Kenya is a favorite tourist destination for a lot of people across the world. Every year, a large number of visitors visit Kenya.
However, some Kenyans who live outside Kenya and would like to visit the country. And if you want to travel to Kenya then you need to know that the new visa requirement means that you will not be allowed to stay there for more than three months. This will be a problem if you need to stay longer as you will need to do some serious paperwork. In this post, we will describe Kenya's new visa requirements.
Who needs a visa in Kenya?
There are a few people who need to get a visa in Kenya, especially when traveling for business.
And the other most popular form of visa is a business which is valid for up to one year. It is only applicable for people who do business. Some people get a student or tourist visa. The latter is also valid for one year.
Furthermore, you will need a visa if you want to stay in Nairobi. If you are planning to stay longer than one month in Kenya, you will also need to apply for a work permit. It is valid for 3 months and applicable for people who do not have a tourist visa.
And if you want to stay in Mombasa, then you also need to get a work permit. In this case, the maximum time that you can stay is three months.
READ ALSO: DO I NEED A VISA FOR KENYA
What is the new 3-month visa requirement?
When you visit any country other than your own you need to have a tower to enter it. You must also apply for a visa before entering the country. However, when you come to Kenya, if you have a tourist visa you are not required to get a visa for traveling for 90 days or more.
But, if you want to stay in Kenya for a period, sometimes you need to apply for a 3-month visa to stay in the country. This means that if you are a tourist and have a 90-day tourist visa you will need to have a 3-month visa to visit Kenya for more than 90 days.
It should be noted that there are no free visa services in Kenya. You will have to spend some money on the visa.
The issues with the new 3 months visa requirement
For years, Kenyans have been able to travel to a foreign country without a visa. This has become a good solution for many people who want to visit other countries in Africa. You are allowed to have a visa for only one country and you can use it to travel to any country in Africa.
However, the current government has recently decided to close the one-visa-one-country program. So, you will need to have a passport which is valid for three months and you will also need a visa for any of the countries in the European Union.
In addition to this, you will also need to submit a completed Kenya visa application form, a valid passport for 6 months from the date of arrival, proof of hotel booking, proof of return ticket before your trip.
READ ALSO: HOW DO I APPLY FOR A VISA TO KENYA
How to get around the new 3 months visa requirement
Many Kenyans are saying that this new visa requirement will not affect them because many of them are not interested in traveling to Kenya and will simply apply for an online visa for Kenya.
But, there are other people aren't that will need to travel outside Kenya to get a three-month visa. They will need to fly to the country and apply for an online visa for Kenya in the country of their choice.
But, other people will travel outside Kenya to get a three-month visa though there is no official expiry date for a visa on entry. Also, there is no option for extensions or weekend visas and you must leave for three months. These three months you don't, you'll have to fly out of Kenya and back in. Also, applying for an e-visa is an easy way to do this. This visa is valid for three months and may be obtained before traveling to Kenya.This visa is only available online and there is no need to visit the embassy in person.
And this would be an expensive process and if you are a tourist, you would like to spend some money during your vacation.
READ ALSO: KENYA VISA APPLICATION FORM
Conclusion
The Kenya 3 Month visa allows the holder to enter and leave Kenya for up to 3 months with 12 months. It is valid for 3 months from the date of entry into Kenya and should be applied before your visa on arrival.
This visa can be used to visit Kenya as a tourist, to visit relatives or as a business person and the costs are the same as a one-month visa but you can stay in Kenya for three months.
Meanwhile, it's a renewable visa, meaning you can stay here for as long as you want, as long as you keep renewing it. In the terms of a three-month visa, you will need to provide a return ticket and a letter from the organization you're volunteering for, confirming that you're going to be volunteering with them.
We hope you enjoy this article and if you have any doubts you can also take a guide from here.
