In this article, we aim to answer some of the questions you might have about traveling to Kenya, specifically Nairobi, and save you time on research because we did not have that privilege. This is a traveling to Kenya guide 2024. We spent weeks gathering information, talking to many people, learning a lot the hard way and finally writing this guide that is updated. Let us share our findings with you.
This guide is mainly intended for people holding UK, European, US, and Australian passports. According to Kenya’s Ministry of the interior, citizens of the East African partner states such as Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania are exempt together with citizens from Indonesia, Senegal, and Congo with which Kenya has visa-free agreements.
On a rainy and cold morning in mid-May, somewhere in Southwest London, we had a sudden realization: We needed to leave the city we loved and had spent most of our lives in. We realized we needed a change and most importantly Vitamin D. For a long time, we fantasized about living somewhere sunny and leaving our lucrative jobs to pursue a lifestyle of financial independence—well not necessarily wealth, but the freedom to chase our life’s goals and dreams, the freedom to be location independent.
After thorough research, we decided to move to Kenya. But why Kenya? We had visited the country multiple times and loved the lifestyle and charm. Additionally, one of our close friends works for an organization in Nairobi so we have someone we know living there.
Do you need a Visa to visit Kenya?
The short answer is Yes! Despite what the media is saying, Kenya is NOT a Visa-Free Nation.
Although Kenya’s president stated that as of 1 January 2024, foreign nationals, regardless of nationality, can enter Kenya without a visa for tourism or business travel for stays up to 90 days you will still need a visa to enter the country, is just called now Electronic Travel Authorization or eTA.
The new eTA was meant to replace the visa applications, streamline the process, and improve arrival processes but we had a different experience. The Electronic Travel Authorization needs to be filled out ideally two weeks before your departure and is valid for 90 days once approved and costs GBP 25 (USD 32.50) for a single-entry visa, whereas a multiple-entry visa will cost you around GBP 123 (USD 160). We don’t understand why the process is now rebranded as eTA but is basically the same process as we previously applied for a Visa, the system asks you the same questions and needs the same documentation to support your application.
To be fair, our application was approved within 3 days.
In addition to applying for the visa, ehm we mean eTA, upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport we had to queue for over an hour at the immigration desk and we were told that we would only be getting one month on our passports despite paying for eTA for 90 days. The immigration officers was asking for a bribe in exchange for the full 90 days.
Do you need to be Vaccinated?
No, not if you’re coming from the UK, US, Europe, and Australia. You will only be required to have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk, mainly African countries, and some South American countries.
If you have children or traveling to Mombasa, we personally recommend having Hepatitis A, Tetanus, and Typhoid. We also recommend being up to date with your vaccinations for your children like MMR. We personally did not take Cholera because we were not planning to stay in areas where a cholera outbreak is likely and is usually recommended for aid or disaster relief workers. We also opted out of yellow fever vaccination because Kenya, specifically Nairobi does not have a yellow fever outbreak but that was our personal choice and against the recommendation of our GP (General practitioner).
What Airline is the best to fly to Nairobi?
We personally decided to fly with Emirates, but there are multiple airlines that fly to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Two of them, British Airways and Kenya Airways, offer direct routes from London.
We choose Emirates because of their generous baggage allowance of two 23kg bags per person, plus one 7kg carry-on bag per person. Yes, it is a longer route and our flight took 7 hours from London to Dubai, around 3 hours of connection at Dubai, and then a further 5 hours from Dubai to Nairobi. In comparison, A British Airways flight from London to Nairobi will take almost 9 hours but it’s BA… Over the years we had bad experiences with BA, service is poor, and you have to add another £45 for standard economy to be allowed one checked bag of 23kg. The same applies to Kenya Airways.
Hotel or Airbnb at first?
Timekeeping can be a bit relaxed in Kenya, and on multiple occasions, we experienced delays with our Airbnb host and had to wait to get the keys to the apartment. After a long and stressful journey, this can be challenging, especially if you have children.
Depending on your budget, we would recommend to safe you the hassle and to book a hotel for at least the first night, we personally stayed at JW Marriott Nairobi and liked it so much we wrote a whole review about it.
Do you need to carry Kenyan Shillings and Cash?
Not necessarily. Debit and Credit cards are widely used and accepted in Kenya even at the airport. If you need Cash, we recommend exchanging your money in the city rather than at the airport, as exchange rates are very high at the airport. If you really need cash at the airport, then withdraw it from the ATM machines, although banks such as KCB will charge you around £5 in fees per £100.
How about transportation?
Uber and Bolt are used here in Kenya as well. We recommend avoiding the taxis at the airport because you will most likely be scammed and pay a premium price. The Airport has a free WIFI connection, just order an Uber once you arrive and arrange a pickup point with your driver while you have the WIFI connection. Transportation in Kenya is generally very affordable, a ride from the airport to the city center or Westgate should cost you around £8-10 (USD 10-12).
We are two aspiring writers, although we are far from it and we decided to move to Kenya without a backup plan, if you like our guides and honest and unbiased reviews then please consider buying a coffee for us at our buymeacoffee profile.
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