In a bid to boost tourism and attract more foreign investments to Kenya, the Kenya Kwanza Government removed all visa requirements for all foreign nationals visiting and transiting through Kenya from January 2024.
The President William Ruto-led government says that the decision reflects its commitment to the promotion of an open, accessible and inclusive tourism and investment environment.
The vacated visa requirements have been replaced by the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system. This is designed for visa exempt foreign nationals traveling to or transiting through Kenya, especially by air.
Over 9,000 ETA applications
So far, 9787 ETA applications have been received on https://www.etakenya.go.ke.
Of these, 4046 have already been processed while the others are undergoing review on priority basis guided by the travel schedule submitted by each applicant.
The introduction of ETA is premised on the need to have a fair, faster and reliable system that also addresses Kenya’s security and other strategic interests.
Before ETA, citizens from 51 countries enjoyed visa-free entry to Kenya, while travellers from 155 other countries were subject to a visa application process at a cost of $50.
‘Significant changes’
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Botok says ETA has introduced significant changes to the travel and transit experience for foreign nationals visiting Kenya in four fundamental ways:
- Equal Treatment and Reduced Fees.
The entry requirements and applicable payments for all foreign nationals, except for East African Community (EAC) citizens, will now be the same irrespective of the country of origin. The visa fee was $50 while the ETA fee for all is $30, thereby ensuring fairness and equality. - Advance Passengers Information.
Previously, travellers from 51 countries were not required to fill out any forms on personal and relevant travel details. There was therefore no means of obtaining data to inform critical decisions and plans around security, infrastructure and insurance needs. With the introduction of the ETA, we now have comprehensive data on all visitors, significantly improving our ability to ensure the safety and well-being of both our visitors and citizens. - Reduced Processing Time.
Compared to visa application, ETA provides for a simple and faster process. Previously, it took up to 14 days to process visa applications for foreigners from 12 listed countries. The waiting period for this category has now been drastically reduced to a maximum of 72 hours. - Dedicated ETA Desk.
To guarantee a seamless experience, we have introduced a 24-hour service desk dedicated to ETA. This will ensure clients are promptly attended to irrespective of the hour while also taking into consideration the different time zones across the world.
“We will continue to review and refine the ETA system to align it with our clients’ convenience and to support our commitment to make Kenya a natural home for visitors and investors. With ETA system now in place, we are proud to declare to the world: ‘Welcome Home!'” PS Bitok says.
