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Kenya e-Visa Application for Indians 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

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ruchika@vismora.com

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How to Apply for Kenya e-Visa for Indian Clients: Step-by-Step Guide 2026

The Kenya e-Visa application on evisa.go.ke is manageable — but it has more steps and document requirements than Sri Lanka or Maldives. There’s an account creation step, a yellow fever certificate to handle, specific photo requirements, and a 2–3 day processing window. This guide walks you through every screen so your client’s application goes through clean, first time.

→ New to Kenya visa requirements? Start with the Kenya e-Visa for Indians: Complete Agent Guide before reading this step-by-step.

Before You Start: Gather Everything

Collect all of this before opening the portal:

  • ✅ Client’s Indian passport (valid 6+ months beyond Kenya travel date, 2 blank pages)
  • ✅ Passport-size digital photo (white background, JPEG, recent)
  • ✅ Passport bio-data page scan (PDF or JPEG, clear and unobstructed)
  • ✅ Confirmed return flight ticket (out of Kenya or onto next destination)
  • ✅ Accommodation confirmation — safari camp or hotel voucher for first night
  • ✅ Yellow fever vaccination certificate — International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV / “yellow booklet”)
  • ✅ Travel insurance document (some safari lodges require it at check-in)
  • ✅ Credit or debit card with international transactions enabled (Visa/Mastercard/Amex)

Key difference from other e-Visas: Kenya requires the yellow fever certificate during application — you’ll need the certificate number and date of vaccination, not just a reference. Collect this from your client well in advance.

Step-by-Step: Kenya e-Visa Application on evisa.go.ke

Step 1: Create an Account on evisa.go.ke

Unlike Sri Lanka’s ETA portal, Kenya requires you to create an account before applying. Go to evisa.go.ke and click “Apply for e-Visa”.

You’ll be prompted to register with:

  • Email address (use your agency’s email for all client applications — easier to track)
  • Password
  • Contact number

After registration, verify your email address through the confirmation link sent. This step is mandatory — the application portal only opens after email verification.

Travel agent tip: Create one agency account and apply for all clients from it. This gives you a single dashboard view of all pending applications — far easier than managing separate accounts per client.

Step 2: Log In and Start New Application

After logging in, click “New Application” and select the appropriate visa type:

Your client’s itinerary Select
Kenya only, one entry Single Entry Tourist e-Visa
Kenya + crossing to Tanzania and back Multiple Entry Tourist e-Visa
Kenya + Uganda + Rwanda East Africa Tourist Visa (EAV)
Transit through Nairobi only Transit Visa
Business meetings Business e-Visa

Step 3: Enter Personal Information

Fill in exactly as printed in the passport:

  • Surname: As in passport (include all surnames if hyphenated)
  • Given Names: Full given names as printed — no abbreviations
  • Date of Birth: DD/MM/YYYY
  • Place of Birth: City or state as written in passport
  • Gender: As in passport
  • Nationality: Indian
  • Passport Number: Character by character — include the leading letter
  • Passport Issue Date and Expiry Date: From passport bio-data page
  • Country of Issue: India

Double-check: Passport number and date of birth. These two fields have the highest error rate and trigger the most rejections.

Step 4: Enter Travel Information

  • Purpose of Visit: Tourism / Wildlife Safari
  • Intended Date of Entry into Kenya: Arrival date from flight PNR
  • Duration of Stay: Number of nights in Kenya
  • Port of Entry:

– Nairobi: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)

– Mombasa: Moi International Airport (MBA)

– Land: Select the relevant border crossing if applicable

Step 5: Accommodation and Contact in Kenya

Enter first-night accommodation details:

  • Name of hotel / safari camp / lodge
  • Full address
  • Contact number of property (optional but good practice)

For multi-leg itineraries: Only the first-night accommodation is mandatory for the form. Carry vouchers for all properties during travel.

Step 6: Yellow Fever Vaccination Details

This is Kenya-specific and the step most agents miss or rush.

You’ll be asked to enter:

  • Whether the client has a yellow fever vaccination
  • Certificate number (from the International Certificate of Vaccination booklet)
  • Date of vaccination
  • Issuing authority / hospital name

If the client doesn’t have a yellow fever certificate yet:

  • Do not proceed with the visa application — handle the vaccination first
  • Yellow fever vaccination centres in India: Designated International Vaccination Centres at major government hospitals (e.g., Kasturba Hospital Mumbai, Safdarjung Hospital Delhi, Stanley Medical College Chennai)
  • Cost: INR 300–500 at government centres
  • The certificate is valid for life (as of 2016 WHO ruling)
  • Vaccination must be at least 10 days before travel to be considered valid for immunity

If your client has an old yellow fever certificate: Valid — the 2016 WHO ruling removed the 10-year validity cap. A certificate from 2005 is still valid.

