(Posted 23rd January 2025)
Excluded are citizens from Somalia and Libya who still have to fulfull the ETA online application process due to security concerns
Relief expressed by the Kenyan tourism industry after Kenya dropped 17 places last year to 46th out of 54 nations in the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index.
Kenya will allow citizens of nearly all African countries to visit without needing prior online authorisation, according to a directive issued by the Kenyan cabinet on Tuesday this week.
Last year, Kenya introduced a “visa-free” policy that required most visitors to apply online for authorisation before leaving their country.
But the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which replaced the visa requirement for all visitors, was criticised as a “visa under another name” and drew sharp criticism from the country’s tourism industry.
The ETA will be dropped for “all African countries except Somalia and Libya – due to security concerns” a cabinet statement was saying.
The move to facilitate free travel within the continent is also being pushed by the African Union as part of their economic and social agenda.
Under the updated system, citizens of most African countries will be allowed to enter Kenya and stay ETA-free for up to two months.
Members of the East African Community, which include Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, can however stay for up to six months in line with the bloc’s policy.
Kenya also says it will introduce an enhanced process “allowing travellers to receive approval instantly” and a maximum processing time of 72 hours.
Before the introduction of the ETA, visitors from more than 40 countries including several from Africa, were able to arrive in Kenya, get a stamp in their passport and enter without paying anything.
All travellers must now apply and pay for an ETA at least three days before their trip to Kenya, unless they are citizens of an exempted country.
The ETA fee is $30 (£24) and valid for 90 days and led to, in particular by regional expatriates located in Uganda and Rwanda – who could previously travel Visa free under a so called Interstate Pass – a diversion of travel from Kenya to other beach destinations not requiring complicated application processes.
