Citizens of most African countries, under the updated system, will be allowed to enter Kenya and stay ETA-free for up to two month, while 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 is set to allow citizens of nearly all African countries to visit without needing prior authorization, with the exception of Libya and Somalia “due to security concerns,” according to a new directive by the cabinet.
Last year, Kenya introduced a “visa-free” policy that required most visitors to apply online for authorization before leaving their country, through the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which replaced the visa requirement for all visitors.
A cabinet statement dated January 21 , 2025, said the ETA would be dropped for “all African countries except Somalia and Libya – due to security concerns”.
The move, according to the statement is a part of “efforts to support open skies policies and tourism growth” and “promote regional integration and ease travel across the continent”.
Despite introducing the ETA, Kenya fared worse in the latest ranking of how open it is to visitors, dropping 17 places to 46th out of 54 nations in the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index.
Several African countries have tried to ease travel requirements for visitors from elsewhere on the continent in recent years, with studies showing it is often easier for citizens of Western countries to visit.
This comes shortly after Ghana this year, said all African passport holders would now be able to visit without needing a visa. African visitors to Rwanda also do not need a visa to enter the country.
Citizens of most African countries, under the updated system, will be allowed to enter Kenya and stay ETA-free for up to two month, while 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 travelers 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 travelers must now apply and pay for an ETA which costs at least $30 and valid for 90 days. They are expected to apply at least three days before their trip to Kenya, unless they are citizens of an exempted country.
There has been widespread criticism of the policy from various people from Kenya and elsewhere, with some noting that it could make it more difficult for potential visitors to come to the country.
On the question boarder security and affected countries, the government said on Tuesday that it was also introducing a system that would enhance “pre-screening, strengthen security, and streamline passenger processing at entry points”.
This has proven necessary seeing that Kenya has been targeted by al-Shabab jihadist militants from neighboring Somalia in several notorious attacks.
