KENYA TRAVEL INFORMATION
KENYA
Kenya, one of Africas more powerful economies, covers an area of 582,650km square with a population of over 43 million. Although made up of many diverse ethnic groups and tribes, Kenyans have a strong sense of national pride.
For a country of its size, Kenya packs a lot in: mountains and deserts, colourful tribal culture, beaches and coral reefs, and some of Africas best wildlife attractions. Stunning landscapes set the scene, from Kakamegas rainforests to Indian Ocean beaches by way of Mt Kenya National Park; the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara to searing deserts on the shores of the Jade Sea; with The Rift Valley, home to Hells Gate National Park, cleaving a massive gash through it all.
ABOUT NAIROBI
Nairobi is one of Africas major cities, the UNs fourth "World Centre" (headquarters for Africa and the Middle East), East Africas commercial, financial, media and NGO hub, and the safari capital of the world, with a population of between three and four million.
Nairobi came into being in May 1899, an artificial settlement created by Europeans at Mile 327 of the Uganda Railway. The bleak, partly swampy site was simply the spot where operations came to a halt while the engineers figured out their next move - getting the line up the steep slopes that lay ahead. The name came from the local Maasai word for the area, Enkare Nyarobi, "the place of cold water", though the spot itself was originally called Nakusontelon, "Beginning of all Beauty".
One of the major attractions in the City is the Nairobi National Park which has a unique ecosystem by being the only protected area in the world close to a capital city. The park is located only 7 km from Nairobi city centre. The major wildlife attractions are the black rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, buffaloes, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland and a diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Other attractions include the Ivory Burning Site Monument, Nairobi Safari Walk, the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the walking trails at hippo pools.
Some of the other popular places to visit while in Kenya are Aberdare National Park; Amboseli National Park; Buffalo Springs National Reserve; Central Island; Chale Island; Chyulu Hills; Giraffe Centre, Nairobi; Hells Gate National Park; Lake Bogoria National Reserve; Lake Naivasha; Lake Nakuru; Masai Mara; Meru National Park; Mount Kenya National Park; National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi; Samburu National Reserve; Shaba National Reserve; Tsavo East National Park; Tsavo West National Park. Visit http://www.magicalkenya.com/ to read more or contact the official tours and travel agent detailed in the Hotels section on this site.
ORIGIN AFRICA 2014 - EBOLA ADVISORY
As we look forward to the upcoming Origin Africa 2014 event to be held between 10th and 12th Nov 2014, ACTIF would like to advise all the participants that the Government of Kenya has set up a high level monitoring and response unit to continuously review all precautionary and response measures aimed at preventing introduction or spread of EBOLA virus in Kenya, led by Kenya Medical Research Unit.
The link below provides up to date information and advice that should assure all our participants of Kenya’s preparedness on Ebola:
http://www.kemri.org/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/494-ebola-advisory
CURRENCY - Kenya shilling (KES) currently about KES 86 : US$1
The Kenyan Shilling, denoted by KES, is the official currency of Kenya.
Credit cards may be used at many establishments and ATMs are widespread with majority of the machines accepting VISA and MasterCard. The machines are easily located at the airport, outside banks, at shopping malls and some petrol stations. For all your conversion rates refer to http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?From=KES&To=USD
WEATHER: Nairobi has a mild temperate climate with dry winters and warm summers. At 1,795 metres (5,889 ft) above sea level, evenings may be cool, especially in June/July, when the temperature can drop to 10 °C (50 °F). The sunniest and warmest part of the year is from December to March, when temperatures average the mid-twenties during the day. The mean maximum temperature for this period is 24 °C (75 °F). As Nairobi is situated close to the equator, the differences between the seasons are minimal. The timing of sunrise and sunset varies little throughout the year for the same reason.
ELECTRICITY: 220-240V/50Hz (3 pin square plugs) (U.S./Canada 110-120V/60Hz)
TIME ZONE: UTC/GMT +3 hours
LANGUAGE: Official languages English and Kiswahili (national language)
HEALTH: Travelers coming from yellow fever infected areas require a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Kindly visit http://www.who.int/ith/chapters/ith2012en_countrylist.pdf to confirm your appropriate requirements.Please check with your travel agent for any change in requirements in good time before you travel.
AIRPORT TRANSFERS: The airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, is about 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the arrival time - traffic can be challenging) from the event venue and recommended hotels. Airport transfers are offered by the recommended travel agent (refer to the "Travel Info" section on this site) or hotel if prior arrangement was made at an extra cost of about USD 25-35. Private taxis may charge approximately KES 2000/=.
