Kenya entry requirements for U.S. citizens

What you need to enter Kenya

Entry document for a tourist trip: Electronic travel authorization (ETA) required¹. You request it online, before you travel, on the official site, etakenya.go.ke².

Check the length of stay your eTA allows on the official site before you book.

Passport rules for Kenya

Your passport must have at least six months of validity to enter Kenya.⁴ Kenya's immigration authority requires a passport with at least one blank page.⁶

Rules change often, and the government of Kenya decides who enters. Check the official site before you travel.

If your passport does not meet these rules, renew it before you apply for the eTA. Routine processing takes 4–6 weeks⁷, plus mailing time: see Renew your U.S. passport by mail. If you travel internationally soon, you can book an appointment at a passport agency or center once you are within 14 calendar days of your trip, or 28 days if you also need a foreign visa.⁸ Read Urgent travel: getting a passport fast.

Yellow fever proof

Travelers arriving from a country where yellow fever is endemic may be refused entry without proof of yellow fever vaccination.⁹

Check whether this applies to your route. If it does, talk to a doctor or a travel clinic early and carry the proof with your passport.

Working or volunteering in Kenya

People who plan to work or volunteer in Kenya must apply for a work permit from their home country before traveling.¹⁰ For these plans, check the official source or ask an immigration attorney.

Travel advisory

The U.S. Department of State currently rates Kenya at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution⁵. Advisory levels can change at any time. Read the current advisory before you book and again before you leave.

Step by step

Checklist

Before you fly to Kenya

Print checklist

• Passport that meets Kenya's validity rule
• Blank passport pages that meet Kenya's rule
• Approved eTA, with a copy
• Yellow fever proof, if your route requires it
• Current U.S. travel advisory read
• Official site checked again for rule changes

Do and don't

Do

• Apply on the official site, etakenya.go.ke², and keep a copy of what you submit.
• Get the eTA before you start your trip.
• Keep a copy of the approved eTA with your passport.

Don't

• Don't plan to work or volunteer on a tourist trip. People who plan to work or volunteer in Kenya must apply for a work permit from their home country before traveling.¹⁰
• Don't pay a website that only looks official. Check the address before you enter your passport details.
• Don't travel on a passport that misses Kenya's validity rule.

Fees

This is a government fee, paid to the government of Kenya. Passmere does not process visas and does not charge for this guide.

Faster processing costs more. The official site, etakenya.go.ke², shows the current fee for each option.

Frequently asked questions