Visas for Kenya & Tanzania

Bellasgigi

I have conflicting information on when to obtain visas, particularly for Kenya. The embassy website states the visa is valid for 3 months prior to travel. Tauck's website suggests getting visas 6 months prior. Anyone know?

Wayside

The Tauck website says "Please note that these visas must be processed within six months of your arrival" which I take to mean no earlier than six months before arrival.

The Visa Central website says "Tauck suggests that you do not apply for your visa more than 90 days prior to departure. Tauck suggests that you apply for your visa at least 30 days before departure to avoid incurring rush fees."

The 30 to 90 day window sounds like the right timeframe.

AlanS

Bellasgigi wrote:

I have conflicting information on when to obtain visas, particularly for Kenya. The embassy website states the visa is valid for 3 months prior to travel. Tauck's website suggests getting visas 6 months prior. Anyone know?

Here is the deal:

Once you have been issued a Kenyan visa you must use it- enter the country (present your visa at immigration) - within 3 months. If you don't, it is no longer valid. So, the earliest you should apply is 3 months prior (it will take a few days for it to be processed.)

Once you arrive in Kenya and have processed through immigration, your visa is good for 90 days, but it may be renewed for a further 90 days at immigration headquarters in Nairobi, for a maximum stay of 6 months. (That should cover any extended hospitalization if you can't be medevac'd)

You must fill out forms online which can be tricky, so my suggestion is to first download a copy of the application without registering so that you can fill it out in pencil to ensure you have all the info and it is correct before attempting to complete the official form online.

The info for the in-country contact point, which may have changed since we went in 2015, was available on the visa services company's website Tauck pages. I'm not sure it is still there since Tauck changed companies. Call Tauck for that info and any questions you may have. The original visa services company was a bit pricey, too. I've seen other companies on the web who provide the same service, but remember, you still provide all the data and sometimes even the form, so you might as well save a few dollars and forego the visa services company, complete the forms yourself, and deal directly with the Kenyan Embassy in DC. We had no trouble doing it that way. Turnaround time was about 2 weeks or less.

The process:

1. Go to the Embassy of Kenya website
2. Each traveler must register, receive a Unique Confirmation Number, and complete an online application.
3. After completion, download, print and sign the application. (Applications which are not filled out online will be returned unprocessed.)
4. Submit:

a. the completed and signed online application form
b. passport (not photocopy) which is valid for at least six(6) months
c. copy of flight Itinerary / Letter from travel agent on company letterhead confirming booking
d. two passport size (2" X 2") photos (computer generated pictures are not acceptable). We used Walgreens or CVS
e. the appropriate fee (money order or cashier's check only) We applied for single entry visas.
f. a self-addressed stamped return courier envelope for Fedex, Express Mail, Certified Mail or Priority Mail with delivery confirmation (UPS, Metered stamps and Regular mail envelopes are not acceptable).

5. Mail to to the Embassy of The Republic of Kenya, Washington, D.C.

You can also apply for an eVisa, but I have not done that (yet : ) ). But, from what I understand, after reading the info at the link, it is easier, cheaper, you can use a credit card (MC, VISA) to pay, and you don't have to mail your passport to the Embassy. It looks like a better deal.

Bellasgigi

Thank you both, Wayside and AlanS, very helpful!

British

Also remember, that if you are a frequent traveler out of the country, you should factor that you will be without a passport while getting any visas. We had to remember this for an upcoming December tour. We wanted to go on another tour in January but realized there was not enough time to guarantee getting the visa back for that tour, so we scheduled February to be safe.

MomJones

We are going on the July Kenya and Tanzania trip and I worked through VisaCentral which was set up by Tauck. If you call the number they will send you the documents online and walk you through the process. I had to fill out a form for each visa for each traveler in pen and send them back to VisaCentral with our passports and photos for the visas. They take it from there. It takes 15 business days. I called several times while filling out the paperwork and found them to be extremely helpful.

British

Yes, we have used Visa Central, Tauck has used another company in the past. Some countries, it takes much longer for visas. I believe Brazil can be about 3 months! Kenya and Tanzania are pretty easy. But India, aghhh, Mr. B was all for canceling our trip there despite using the visa service, it was tricky. If we had realized that the form that you print out bares no relation to the one you fill in on line, that would have helped. So we always allow lots more time in case the tour comes up without us having our passports back.
You will love this tour!

radamchak

I used did an end run and acquired my VISAs thru the Tauck agent and VISA Central.

