Kenya for Christmas and New Year 2026: eTA for Indians and US Citizens, Safari Season Checklist

Do You Need a Visa or eTA for Kenya? (Quick Answer)

Yes. Since 5 January 2024 Kenya has used the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) instead of the e-visa; according to India's Ministry of External Affairs, it is still applied for and paid for before travel. Kenya's eTA portal says every visitor, infants and children included, needs an approved eTA before the trip starts, whether it is Christmas in Nairobi or a New Year safari.

By passport, as of October 2026:

• Ordinary Indian passports: eTA required. Only Indian diplomatic, official and service passports are exempt, for up to 90 days.
• US passports: eTA required, with an extra five-year multi-entry option for Americans.
• Children and babies: one eTA each.
• Visa on arrival: not available, because approval comes before boarding.

An eTA lets you travel but does not guarantee entry: admissibility is decided at the point of entry.

How to Apply for the Kenya eTA - Official Portal, Fee and Processing

Applications are accepted only on the official portal, etakenya.go.ke, or the official "Kenya Travel Authorisation" mobile app, one per traveller. Groups can use the "Apply as a Group" option, and one person may apply for others.

eTA fees as of October 2026

The schedule took effect on 1 January 2025. Amounts exclude payment charges:

• Standard single-entry eTA: USD 30
• One-year multi-entry eTA: USD 300
• Five-year multi-entry eTA, US nationals only: USD 185
• Transit eTA: USD 20
• Expedited processing: an additional USD 100

The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, even if the eTA is denied or plans change.

Processing time and the last safe dates

Kenya says applications are usually processed within 3 working days (72 hours), sometimes longer, and recommends applying at least two weeks before travel. Expedited applications are processed immediately.

For a 20 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 trip, our own arithmetic from those windows (a planning guide, not a promise):

• Recommended: submit by Sunday 6 December 2026.
• Last standard option: Tuesday 15 December; three working days then end on Friday 18 December, with no buffer for public holidays or extra checks.
• After 15 December: realistically only the expedited option.

According to Kenya's embassy in Washington, an eTA is valid for travel within 90 days of issue (the current portal pages do not say so); by our count, one issued on or after 21 September 2026 covers a 20 December arrival. Officers on arrival set the length of stay.

The approved eTA arrives by email as a PDF to print, save on a phone or keep in the app; it is checked at departure and arrival. Travel is allowed only after approval.

For New Year side trips: the standard eTA allows entry into Kenya once, so a Zanzibar or Uganda hop with a return to Kenya calls for a second eTA or a multi-entry option.

Documents for the eTA - Itinerary, Bookings and Photo

The form collects biographic information and answers to eligibility questions. As of October 2026, the official portal says applicants typically need:

• A passport valid at least 6 months after the planned arrival, with at least one blank page
• A selfie or passport-type photo
• Email address and phone number
• Travel itinerary with arrival and departure
• Accommodation booking confirmation
• A credit or debit card for payment

Family visits typically add the host's invitation letter and ID, passport, alien card or entry permit; business trips add a company invitation letter and registration copy. Vaccination or test certificates may also be requested.

By our count, a 20 December arrival needs passport validity until at least 20 June 2027. We recommend booking flights and lodges first, so the itinerary and accommodation confirmation match.

Data can be corrected only before payment; an application submitted with mistakes may need a new application and a new fee. The form also warns that not submitting the immigration forms required under Section 48 can lead to denied boarding or deportation.

Visarun is an agency, not the issuing authority: our experts can check your application before you submit it on the official portal, which helps to catch errors, but approval stays with Kenya.

Arrival in Kenya - Health Requirements and Border Checks

Kenya Port Health screens all arrivals, which may include a temperature check and a health declaration form.

Yellow fever: different rules for Indians and Americans

Kenya asks for a yellow fever certificate only from travellers arriving from a risk country. The CDC says it is not required for direct travel from the United States, but recommends the vaccine for travellers aged 9 months and over to most of Kenya, safari areas included. The main exceptions are trips limited to Nairobi city, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, or the former Coast Province counties except Taita-Taveta.

For Indians, the binding rule is India's, on the way home:

• The High Commission of India in Nairobi states that all travellers arriving in India from Kenya need a valid yellow fever certificate.
• The vaccine has to be given at least 10 days before travel to India, at a government-approved centre.
• India's Health Ministry lists Kenya as endemic and accepts only the original card, not copies or digital versions.
• Without a valid certificate, quarantine can last up to six days; a medical exemption letter does not avoid it.

We recommend getting vaccinated at an authorised centre in India before the trip. Families with babies under 9 months should check with India's airport health office (APHO) before booking; we found no explicit infant exemption.

With a long layover in a risk country, such as in Addis Ababa, we suggest carrying the yellow card too; no official page sets an exact layover rule.

Malaria and Ebola, as of 8 October 2026

The CDC reports malaria in all areas below 2,500 metres, game parks included, and recommends prescription prevention medicine there.

On 6 October 2026 Kenya's Ministry of Health confirmed the country's first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, in a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and flew in via Kampala. The Health Cabinet Secretary says there is no outbreak.

