Kenya visa requirements for South African citizens

Before traveling to Kenya, South African citizens need to learn Kenya visa requirements in order to ensure a safe and problem-free trip.

Travelers from South Africa do not have visa-free access to Kenya but still can enjoy visa facilitation and apply online when planning a short-term journey.

The e-Visa to Kenya is available in several types: as a tourist visa, business visa, and transit visa. There is also an East Africa visa allowing to visit three countries: Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

South African nationals should examine not only Kenya tourist visa requirements but also conditions for other visa types, as the required documentation differs. The application process for a Kenya e-Visa is simple.

To get a Kenya electronic visa, visitors from South Africa must complete the form providing some details like name and surname, nationality, passport number, travel dates, etc. It is also necessary to provide the requested documents and cover the fees.

The approval will be sent to the applicant’s email address. South Africa travelers have to print out a PDF document and bring it to the Kenyan entry port.

Necessary steps to apply for a Kenya e-Visa

To apply for a Kenya visa online, South Africa citizens must follow certain steps:

1. Fill out a Kenya e-Visa application form. You must enter your personal, passport, and travel information.
2. Upload the proper documentation. Prepare the required documents and attach them in the electronic form.
3. Cover the processing fees. Our website offers several payment options, including PayPal, debit and credit cards.

Once the payment is confirmed, you will receive the ID code of your application. You can use it to contact our support team in case of any questions or to see the progress of the application.

The usual processing lasts for several days. After that, you will receive the result via mail. The approved Kenya e-Visas arrive as PDF documents and need to be printed out.

Permitted stay

The allowed stay for South Africa travelers in Kenya differs based on the type of visa you are going to obtain. A transit visa to Kenya has the shortest validity period and permitted duration of a visit – 72 hours.

All other types of Kenya online visas – a tourist visa, a business visa, and an East Africa visa offer a 90-day validity and enables its holders to remain in the country for 90 days. However, the number of permitted entries differs: a tourist and business visas allows to enter Kenya once, while an East Africa visa is multiple-entry.

Required documents

The requirements for a Kenya electronic visa depend on the visa type chosen during the application process.

Tourist eVisa

• East Africa Visa
• the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport
• the applicant’s face photo
• return ticket
• hotel booking

Business eVisa

• the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport
• the applicant’s recent face photo
• passport bio-data page from the representative
• the proof of a company registration certificate
• the status page of passport immigration of the representative
• staff ID of the representative of the company
• Kenyan ID of the company representative

Transit visa

• a picture of the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport
• proof of hotel booking
• a recent face photo of an applicant
• onward ticket
• return ticket

East Africa Visa

• the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport
• the applicant’s face photo
• return ticket
• hotel booking

The documents must be attached in a digital form. Applicants from South Africa can use a scanner to take copies of physical documents or take a photo using a smartphone camera or web camera.

Additional requirements

South African passport holders must also adhere to additional requirements, as the procedure for a Kenyan e-Visa takes place entirely online and remotely:

• a working electronic device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, personal computer)
• a stable internet connection (mobile/hardwired internet or WiFi)
• an active email address
• sufficient funds and the ability to complete the payment online.

Requirements on arrival

Upon arriving in Kenya, South African citizens have to show the immigration officers the proper documentation allowing to enter Kenya:

• a valid South Africa passport
• a paper copy of a Kenyan visa
• yellow fever certificate (if traveling from yellow fever belt countries)
• Kenya Health Surveillance Form
• a negative PCR test/COVID-19 vaccination proof

To ensure successful and easier passing through immigration control, consider using our Fast Track service. It includes luggage assistance, meeting a passenger at the terminal entrance, and accompanying them through passport control and customs using the fast-track lane.

Transit requirements

Transit visits refer to situations when travelers stop at a place without any specific purpose other than being en route to another country.

South African nationals should get a transit visa to Kenya if their stay will take longer than 72 hours. However, if you have two connecting flights and do not need to leave the airport, obtaining a Kenya visa is not mandatory.

Julia

Julia's expertise lies in providing professional content, simplifying the visa application process for travelers worldwide. Her dedication to delivering valuable and accurate information, combined with her love for exploring new cultures, inspires others to discover new horizons and embark on their own adventures.