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Is Kenya visa free to all African countries?

No, Kenya is not visa-free for all African countries. Since July 2025, Kenya has abolished both traditional visas and the eTA for almost all African travelers. Only citizens of Libya and Somalia still need to apply for an eTA or visa. East African Community (EAC) citizens continue to enjoy visa-free entry for up to 6 months.

Citizens of most African countries can enter Kenya without a visa due to this policy, which was put in place to facilitate the integration of the regions, tourism, and businesses. This policy supports Kenya’s efforts to spur travel and tourism within Africa, as well as between African countries, ultimately aiming to make travel across the continent more accessible to African citizens

Visa-Free Access for Most African Nations

As of mid-2025, all African nations except Libya and Somalia are visa-free to Kenya, with stays of up to 60 days permitted. The implication here is that nationals of these countries travel to Kenya without the requirement to apply for a visa and pay visa fees. This is one of the policies that Kenya hopes to adopt to increase the ease of travelling to different parts of Africa, trade, and also cultivate culture among the various countries of Africa.

East African Community (EAC) Nationals

It is favorable to the citizens of a member state of the East African Community (EAC), which comprises East Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Citizens of East African Community (EAC) member states may enter Kenya without a visa and stay for up to 180 days, in line with regional free-movement agreements. The move is expected to strengthen regional relations and facilitate the free movement of goods, services, and people, which is one of the main principles of the EAC.

Citizens of Other African Nations

Most African nationals (except from Libya and Somalia) can now enter Kenya without an eTA or visa and stay up to 60 days. Only Libya and Somalia citizens still require pre-approval. This applies to most of the African countries, where tourists can visit Kenya without going through the normal process of obtaining a visa. However, the visa-free entry for African nationals depends on the fact that they do not exceed the specified period. 

Exceptions to the Policy

Only citizens of Libya and Somalia must still apply for an eTA or visa due to security concerns. However, travelers from countries with higher security concerns may face stricter checks before approval.

Benefits of the Policy

This transformation is likely to be widely beneficial to Kenya and Africa at large. To Kenya, it represents a new opportunity to promote its tourism sector by making entry into the country to Africans. It further enhances the business hub capacity of Kenya as a regional hub in terms of business, travel, and commerce. In other African countries, the policy makes it easier for citizens to access entertainment, business, and education markets in Kenya with ease, which helps in the development of the pan-African relationship.

Conclusion

In summary, Kenya is visa-free for all African countries except Libya and Somalia. This marks a major step towards pan-African travel integration. Due to security concerns, citizens of Libya and Somalia are still required to obtain a visa before visiting Kenya. However, the general direction is the increasing accessibility of African travellers, which coincides with the strong commitment by Kenya to regional integration and Africa that is more integrated.

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