Sealord

AlanS wrote:

Here is the deal:

Once you have been issued a Kenyan visa you must use it- enter the country (present your visa at immigration) - within 3 months. If you don't, it is no longer valid. So, the earliest you should apply is 3 months prior (it will take a few days for it to be processed.)

Once you arrive in Kenya and have processed through immigration, your visa is good for 90 days, but it may be renewed for a further 90 days at immigration headquarters in Nairobi, for a maximum stay of 6 months. (That should cover any extended hospitalization if you can't be medevac'd)

You must fill out forms online which can be tricky, so my suggestion is to first download a copy of the application without registering so that you can fill it out in pencil to ensure you have all the info and it is correct before attempting to complete the official form online.

The info for the in-country contact point, which may have changed since we went in 2015, was available on the visa services company's website Tauck pages. I'm not sure it is still there since Tauck changed companies. Call Tauck for that info and any questions you may have. The original visa services company was a bit pricey, too. I've seen other companies on the web who provide the same service, but remember, you still provide all the data and sometimes even the form, so you might as well save a few dollars and forego the visa services company, complete the forms yourself, and deal directly with the Kenyan Embassy in DC. We had no trouble doing it that way. Turnaround time was about 2 weeks or less.

The process:

1. Go to the Embassy of Kenya website
2. Each traveler must register, receive a Unique Confirmation Number, and complete an online application.
3. After completion, download, print and sign the application. (Applications which are not filled out online will be returned unprocessed.)
4. Submit:

a. the completed and signed online application form
b. passport (not photocopy) which is valid for at least six(6) months
c. copy of flight Itinerary / Letter from travel agent on company letterhead confirming booking
d. two passport size (2" X 2") photos (computer generated pictures are not acceptable). We used Walgreens or CVS
e. the appropriate fee (money order or cashier's check only) We applied for single entry visas.
f. a self-addressed stamped return courier envelope for Fedex, Express Mail, Certified Mail or Priority Mail with delivery confirmation (UPS, Metered stamps and Regular mail envelopes are not acceptable).

5. Mail to to the Embassy of The Republic of Kenya, Washington, D.C.

You can also apply for an eVisa, but I have not done that (yet : ) ). But, from what I understand, after reading the info at the link, it is easier, cheaper, you can use a credit card (MC, VISA) to pay, and you don't have to mail your passport to the Embassy. It looks like a better deal.

If you do an "eVisa" do you still need two blank facing pages in your passport? I'm running out of pages, and I'm no where near renewal date, but I am presently assuming that I'm going to need a new passport.

AlanS

Sealord wrote:

If you do an "eVisa" do you still need two blank facing pages in your passport? I'm running out of pages, and I'm no where near renewal date, but I am presently assuming that I'm going to need a new passport.

The price you have to pay for being a world traveler! : ) I don't know anything about the eVisa*. I was surprised to learn that as of 1 Jan, 2016 State stopped accepting applications and will no longer issue additional 24-page Visa inserts (for security reasons). How many pages do you have left and how many of them are facing?

I see a day when Visas and passports will all be electronic and based on facial recognition or retina scans. They are already testing this for boarding passes

*Update: I just found this at my eVisa link under "Basic Requirements": 2. At least One Blank page in the holders passport.

I don't remember the TZ Visa requirements.

Sealord

Indeed. When I last got a new passport I requested the 59 page version and they sent me the small one. I didn't have time to argue about it as that was for our first Africa trip. I always had a 59 page passport cuz I worked as a pilot flying international. They rarely stamped our passports while 'working' but if you were deadheading they did. I deadheaded all over the planet. I think both Kenya and Tanzania require blank facing pages.

Had to laugh when we recently travelled to St. Petersburg, Russia and this very stern looking imigration guy went through my passport, and asked, "vot vere you doing in Zambia?" Have no idea why that interested him?

moxie68

Thanks to all of you with this helpful information! My family and I are going on the Kenya and Tanzania trip that departs on December 2nd and I'm just starting the process of thinking about visas. This helps a lot!

MECMD

Bellasgigi wrote:

I have conflicting information on when to obtain visas, particularly for Kenya. The embassy website states the visa is valid for 3 months prior to travel. Tauck's website suggests getting visas 6 months prior. Anyone know?

We just went through the process. Your visas are only good for 3 months. Do not apply for your visa's 6mths ahead of time! We applied 8 weeks prior to travel and that was more than enough time.