Kenya eTA for Indians in 2026: How to Apply Online (USD 30)
By Saanvi Iyer (Saanvi Iyer is a FlightGPT travel-policy writer who tracks entry rules, e-visa portals and immigration paperwork for Indian passport holders across Africa and the Indian Ocean. She specialises in turning fast-changing eTA and e-visa systems into plain-English, India-first checklists.) · Published · Last updated · 11 min read
Kenya scrapped tourist visas in January 2024 and now runs an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA). For Indians it costs USD 30, is valid 90 days, single entry, and is applied for entirely online at etakenya.go.ke — here's the full 2026 walkthrough.
Quick answer
Indian passport holders do not need a visa for Kenya — since 1 January 2024 Kenya abolished visas for all nationalities and replaced them with an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA). As of June 2026 the eTA costs USD 30 (around ₹2,600) per person, is single-entry, valid for 90 days from issue, and allows a stay of up to 90 days. You apply entirely online at the official portal etakenya.go.ke, usually 1–2 weeks before travel, and approval typically lands within 3 business days. Fees change — verify on the official site before you pay. See our Kenya visa page for the latest snapshot.
What changed: from visa to eTA
If a friend tells you they got a Kenya visa-on-arrival, or applied through the old eVisa portal, that information is out of date. Kenya formally scrapped its visa regime on 1 January 2024 and switched every visitor — Indians included — to an eTA system. The old e-citizen visa portal no longer issues tourist visas; the only valid route now is the eTA. So any blog, agent or relative quoting the old USD 51 single-entry Kenya eVisa fee, or describing a sticker visa from the Kenya High Commission in Delhi, is referencing a system that no longer exists for tourists.
An eTA is not a visa sticker and not a visa-on-arrival. It is a pre-travel digital authorisation linked to your passport, similar to the US ESTA, the UK ETA or the Sri Lanka ETA that many Indians are already familiar with. You must hold an approved eTA before you board your flight to Nairobi (NBO) or Mombasa (MBA) — airlines check it at the Indian departure gate, and arriving without one means you can be denied boarding. There is no counter at Jomo Kenyatta airport where you can buy one on the spot if you forgot, so treat it as a non-negotiable pre-departure task alongside booking your flight and lodge.
One nuance worth knowing: in May 2025 Kenya widened the list of nationalities exempt from the eTA (most African countries, plus a handful of others). India is not on that exemption list — Indian passport holders still need the eTA. Holders of Indian diplomatic, official or service passports are generally exempt, but ordinary passport holders must apply. There is also an East African angle: Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda offer a shared East Africa Tourist Visa for multi-country trips, but with Kenya now on the eTA system most Indians doing a single-country Kenya safari simply use the eTA. Always confirm your category and the best product for your itinerary on etakenya.go.ke.
Fee, validity and stay — the numbers
Here is the current cost and validity structure for the Kenya eTA as of June 2026. Treat the fee as a date-stamped range and re-check the official portal — eTA pricing has been adjusted before.
| Item | Detail (June 2026) |
|---|---|
| eTA fee | USD 30 (~₹2,600) per applicant + small card/processing charge |
| Validity of the eTA | 90 days from issue — you must enter within this window |
| Permitted stay | Up to 90 days per visit |
| Entry type | Single entry (a new eTA is needed for each trip) |
| Processing time | Usually within 3 business days; apply 1–2 weeks ahead |
| Who applies | Every traveller, including infants and children, needs their own eTA |
Because the fee is charged in US dollars, your Indian bank converts it at its card rate and usually adds a forex markup of around 3.5%, and the 20% TCS under LRS does not apply to a charge this small. To shave the markup, pay with a zero-forex card such as Niyo Global, Fi, or scrub the charge through a forex card pre-loaded with USD. Avoid third-party "Kenya eTA" websites that bundle a service fee of ₹2,000–4,000 on top — the government portal is the only place you need.
Documents you need to apply
The eTA form is entirely online with document uploads — there is no embassy visit and no biometrics for Indians. Have these ready as clear files before you start:
- Passport bio-page scan — colour, valid at least 6 months beyond your travel date, with at least one blank page
- Recent passport-style photo — or a clear selfie against a plain background, which the portal accepts
- Return or onward flight ticket — proof you will leave Kenya
- Accommodation details — hotel booking, safari-lodge confirmation, or the address and contact of your host
- A valid email address — your approved eTA PDF is emailed here
- A Visa/Mastercard for the USD 30 payment
If you are travelling on a safari package, your tour operator's confirmation letter and itinerary work well as the accommodation and onward-travel proof. Yellow fever vaccination is a separate health requirement (see the FAQ below), not part of the eTA form, but carry the certificate.
Step-by-step: applying on etakenya.go.ke
Set aside about 20–30 minutes. Use the official portal etakenya.go.ke on a desktop browser for the smoothest upload experience.
- Open the portal and start a new application. Select the eTA for visitors. Avoid any site whose URL is not etakenya.go.ke.
- Enter passport and personal details exactly as printed in your passport — name order, number, date of birth, and issuing authority (Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India).
- Fill trip details — arrival date, flight number, length of stay, and your Kenyan address (hotel or lodge).