VISA INFORMATION:
Entry / Exit Requirements: Visas may be obtained on arrival or from the Kenya Consulate in your home country.Kindly refer to the visa categories below to see which category you fall under. As regulations are subject to change, please check with your travel agent in good time before you travel.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THOSE GETTING VISA ON ARRIVAL
- The visa fee is 50 USD for a single visit (equivalent in Euro or £ sterling is also accepted).
- Credit cards or travellers cheques, NOT acceptable so you will need to have cash.
Documents to bring along when applying for a visa
- Valid passport with at least 3 blank pages and within 6months validity
- Yellow fever certificate
- Return ticket
- Proof of sufficient funds
- Invitation Letter
- Cover Letter
- Visa Fee
Travelers must also provide a local address where they will be staying in Nairobi (make a note of your hotels address).
Please NOTE that this list may be subject to change, please check before you travel. For more information go to www.immigration.go.ke
CATEGORIES OF VISAS
CATEGORY 1:
a.NATIONALS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES DO NOT REQUIRE VISAS TO ENTER KENYA
B
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei-Darussalam
Burundi
C
Cyprus
D
Dominica
E
Ethiopia
F
Fiji Island
G
Ghana
Grenada
J
Jamaica
K
Kiribati
L
Lesotho
M
Malawi Malaysia
Maldives
Mauritius
N
Namibia
Nauru
P
Papua New Guinea
R
Rwanda
S
Samoa
San Marino
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St.Lucia
St.Kitts and Nevis
Swaziland
T
Tanzania
The Bahamas
Trinidad
Tobago
Tonga
Tuvalu
U
Uganda
V
Vanuatu
Z
Zambia
Zimbabwe
CATEGORY 2
a.Nationals of the following countries, classes and categories of persons may be issued with visas on application, and without reference to the Director of Immigration Services, Nairobi, provided that they do not fall under the classes and categories of persons mentioned under Chapter 1, paragraph (E) of the Visa Regulations.
A
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua & Bermuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
B
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
C
Cambodia
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Rep.
Chad
Chile
China
Columbia
Comoros
Congo Brazzaville
Costa Rica
Cote dIvoire (Ivory Coast)
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
D
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominican Rep.
Congo Kinshasa
E
East Timor
Egypt
El Salvador
Ecuador
Equatorial Guinea
Estonia
F
Finland
France
G
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Greenland
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
H
Haiti
Hong Kong (SAR)
MACAU (SAR)
Honduras
Hungary
I
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
J
Japan
Jordan
K
Kampuchea
Kazakhstan
Kirghistan
Korea (South)
Kuwait
L
Laos
Lativia
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
M
Macedonia Madagascar
Malagasy
Malta
Mauritania
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (formally Burma)
N
Nepal
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
O
Oman
P
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Q
Qatar
R
Reunion
Romania
Russia
S
Sao Tome & Principe
Saudi Arabia
Serbia & Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sri Lanka
South Sudan
Sudan
Surinam
Sweden
Switzerland
South Africa
T
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
U
United States of America
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
V
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Y
Yemen
Yugoslavia
CATEGORY 3
a.Nationals of Countries, Classes and Categories Of Persons Who Require Referred Visas.
A
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
C
Cameroon
D
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
E
Eritrea
I
Iraq
K
Kosovo
L
Lebanon
Libya
M
Mali
P
Palestine
S
Senegal
Somali
Syria
T
Tajikistan
b.Applicants against whom there is some local objections or doubt in the country where the application is made.
c.Stateless persons or persons not holding valid passports or other travel documents issued by their own country of nationality, including recognized refugee holders of the United Nations Refugee Travel Documents.
d.Prohibited immigrants as enumerated under Section 33 (1) and (2) of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011.
N.B.
Where reference to the Director of Immigration Services, Nairobi, is necessary before the issue of a visa, the completed application forms in duplicate with the required documents of the applicant as stipulated in the guidelines mentioned shall be forwarded to the Director of Immigration Services, Nairobi, for approval in the usual manner to reach him at least one month prior to the proposed date of the applicants departure to Kenya.
Address for Communication
All inquiries, where necessary, shall be made to:
The Director of Immigration Services
Nyayo House
P. O. Box 30191
NAIROBI
Telephone:000 254- 20-2222022, Nairobi
Fax No. 000 254- 20-2220731
E-MAIL: visa@immigration.go.ke
WEBSITE: www.immigration.go.ke
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