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Kenya visit visa for Indians: the eTA guide
Kenya changed its rules in 2024. It abolished the old visa and replaced it with an Electronic Travel Authorisation, the eTA. So Kenya is visa-free in name, but Indian travellers must still apply online for an approved eTA, and pay for it, before they fly. There is no visa on arrival, and the eTA must be approved in advance, usually within about three working days.
Data current as of June 2026
What you need to visit Kenya
Kenya is a bucket-list trip for Indian travellers, from a Maasai Mara safari and the Great Rift Valley to Nairobi, Mombasa, and the coast. The entry process changed recently, so it helps to understand what visa-free really means here.
From January 2024, Kenya abolished its traditional visa and brought in an Electronic Travel Authorisation, the eTA. Every visitor, including each child and infant, must now hold an approved eTA before they travel. Ordinary Indian passport holders are not exempt, so a normal tourist passport still needs the eTA, applied for online in advance.
The point that confuses travellers is the visa-free label. Kenya is visa-free in the sense that there is no longer a visa sticker, but the eTA is mandatory, it carries a fee of around thirty to thirty four US dollars, and it must be approved before you fly. There is no visa on arrival. This page is a full guide: the visa to eTA change, the fee and single entry, how to apply, documents, the stay decided at the border, the East African re-entry rule, and what to avoid.
Visa-free does not mean fee-free
This is the single idea that saves Indian travellers from a surprise at the booking stage and at the airport. Kenya removed the visa, but it did not remove the requirement to apply and pay.
The myth: visa-free means just turn up
Because Kenya is called visa-free, some travellers assume there is nothing to arrange or pay. That is not correct, and arriving without an approved eTA can mean being denied boarding.
The fact: the eTA is mandatory and paid
You must apply online and be approved before you fly, and pay the eTA fee. There is no visa on arrival, and the eTA is the modern replacement for the old visa.
Source: Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke) and the official eTA portal (etakenya.go.ke), current for 2026. Kenya abolished visa requirements from January 2024 and replaced them with a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation that all visitors must obtain before travel, with a processing fee. Visa on arrival is no longer available, and an approved eTA does not by itself guarantee entry. Rules can change, so confirm before you travel.
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The Kenya eTA at a glance
Here are the key facts for Indian travellers in one view. It is quick and online, but it is not free and not optional.
Source: official eTA portal (etakenya.go.ke) and Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke), current for 2026. The standard eTA is single entry, applied for online in advance, with a processing fee of around thirty to thirty four US dollars per traveller, usually decided in about three working days, and valid for travel within ninety days of issue. The length of stay is decided at the border, and an approved eTA does not guarantee entry. Confirm current rules before you travel.
One important point about your passport type
In 2025 Kenya expanded its eTA exemptions, and some travellers wrongly assume India is now exempt. For Indians, the exemption is narrow, so check which passport you hold.
Ordinary passport
Most tourists
If you hold a normal Indian tourist passport, you still need the eTA. The 2025 exemption does not cover ordinary Indian passports, so do not skip it.
Diplomatic or official
Service passports
Holders of Indian diplomatic, official, or service passports are exempt from the eTA for stays of up to ninety days, under the 2025 rules.
Source: Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Regulations 2025, Legal Notice No. 93, and official eTA guidance (etakenya.go.ke), current for 2026. The May 2025 amendment expanded eTA exemptions to most African nationals and certain others, and for India it exempts only diplomatic, official, and service passport holders for up to ninety days, while ordinary Indian passport holders still require the eTA. Rules can change, so confirm your passport type before you travel.
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How to apply for the eTA
The eTA is fully online and quick. This diagram shows the flow, from the official portal to the entry stamp at the Kenya border.
| Step | What to do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Portal | Open etakenya.go.ke | Official site only |
| 2. Details | Fill the form, upload photo | Family group up to 6 |
| 3. Documents | Flight and accommodation | Passport valid 6 months |
| 4. Pay | USD 30 to 34 | Per traveller, by card |
| 5. Approval | Wait for the email | About 3 working days |
| 6. Travel | Carry the approved eTA | Checked at boarding |
Source: official eTA portal (etakenya.go.ke), current for 2026. Indian travellers apply online, upload a photo and travel documents, pay the fee per traveller, wait about three working days, and carry the approved eTA, which airlines check before boarding. Applications through third-party sites are automatically denied. Apply at least three days, ideally a week, before travel. Rules can change, so confirm before you apply.
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How long you can stay
The eTA lets you travel, but the officer at the border decides your stay. Here is how the stay and any extension build up.
At the border
Initial stay
Extension
Maximum
Source: Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke) and official eTA guidance, current for 2026. The eTA is valid for travel within ninety days of issue, while the length of stay is decided by the immigration officer at the port of entry, typically up to ninety days, extendable through a Visitor’s Pass at the immigration office in Nairobi up to a maximum total stay of one hundred and eighty days. Rules can change, so confirm before you rely on them.
Single entry, and the East Africa rule
The standard eTA is single entry, but there is a useful exception if you hop to a neighbouring East African country and come back.
Re-entry from an East African Community state
If you briefly leave Kenya to an East African Community partner state, such as Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, you can re-enter Kenya on the same valid eTA. If you travel outside those countries and return, you need a new eTA. For a planned Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda trip, the East African Tourist Visa is an alternative.
