Kenya adjusts online visitor registration fees, exempts Ethiopia, others
The Department of Immigration and Citizen Services has announced that citizens of Ethiopia and six other nations will no longer be required to pay the $30 fee per traveller when applying for entry to Kenya.
The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) fee launched in January will no longer apply to citizens of Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Eritrea, Mozambique, San Marino, and South Africa. The exemption for these countries, effective February 15, is attributed to the visa abolition agreements or bilateral visa waiver agreements they have established with Kenya.
The Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya, Bacha Debele, expressed gratitude for Kenya's swift decision to eliminate the payment requirement for Ethiopian citizens seeking eTA.
“My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Government of Kenya for its prompt response and kind decision to remove Ethiopian citizens from the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) related electronic payment requirement. We kindly inform our citizens that they can enter Kenya without any requirement for a visa and its related payment, but the requirement to fill eTA form online before arrival remains mandatory,” he is quoted by the Nation.
While the eTA system was introduced to streamline travel and visa applications, critics argued that the $30 fee essentially functioned as an alternative form of a visa. The Department emphasized that ETA applications must still be submitted 72 hours before arrival, with the issued ETA remaining valid for travel to Kenya within 90 days.
However, concerns may persist among critics who find the ETA application inflexible, particularly in scenarios involving adjustments to travel plans or emergency situations. Meanwhile, members of the East African Community are exempt from ETA applications, allowing travel with valid passports or national identity cards.