Step 7: Upload Documents

Upload the following at the designated upload points:

Passport photo:

  • Format: JPEG
  • Background: Plain white
  • Face: Clear, forward-facing, recent (within 6 months)
  • No glasses, head coverings (unless religious)
  • File size: Under 300 KB typically

Passport bio-data page:

  • Format: JPEG or PDF
  • All 4 corners visible
  • No shadows or glare over the MRZ (two machine-readable lines at bottom)
  • Clear and legible throughout

Yellow fever certificate: Some versions of the portal ask for a scan of the ICV; have a JPEG of the yellow booklet’s vaccination page ready.

Step 8: Review All Details

Before submission, the portal shows a summary of all entered information. Review:

  • [ ] Name matches passport exactly (character by character)
  • [ ] Passport number correct
  • [ ] Date of birth correct
  • [ ] Arrival and departure dates match flight PNR
  • [ ] Accommodation address complete
  • [ ] Yellow fever certificate details accurate
  • [ ] Email address correct (approval will be sent here)

Once submitted, corrections cannot be made — you must start a new application. Take 3 minutes to verify everything before clicking submit.

Step 9: Pay the Fee

Fee payment by international credit or debit card:

Visa Type Fee
Single Entry Tourist USD 51
Multiple Entry Tourist USD 101
East Africa Tourist Visa USD 100

Payment by: Visa, Mastercard, Amex — international transactions must be enabled. Domestic-only Indian rupee cards often fail.

After successful payment, a payment confirmation is displayed and emailed. Note the application reference number — used for status tracking.

Step 10: Track and Receive Approval

Check status at evisa.go.ke → “Check Application Status” using the reference number.

Typical processing times:

  • Standard: 2–3 business days
  • Busy period (July–October, peak Great Migration season): Up to 5 business days
  • Weekends and Kenyan public holidays: Counted as non-business days

Approval comes as a PDF email attachment — the Kenya e-Visa approval letter. This document must be:

  • Printed (physical copy strongly recommended)
  • Presented at the immigration counter alongside the passport

The immigration officer stamps the passport on entry. The e-Visa approval is returned to the traveller.

What Happens at Nairobi Airport Immigration

At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi:

  • Queue at the Foreign Nationals / e-Visa counter
  • Present: Passport + e-Visa approval printout + yellow fever certificate
  • Officer may ask: Purpose of visit, accommodation name, duration
  • Biometrics may be taken (fingerprints and photo at the counter)
  • Passport stamped — entry granted

Nairobi immigration is typically efficient but can have queues during peak arrival windows (morning flights from Middle East and India tend to land between 6–9 AM, creating a rush). Factor 45–90 minutes for immigration clearance into your clients’ arrival-day plans.

Applying for Multiple Clients: The Agency Advantage

If you’re handling 5–20 Kenya visa applications per month, a few things help:

From a single agency account on evisa.go.ke:

  • All applications are visible under one dashboard
  • You can check status for all clients without logging in/out between accounts

For even higher volume or multi-country itineraries:

Vismora’s platform allows you to manage Kenya e-Visas alongside Tanzania visas (for combo packages), Rwanda applications (for EAV add-ons), and every other destination in your portfolio — all in one view, with status alerts and document storage per client.

Manage Kenya e-Visa applications at scale on Vismora →

Related Kenya Guides for Travel Agents

FAQ

Can I create one Kenya e-Visa account for my agency and apply for all clients?

Yes. The evisa.go.ke portal allows one account to submit multiple applications. Use your agency email and maintain a reference number log per client booking.

What if my client forgot to get a yellow fever vaccination before the trip?

This is a genuine problem. Kenya immigration can deny boarding from India if the airline requires the certificate, or deny entry in Kenya. The only solution is vaccination before departure — there are no exceptions. If the trip is within 10 days of discovering this, it may be too late (vaccine needs 10 days to be effective for the certificate to be valid). Advise clients as early as possible in the booking process.

How long before Kenya departure should I apply for the e-Visa?

Apply at least 10 days before departure. This covers: 3 days processing + 3 days correction window if rejected + 4 days buffer. For July–October (Great Migration peak), apply 14 days ahead as processing can take longer.

Can I apply for a Kenya EAV if my client is only going to Kenya and Tanzania (not Uganda or Rwanda)?

No. The East Africa Tourist Visa (EAV) covers Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda — Tanzania is not included. For Kenya + Tanzania, use a Kenya single/multiple entry visa and a separate Tanzania e-Visa.

Does my client need to print the Kenya e-Visa approval?

Yes — strongly recommended. Digital copies on phones are sometimes accepted but are considered a risk at Nairobi immigration. A printed copy of the PDF approval letter is the standard and eliminates any risk of phone battery or signal issues at the counter.

Conclusion

The Kenya e-Visa application is the most detailed e-Visa process in East Africa — but it’s also well-structured and reliable when done correctly. The critical elements that separate a smooth application from a rejected one are: accurate name entry, the yellow fever certificate, and applying with enough lead time.

For travel agents handling regular East Africa bookings, the combination of Vismora’s application management and your destination expertise creates a professional service that clients can’t replicate through OTAs.

Apply Kenya e-Visas for your clients on Vismora →

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