(3 Minutes Read)
No one needs a visa to enter Kenya anymore. They now need an electronic travel authorization (ETA) from the digital site. An ETA is a simplified form of a visa, and it comes with a processing fee. The ETA is technically for security reasons….. The process of getting the ETA is where it gets complicated enough to make even visas seem more accessible
During the 60th Jamhuri Day Celebrations held last year in Nairobi, President Ruto announced there would be no need to get a visa to enter Kenya. The decision to make Kenya visa-free and open up the borders to the citizens of the world closely followed another one of the president’s proclamations in Congo-Brazzaville in October last year. At that time, he first proposed the need for visa-free travel between African countries. He promised that Kenya would implement visa-free travel for all Africans by the end of the year.
But there was a catch in the policy. No one needs a visa to enter Kenya anymore. They now need an electronic travel authorization (ETA) from the digital site. An ETA is a simplified form of a visa, and it comes with a processing fee. The ETA is technically for security reasons. It would help maintain a database of those entering and exiting the country. The process of getting the ETA is where it gets complicated enough to make even visas seem more accessible.
With the new ETA system, people from countries who didn’t need a visa previously to enter Kenya are now required to pay between USD 34 and USD 52, just like everyone else, to enter the country. Before the introduction of the policy, individuals of 51 different nationalities did not need visas. Now, they need to go through a tedious process that involves submitting flight details, proof of hotel booking, etc., before traveling. Then, they need to wait 72 hours to get electronic authorization to travel the country.
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For all this to work, people need to know their arrival and departure dates way in advance to apply for the permit. The current system can create issues when people may need to travel in an emergency.
