Preparing for your Holiday
Page 1 of 4 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
We are partners of the Foreign & Commonwealth office ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign and will endeavour to provide you with as much information and advice as possible relating to your holiday.
PASSPORTS
All British passengers require a passport which must be valid for at least six months after your intended return to the UK.
Non British passport holders should check visa requirements with their Travel Agent or the relevant High Commission.
If you are 16 or over and do not yet have a passport our recommendation is that you should apply for one at least six weeks before your holiday. From June 2007, first-time adult passport holders, and for those children applying for an adult passport that were previously included in a parent’s passport will need to have an interview as part of the passport application process. This does not apply to people who held their own passport as a child.
All children, from new-born babies to the age of 15, must now have their own individual passport. Once they reach their 16th birthday they then become eligible for a standard 10-year passport. Before 5th October 1998 many children were already included on a valid passport. These children can still continue to travel abroad with the passport holder until either the child reaches the age of 16 or the passport on which the child is included is submitted for amendment (remember, children cannot be re-added to passports which are submitted for amendment). In these circumstances, you will need to apply for separate passports for any children who were previously included on your passport. Once a child reaches 16 years of age they will require their own passport and their details must be removed from their parents’ passport.
Adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country. For more information, please contact the relevant Consulate or High Commission.
Please note: these details may change and it is your responsibility to ensure that your passport is correct and valid.
For more information, please contact the Kenya High Commission.
VISAS
British Passport holders require a visa to visit Kenya.
Your visa can be obtained either from the Kenya High Commission in London prior to departure or on arrival at Mombasa airport. Our recommendation is to obtain your visa upon arrival in Mombasa.
For each entry into Kenya, regardless of the length of stay, you will require a visa. If your holiday involves leaving Kenya for any length of time, i.e. for an Indian Ocean Cruise, another visa will be required on re-entry.
The Kenya High Commission will only issue a visa for your initial entry. Subsequent visas will have to be obtained at the point of re-entry.
TRANSIT VISAS
A Transit Visa is valid for a single entry up to a maximum stay in Kenya of 6 nights/7 days. The cost is £10 (approximately US $20 or approximately €15) per visa and applies to cruise customers only who are entering Kenya.
SINGLE ENTRY VISAS
A Single Entry Visa is valid for stays of up to 3 months. All customers who have booked a beach only or beach and safari holiday must obtain one of these. The cost is £30 (approximately US $60 or approximately €45) per visa.
Your visa will only be valid up to 3 months from the date of issue so, if applying in the UK, it is important that you do not apply too early.
Important note: To avoid ambiguity on immigration into Kenya, if a Transit Visa is required, please enter ‘Transit’ as the reason for your entry into Kenya on the visa application form.
APPLYING FOR A VISA
For postal applications to the Kenya High Commission in London, payment must be made by Postal Order (allow 15 working days for processing and enclose a pre-paid envelope for the return of your passport). Personal cheques will not be accepted. Personal callers may, however, pay in cash (allow 5 working days for processing). You will require one passport size photograph (postal applications only), your passport and your holiday confirmation invoice.
Payment for applications at the point of entry into Kenya must be made in cash (£ Sterling, US Dollars or Euros) only.
Kenya High Commission
45 Portland Place
London W1N 4AS
Telephone: 020 7636 2371
www.kenyahighcommission.net
IMPORTANT TRAVEL ADVICE
It is always advisable to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice before travelling. The latest information can be found on the internet at www.fco.gov.uk/travel, e-mail consular.fco@gtnet.gov.uk, or by telephoning 0845 850 2829 or faxing 020 7008 0155.
(Please do not use this number for visa-related enquiries).
