track of current offers. For example, Aviasales or Skyscanner.

Kenya: to travel you need a visa costing $50, you can apply for it online or at the embassy

In 2021, Russians need a visa to travel to the Republic of Kenya. It can be completed online or at the country’s diplomatic mission located in Moscow. In both options, there are no particular difficulties in obtaining an entry document. A visa to Kenya is issued after preparing a minimum set of documentation and paying the state fee.

NB! We remind you that due to coronavirus infection, most countries in the world have banned or limited entry.

As of December 20, 2021, the following are available for travel for tourism purposes:

Abkhazia, Turkey, Egypt, UAE, Japan, Great Britain, Switzerland, Greece (500 people per week), Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Maldives, Tanzania, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, as well as neighboring countries, in incl. Belarus (from November 1 - only through Minsk airport, ground points are closed), Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan.

As of December 20, 2021, the following are available for travel for tourism purposes:

Required documents

To obtain an entry document in 2021, you must provide:

1. international passport valid for at least six months;
2. two forms filled out in English;
3. two photos of the established size;
4. invitation from the receiving party;
5. round trip tickets;
6. visa permit and ticket to a third country (transit).

If the applicant is retired or unemployed, then the sponsors paying for the trip must be indicated.

A medical certificate confirming receipt of vaccinations is required only if the route includes a trip to Tanzania - you need a certificate confirming immunization against yellow fever.

Visa cost

Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
Amboseli covers an area of ​​392 square kilometers and is considered one of the most favorable places for observing the life of African animals. A consular fee of $20 must be paid to everyone who intends to issue a transit document. A single-entry visa will cost $50, and a multiple-entry visa will cost $110.

You must pay for a national visa exclusively in dollars. This can be done at the consular section of the embassy.

Unified East African Visa

An approved permit allows you to stay on Kenyan territory for up to 90 days, but if necessary, it is possible to extend this period for another similar period. In total, a Russian tourist can live in Kenya for up to 180 days.

For complex routes that involve visiting not only Kenya, but also Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda or Burundi, there is a separate rule. A tourist can travel outside Kenyan territory to the listed states, but to return he must apply for a visa again. If the visa permit is single, then you can no longer return using it.

To travel along the route through these countries, the consulate of any of them requires a single East African visa.

This is what an East African visa looks like

Package of papers

The package of documents for registration is the same as for opening a regular Kenyan visa. It is possible to fill out a form on the website. When applying to the consulate, attach the following documents:

• International passport.
• A copy of the first page of the passport with personal data.
• Photo size 35x45 mm.
• For a trip for personal or business purposes, an official invitation is provided; tourists enclose a letter from a travel agency. If the travel plan is drawn up independently, then they provide confirmation of hotel reservations and plane tickets along the entire route between countries.

In case a foreigner is traveling to Tanzania, a yellow fever vaccination certificate will be required. The cost of such a multiple-entry visa is $100.

Customs regulations

To avoid troubles and fines at border control, you should study the country's customs rules in advance.

Permitted for import

• 225 g of tobacco, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars;
• 1 liter of strong alcoholic drinks;
• 250 ml of perfumes and eau de toilette;
• personal items;
• any equipment (must be declared);
• bladed and other types of weapons with appropriate permission;
• pets, if they have received the necessary veterinary certificates confirming that they have undergone vaccination, including rabies vaccinations.

Foreign currency in any volume is also allowed to be imported, but transported cash must be declared.

Important: You can only transport the amount indicated in the declaration.

Prohibited for import

• plant seedlings;
• seeds of vegetables and fruits of any kind;
• fruits of trees and plants;
• chemicals and narcotic substances;
• audio and video of a pornographic nature;
• weapons without a license or permit;
• children's toys that imitate real military weapons;
• rhinoceros bones and horns;
• animal skins;
• diamonds and precious metals.

Important: Transport of the Kenyan shilling, the national currency, is prohibited.