- Upload documents — passport bio-page, photo/selfie, and your accommodation and onward-ticket proof.
- Answer the health and background questions honestly — including travel history and any prior refusals.
- Pay USD 30 by card and submit. You will get an application reference by email.
- Wait for approval — typically within 3 business days. The approved eTA arrives as a PDF.
- Print two colour copies — one for the airline at your Indian departure airport, one for Kenyan immigration on arrival.
Planning the flights around your eTA? Compare live Delhi and Mumbai fares to Nairobi in the FlightGPT chat at Mumbai to Nairobi and read our Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa safari guide for Indians to time the trip with the wildebeest migration.
Arrival in Kenya: what immigration checks
At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi or Moi International (MBA) in Mombasa, the eTA is verified against your passport at the immigration desk. Have ready:
- Passport and the printed eTA approval
- Return or onward ticket
- Hotel or lodge booking, or host details
- Your yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are arriving from or have transited a yellow-fever-risk country (relevant for many Indians connecting through African or some other hubs)
The officer stamps your permitted stay into the passport — confirm it shows the days you expect before you leave the counter. Kenya generally grants up to 90 days. Overstaying attracts fines and possible future-entry trouble, so note your exit date.
Most Indians reach Nairobi via a Gulf hub — Emirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha, Etihad via Abu Dhabi — or on Kenya Airways' direct service from Mumbai, which is the only nonstop between India and Nairobi. If your routing transits a yellow-fever-risk country, the certificate becomes important, so check your exact connection. After clearing immigration, prepaid taxis and ride-hailing (Bolt, Uber) operate at NBO, and a local Safaricom SIM bought at the airport (passport needed) is the cheapest way to stay connected and to use M-Pesa-linked services. Carry some US dollars in cash for lodge tips and park fees; the Kenyan shilling (KES) is the local currency, and most safari camps quote rates in USD.
Best time to go and India-specific planning tips
Timing your eTA is easy; timing the trip well is what makes Kenya worth the long-haul effort. The headline event is the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara, when wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River — broadly July to October, peaking around August–September. This overlaps neatly with Indian school summer holidays, so it is also the busiest and priciest window; book lodges and the eTA well ahead. The dry seasons (June–October and January–February) are best for general game viewing, while the long rains (March–May) bring lush landscapes, fewer crowds and lower prices, but muddier tracks.
A few India-first pointers. First, build a document buffer: apply for the eTA at least 1–2 weeks out, but have your passport's 6-month validity sorted well before that — passport renewal at a Passport Seva Kendra can take time in peak season. Second, plan forex smartly: a zero-forex card for the online eTA fee, plus USD cash for the ground, beats relying on a single card. Third, if you are combining countries, read up on the neighbours first — our best safari destinations for Indians guide compares Kenya with Tanzania and South Africa, and our Tanzania visa page (linked below) covers the extra Zanzibar insurance rule if you tack on a beach week. Finally, lock the flights early — fares to Nairobi spike sharply in the migration months, and you can compare live prices and routings any time in the FlightGPT chat at flightgpt.in.
Honesty notes and where to verify
Two things to keep in mind. First, fees and rules move. The USD 30 fee and 90-day validity are correct as of June 2026, but Kenya has adjusted its eTA system more than once (including the May 2025 exemptions update). Always cross-check the live figure on the official portal etakenya.go.ke before paying. Second, an approved eTA authorises travel but does not guarantee entry — the final decision rests with the immigration officer.
For the broader East Africa picture — combining Kenya with Tanzania or seeing how the eTA compares with neighbouring e-visas — see our Tanzania visa page and browse the FlightGPT visa hub. When you are ready to book, check live fares and routings in the FlightGPT chat at flightgpt.in.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indians need a visa for Kenya in 2026?
No. Kenya abolished visas on 1 January 2024. Indian passport holders now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online at etakenya.go.ke before travel. It costs USD 30, is single-entry and valid for 90 days.
How much does the Kenya eTA cost for Indians?
USD 30 (about ₹2,600 in June 2026) per person, plus a small card-processing charge. Every traveller including children needs their own eTA. Pay only on the official portal; verify the fee there as it can change.
How long does the Kenya eTA take to process?
Most eTAs are approved within 3 business days. Kenya's immigration department recommends applying at least 1–2 weeks before travel to allow a buffer. An urgent service exists but the standard timeline is usually enough.
How long can Indians stay in Kenya on the eTA?
Up to 90 days per visit. The eTA itself is valid for 90 days from issue (the window in which you must enter), and the immigration officer stamps your permitted stay on arrival. It is single-entry, so a return trip needs a new eTA.
Is the Kenya eTA the same as a visa-on-arrival?
No. There is no visa-on-arrival for Kenya anymore. The eTA is a pre-travel online authorisation you must obtain and have approved before boarding your flight — airlines check it at the Indian departure gate.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Kenya?
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you are arriving from or have transited a country with yellow fever risk. Many Indians connecting via certain African hubs are affected. Carry the certificate; check current health rules before travel.
Can I apply for the Kenya eTA at the airport?
You should not rely on this — the eTA is designed as a pre-travel authorisation and airlines can deny boarding in India without an approved one. Apply online at etakenya.go.ke at least a few days before you fly.