The launch of the much-anticipated e-visa that serves 132 countries is seen as a much-needed push for the Kenyan travel and tourism industry, promising an end to the hassle associated with visa applications.
Kenya has moved its visa application from the tedious and time-consuming visits to the embassy to the more convenient and cashless e-Visa application under the Department of Migration.
Visitors can access the site now for single journey and transit visas, while provisions for diplomatic, courtesy and East Africa tourism visa are still pending.
An application fee will be paid via acceptable debit cards enabling the visitor to receive an approval mail which should be printed and presented to the immigration officer at the port of entry. The traditional requirements however remain unaltered, including size and resolution of passport photos to be uploaded as well as any supporting document such as letter of invitation.
Estelle Verdier, MD of Jovago.com, comments: “This is yet another initiative in making Kenya a tourist-friendly nation. The launch of the e-visa system is an important element in promoting e-tourism in both Kenya and Africa at large.”
The e-citizen portal was launched in 2014 and currently provides official information, guidelines and submission of applications for twenty-one government services touching on various subjects including land, marriage, driving licenses and business registration.