Source: Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke) and official eTA guidance, current for 2026. The standard eTA is single entry, but a traveller who temporarily leaves Kenya to an East African Community partner state may re-enter on the same valid eTA, while leaving to other countries requires a new eTA. The East African Tourist Visa, at around one hundred US dollars, covers Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. Rules can change, so confirm before you travel.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| eTA fee | USD 30 to 34 | Per traveller, all in |
| Entry | Single | EAC re-entry allowed |
| Processing | About 3 working days | Apply a week ahead |
| Travel window | 90 days from issue | Enter within this |
| Stay | Decided at border | Up to 90, max 180 days |
| East Africa visa | About USD 100 | Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda |
Source: official eTA portal (etakenya.go.ke) and Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke), current for 2026. The single-entry eTA costs around thirty to thirty four US dollars per traveller, is usually processed in about three working days, and allows travel within ninety days of issue, with the stay decided at the border up to a maximum of one hundred and eighty days with extension. The East African Tourist Visa is a separate multi-country option. Fees and rules can change, so confirm before you apply.
Documents for the eTA
The eTA needs only a light document set compared with a traditional visa, but each item should be ready before you start, so the form goes smoothly.
| Document | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Valid 6 months, 1 blank page | From arrival date |
| Photo | Recent photo or selfie | Taken during application |
| Flight | Arrival flight and itinerary | Onward or return details |
| Accommodation | Hotel booking | Or invitation letter |
| Contact | Email and phone | For the approval email |
| Yellow fever | If from a risk country | Not for direct from India |
Source: official eTA portal (etakenya.go.ke) and Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke), current for 2026. The eTA needs a passport valid for at least six months from arrival with a blank page, a recent photo or selfie, contact details, a flight itinerary, and proof of accommodation or an invitation letter, with a yellow fever certificate only if arriving from or transiting a risk country, not for direct travel from India. Each traveller needs their own eTA. Rules can change, so confirm before you apply.
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Do this, avoid that
Most Kenya entry problems for Indians come from skipping the eTA, using the wrong site, or assuming exemption. These pointers keep your trip smooth.
Do
- Apply for the eTA online before you fly.
- Use only the official portal etakenya.go.ke.
- Apply at least a week before travel.
- Get a separate eTA for each traveller.
- Carry a passport valid at least six months.
- Save and print the approved eTA.
Avoid
- Do not assume visa-free means no eTA.
- Do not use third-party sites, they are denied.
- Do not assume an ordinary passport is exempt.
- Do not expect a visa on arrival, there is none.
- Do not work or study on the eTA.
Source: Directorate of Immigration Services and official eTA portal (immigration.go.ke, etakenya.go.ke), current for 2026. The eTA is mandatory, applied for only on the official portal in advance, with each traveller needing their own, while third-party submissions are automatically denied and ordinary Indian passports are not exempt. There is no visa on arrival, and the eTA does not allow work or study. Rules can change, so confirm current details before you rely on them.
What you can and cannot do
The eTA opens up a great safari and beach trip, within clear limits. Here is the picture for Indian travellers.
You can
- Go on safari in the Maasai Mara and Amboseli.
- See the Great Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru.
- Visit Nairobi, Mombasa, and the coast.
- Attend short business meetings.
- Re-enter from an East African neighbour on the same eTA.
- Extend your stay up to 180 days total.
You cannot
- Take up employment, that needs a work permit.
- Study long term, that needs a student pass.
- Enter without an approved eTA.
- Get a visa on arrival.
- Re-enter from outside East Africa on the same eTA.
For work you need a work permit and for study a student pass, each applied for separately. We explain the rules and the right path for your plans.
Source: Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke), current for 2026. The eTA is for tourism, business visits, and short stays, allows re-entry from an East African Community state on the same valid eTA, and does not allow employment, which needs a work permit, or study, which needs a student pass. There is no visa on arrival. Rules can change, so confirm current details before you rely on them.
What can go wrong, and how to avoid it
The eTA is quick and high volume, but Indian travellers can still face delays or refusal. Knowing the common causes helps you avoid them.
The usual problems are leaving the eTA too late for the processing time, using a third-party website that is automatically denied, assuming an ordinary passport is exempt under the 2025 rules, a passport with less than six months validity, or missing the accommodation or flight details the form needs. Applying early on the official portal with the right documents prevents almost all of these.
Kenya abolished its traditional visa in 2024 and replaced it with a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation, so it is visa-free in name but the eTA is required and paid, at around thirty to thirty four US dollars, applied for online in advance. Ordinary Indian passport holders are not exempt, the eTA is single entry with East African re-entry allowed, and there is no visa on arrival. An approved eTA does not guarantee entry, and the officer at the border decides admission and the length of stay.
Factual overview, verified against the Directorate of Immigration Services (immigration.go.ke), the official eTA portal (etakenya.go.ke), and the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, current as of June 2026. The eTA requirement, the fee, the single entry and East African re-entry rule, and the stay are set by the Kenyan authorities and can change at any time. An approved eTA does not guarantee entry.
Applying correctly puts you in a strong position, but the final decision rests with the immigration officer. We give you a realistic view and a complete, correct eTA for your Kenya trip.
Speak with BestMigrationConsultant.com about your Kenya trip
Our experts help Indian travellers plan a smooth Kenya trip, from the mandatory eTA and the documents to the single entry rule, the East Africa re-entry, the stay, and arrival. Call +91-7670800002 or visit BestMigrationConsultant.com, and start with a free assessment today.