Screening is intensified at entry points, including Gate 16, for arrivals from DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and six other listed countries, and travellers are asked to fill in health declarations truthfully.

The US Embassy in Nairobi (7 October 2026) advises continuing malaria prophylaxis and monitoring your health for 21 days after visiting an Ebola outbreak area.

Security advisories for the coast

The US State Department renewed its Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) advisory for Kenya on 28 July 2026. Do Not Travel areas include Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Tana River (except Tsavo National Park), Kilifi north of highway C103, coastal areas north of Malindi, and Eastleigh and Kibera in Nairobi. It is the US government's view for its citizens, not India's.

Planning a December Safari - Park Fees and Peak Season

A holiday safari usually involves two fee systems: Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) parks and the Maasai Mara, run by Narok County. Only the Mara fees we found vary by season.

KWS national parks

Non-resident adult daily fees gazetted in Legal Notice 160 of 2025, as of October 2026 (confirm on KWSPay when you book), each covering one entry for up to 24 hours:

• Amboseli or Lake Nakuru: USD 90
• Nairobi National Park, Tsavo East or Tsavo West: USD 80
• Meru, Kora, Aberdare or Mount Kenya: USD 70
• Tsavo West and Amboseli package: USD 150
• Hell's Gate, Shimba Hills, Kakamega and other smaller listed sites: USD 50

Under the same notice, child and student rates at the main parks are USD 35 to 45; children aged five and under are exempt, and the student rate is only for people up to 23 on organised educational visits.

These rates have been challenged in court since October 2025: according to Kenyan news reports, Justice John Chigiti at Milimani High Court issued a conservatory order on 1 October 2025 stopping KWS from enforcing the increase pending a full hearing. We found no 2026 ruling, so we recommend relying on the amount charged by KWSPay, the official eCitizen payment portal. The gazetted schedule has no seasonal pricing.

Maasai Mara over Christmas and New Year

According to Business Daily (May 2026), since January 2024 non-resident adults have paid USD 200 per day from July to December and USD 100 per day from January to June; we found no official Narok County fee document. A 20 December to 5 January safari straddles both rates.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

Travel health insurance, reported as of 8 October 2026

Kenyan media report that non-Kenyans staying under 12 months need travel health insurance under Gazette Notice No. 11492 of 30 July 2026; on 7 October 2026 the High Court in Marsabit dismissed a petition against it. We could not open these documents on an official site, and the public eTA pages do not mention insurance yet.

The reported minimum cover is USD 50,000 in total (cover, not price), including USD 20,000 medical, USD 25,000 emergency transport and USD 5,000 repatriation. A Health Ministry clarification reported in August 2026 says qualifying home-country cover is uploaded in the eTA system; otherwise a compliant policy can be bought at designated entry points. Other reports cite insurers licensed in Kenya.

Agency tests reported on 7 October 2026 found the eTA form offering cover at about USD 44 per traveller plus fees, with no option to upload a foreign policy. We recommend budgeting for it and following what the form asks.

Other dated changes

• 1 December 2025: deadline for airlines to add a USD 4.95 API-PNR fee per passenger per international segment to tickets; it is not paid on the eTA.
• 23 May 2026: India's Health Ministry rated countries bordering DRC and Uganda high risk and discouraged non-essential travel to DRC, Uganda and South Sudan; Kenya, bordering Uganda, is not named.
• 25 June 2026: India launched the Air Suvidha 2.0 health self-declaration for international arrivals, fillable 24 hours ahead; its current status is unconfirmed, so check whether it is still required before flying home.
• As of August 2026, US Ebola-related restrictions target people who were in DRC, Uganda or South Sudan, relevant if a safari includes a Uganda gorilla trek.

FAQ

Do children need their own Kenya eTA?

Yes. Every visitor needs an approved eTA, infants included. A parent can use the "Apply as a Group" option, but each child receives an individual eTA.

Can Indians get a visa on arrival in Kenya?

No. Ordinary Indian passports are not exempt, and the eTA has to be approved before travel.

Which eTA suits a US citizen for a holiday trip?

For one Christmas or New Year visit, the USD 30 standard eTA is the basic option as of October 2026; frequent visitors can consider the US-only five-year eTA at USD 185.

Can I visit Zanzibar for New Year and return on the same eTA?

Not on a standard eTA, which allows one entry. We found no official re-entry rule, so plan for a second eTA or a multi-entry option.

Do I need an eTA to connect through Nairobi?

Passengers staying airside on the same or a connecting aircraft are exempt. If you plan to leave the airport, check which eTA type fits; a USD 20 transit eTA also exists.

How long can I stay in Kenya on an eTA?

There is no fixed official figure. According to Kenya's embassy in Washington, the stay is decided at the point of entry. Kenya's immigration department says a visitor's pass can be extended to 6 months maximum via fns.immigration.go.ke.

Is the eTA fee refunded if my trip is cancelled?

No. It is non-refundable and non-transferable, even if the eTA is denied or plans change.

Does Visarun issue the Kenya eTA?

No. Only the Government of Kenya issues eTAs. Our experts can check your application before you submit it on the official portal; approval and timing stay with Kenya's authorities.