Kenya eTA for Indians — Fees, Timeline, Documents

Kenya abolished tourist visas in January 2024. It did not make entry free — it replaced the visa with an Electronic Travel Authorisation, and if you arrive without one, the airline can refuse to board you and immigration can charge a penalty on arrival.

What the eTA actually is

It is permission to travel, not permission to enter. The Kenyan government is explicit that admissibility is decided by the officer at the border, not by the approval email. Everyone needs one, including infants, and there is no visa on arrival any more.

Indian passport holders are not on Kenya's exemption list, so an ordinary Indian passport needs an eTA. Diplomatic, official and service passports from India are exempt for up to 90 days — that is a different document and a different rule, and it does not help a tourist.

Cost, honestly

The official portal does not publish a single flat price. It says the fee starts at USD 30 for normal processing, with an expedited option costing an additional USD 100. It is charged in dollars on a government payment page, so the rupee figure depends on your card's rate on the day — which is why the fact panel above shows no invented number. We quote you the exact total in rupees before we file anything.

Be wary of anyone advertising a fixed Kenya visa fee. They are quoting a number they do not control.

Timeline

The government's own guidance: applications are usually processed in three working days, but you should submit at least two weeks before travel. That gap between usually three days and apply two weeks early is the government telling you, politely, that it sometimes takes longer. We work to the two-week rule.

The file

• Passport valid 6+ months with at least one blank page
• A selfie or passport-type photograph
• Your itinerary — arrival and departure
• A confirmed accommodation booking
• Yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from an endemic country

Can an agent apply for you?

Yes — and it is worth saying plainly, because the internet is full of scare stories. Kenya's official FAQ confirms that someone may apply on a traveller's behalf, provided the traveller's information is given and the application declares it is being made for them. What is genuinely dangerous is the imitation websites: applications submitted through unofficial third-party portals are automatically denied. We file on the government portal, and you get the reference number.

How we work it

Send us your passport scan and your dates. We check the photograph against the portal's requirements — that is where most rejections come from — file it, pay the government fee, and send you the approved PDF with its reference. If your trip also takes in Uganda or Rwanda, ask us about the East Africa Tourist Visa before you pay for separate authorisations.