ZZayGuide

East Africa

Kenya

Safari shoulder — lodge rates softer than July–August. Short rains can start in October.

Online approval · 90 daysKenyan shillingMid US$126Good time to go
VisaCostFlightsAirportStepsBook

Your trip

You are in

London

United Kingdom · LHR

9 hours non-stop

You land in

Kenya

Nairobi · NBO

Needed

Entry Online approvalStay 90 daysVisa fee US$30

On this site

AirportKitFXPlan

Cost

Mid day US$126Rate 1 GBP ≈ 171 KES

Pay in KES. A bank or airport desk usually keeps more of the rate. Compare it on FX

Visa for your passport

Online approval · 90 days

Check on IATA
Visa fee US$30Checked Sep 2026

The old visa-on-arrival is gone. You need an approved eTA before you board.

Status

Online approval

Stay

90 days

Fee guide

US$30

Verify on IATA before you pay or fly. A stay or a fee on this card is only a note. If IATA and the government site disagree with it, follow those.

Kenya eTA

  1. 1 · Day 0

    Apply on the official ETA site

    ETA / eTA is not a sticker. Use the government URL we list — never a lookalike.

  2. 2 · Minutes to 72 hours

    Decision

    Most are fast. A small share go to manual review. Leave a buffer.

  3. 3 · Before you board

    Match the ticket

    Same passport number as the ETA. Name must match the ticket.

Confirm on the official site

Kenya eTA
Open watch list

Indicative only, last reviewed Sep 2026. Zay Future Ltd is not an immigration adviser. We do not scrape government systems or store passport numbers. Confirm fees and wait times on the official site before you pay anyone else.

Cost

What one day costs, and what the trip costs

One dayMidComfortBudget
BedUS$60US$150US$18
FoodUS$28US$70US$14
Getting aroundUS$14US$40US$5
ExtrasUS$8US$20US$3
DayUS$126US$322US$46

Budget is a dorm or guesthouse. Mid and Comfort charge the whole room to one person. Two people split the bed only. Not included: the flight, the visa, insurance, the airport ride, a scooter, tours, or shopping.

Visa

US$30

eSIM

US$10

Airport ride

US$22

First meal

US$10

Cover

US$41

Arrival day, not counting the hotel

US$72

Hotel is not included. The ride is one car for every three people. M-Pesa runs the country. Foreigners can use cards in Nairobi hotels and Uber. Keep some cash for markets and tips.

1
On US$882 of spending in the country, a normal bank card can cost about US$26 extra in fees. A travel card is usually cheaper. Open the money desk

1 person · 7 nights · Mid · cover

US$985

Getting there

9 hours non-stop

From London. A typical time, not a live timetable.

Search fares
  • Kenya Airways
  • Emirates
  • Qatar Airways
  • British Airways

Airport

From the airport into the city

A guide, not a live map. Fares move. Check the app before you sit down.

  • Jomo Kenyatta · NBO

    30–70 min to Westlands / CBD

    Inside
    One international terminal. Use the official taxi, Uber, or Bolt. Grab does not run here.
    Into town
    Uber or Bolt to Westlands or the centre. Agree the app price, not a curb price.
    Typical cost
    Often about 1,500–3,000 shilling, more in rain.

  • Moi International · MBA

    20–40 min to the north coast

    Inside
    A small terminal. Official taxis wait outside. Ignore the rush at the door.
    Into town
    Taxi north to the beach hotels, or Uber if the pin works.
    Typical cost
    The north coast is often about 1,000–2,000 shilling.

Ride app, once:UberBolt

Find a lounge

  • Business class or airline status: follow that airline’s lounge signs.
  • A card lounge: open Priority Pass, LoungeKey, or DragonPass and search the airport code.
  • Pay at the door: the price is on the desk, not on this page.
Search lounges

When to leave

This does not see your ticket. It only writes a reminder on your phone.

Install buttons open the official app. Grab’s public referral pays drivers who recruit drivers. It does not pay this site when a traveller installs the ride app. A button will say “referral” only after a deal is signed.

  • Road

    Left-hand traffic

  • Licence

    United Kingdom licence: Home licence plus an IDP.

  • Getting around

    Uber or Bolt in Nairobi. A booked driver for the parks. Matatus are the local bus.

  • Weather

    Long rains Mar–May. Short rains Oct–Dec. Nairobi is mild. The coast is hot.

Short rains approaching

Before you fly

What to buy before the trip

Adapter, eSIM, and the small things that are harder to find on arrival.

Open the shop

What people eat

  • Nyama and ugali

    Local hotel (restaurant)About 500 shilling

  • Pilau

    Local restaurantAbout 400 shilling

  • Mandazi and tea

    StreetAbout 100 shilling

A typical price, not a menu.

Pay in the local currency

  • Ask to pay in Kenyan shilling, not your home currency.
  • If the card machine offers to convert the amount, press no.
  • Compare a transfer before you send cash home.

Card and ATM feesCompare sending money

Visa photo and PDF

Make the visa photo or edit the PDF on your phone. Nothing is uploaded.

Open Apply

Buying or leasing

Lease

Lease means you can use it for a term. You do not own the land.

A non-citizen generally holds land on a lease of up to 99 years, not freehold.

Oct 2026. Not legal advice.

  1. 1 · Before you fly

    eTA on the government site

    About US$30

  2. 2 · When you land

    eTA check

  3. 3 · While you are there

    Nairobi traffic

  4. 4 · When you leave

    JKIA morning

The steps

Before you fly, when you land, while you are there, when you leave

Before you fly
  • eTA on the government site · About US$30
  • Yellow fever
  • Malaria
When you land
  • eTA check
  • Ride out of JKIA · JKIA → Westlands often US$15–25
While you are there
  • Nairobi traffic
  • Safari logistics
When you leave
  • JKIA morning

Where to do what

  • eTA desk

    If something is wrong with the file, ask before you join the long immigration line.

  • SIM

    Safaricom is the network to use. Desk after baggage, passport required.

  • Ride apps

    Pickup bays are signed. Do not follow an unsigned driver into the car park.

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