We have written about it in dozens of articles, hundreds of posts on our social media pages, and video tutorials on our YouTube channel, but it is probably not enough, so we have decided to write an article, and above all, dedicate a title to it, to explain in a straightforward manner and establish a simple and direct concept:

THE ETA FOR TRAVELING TO KENYA IS NOT A VISA!

eTA (with a lowercase e) stands for Electronic Travel Authorization. It is simply a request to be allowed to enter Kenya. The tourist visa, which as always entitles you to stay in Kenya for 90 days and is renewable at a cost of $50 for an additional 90 days.

The eTA authorizes you to arrive at immigration points (in most cases, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa), but while the eTA is being approved, in rare cases, immigration may decide to refuse you entry if checks reveal reasons why you may be undesirable in the country (especially related to criminal convictions in the last 5 years or international crimes, or if you have been banned from entering other countries).

THE TOURIST VISA STARTS FROM THE DAY YOU ARRIVE IN KENYA, NOT FROM THE ISSUE OF THE ETA!

Therefore, as the eTA is only a travel authorization, its validity (which, coincidentally, is 3 months, like the tourist visa, and this is something that can be misleading) is simply a validity period for use. From the moment you obtain the eTA, you have three months to use it, after which it expires and you must apply for another one! So if you have a return ticket booked more than three months in advance, you don't need to worry about the expiry of the eTA straight away, but you can calculate it from when you arrive in Kenya and act accordingly to renew your first visa.

We hope we have been clear this time!

Enjoy Kenya, tourists. We hope you become travelers soon!