A Kenya visa in the classic sense no longer exists. Since 2024 Kenya has applied an electronic travel authorisation, the eTA, to all foreign guests, and citizens of Azerbaijan are inside that system. No embassy, no handing in of documents, an answer within 72 hours. Getting the visa side ready for a Masai Mara safari is fifteen minutes of online work.
In this article we explain how the eTA is obtained, the fee, which documents get uploaded, the yellow fever vaccination question and the flight options from Baku to Nairobi.
Kenya visa: brief facts
| Document | Electronic travel authorisation (eTA) |
| Fee | 30 dollars, plus the card commission |
| Length of stay | Up to 90 days, single entry |
| Application | Online only, up to 3 months before the trip, at the latest 3 days before |
| Answer time | Up to 72 hours |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months |
| Direct flight | None, via Doha, Dubai or Istanbul |
How is the eTA obtained instead of a Kenya visa?
- You open an account on the Kenyan government’s official eTA portal.
- You fill in the form and upload a passport scan, a photo, the return ticket and the hotel booking.
- You pay the fee by card.
- Within 72 hours the confirmation arrives by email. You print it and take it along with the passport; at the border the QR code is scanned.
The official portal is the Kenyan government’s eTA site. Sites whose address does not end in go.ke are intermediaries and charge two or three times more for the same permission. It is comfortable to apply two weeks before the trip, as the system sometimes asks for an extra document.
Which documents are uploaded for a Kenya visa?
A bank statement and an employment letter are not required. At the border fingerprints and a photo are taken, and that takes a few minutes.
Read next: A South Africa visa: why you have to go to Ankara and how to plan it
How do you fly from Baku to Kenya?
There is no direct flight. People fly to Nairobi with Qatar Airways via Doha, Emirates via Dubai and Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, and the whole journey takes 10–13 hours. Since the transit is in the Gulf or in Istanbul, no extra visa is needed. Baku–Nairobi ticket prices rise during the July-to-October safari season. To the coast at Mombasa it is a 1-hour domestic flight from Nairobi.
Most people going to Kenya go for a safari, and a safari does not get put together on its own: park permits, the jeep, the camp and the guide are booked together. Kenya safari tour programmes combine the Masai Mara, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru into 7–10 days; July to October is the great migration season and places fill months in advance.
Points to know before the trip
- Malaria. There is a risk in the coastal and park regions; talk to a doctor about prophylaxis. Nairobi, being at altitude, is relatively safe.
- Insurance. It is not required, but for a safari and for remote regions insurance covering evacuation is essential.
- Money. The Kenyan shilling. Cards work in Nairobi, while in the parks and villages you need cash. M-Pesa mobile payment is everywhere, but it is difficult for tourists to set up.
- Plastic bags. They are banned in Kenya, and there is a fine even for one in your suitcase.
- Season. July–October the great migration, January-February dry and hot, April-May the long rains.
Frequently asked questions about the Kenya visa
Can you cross into Tanzania and come back on the eTA?
The eTA is single entry; to leave for Tanzania and return you need a new eTA. Tanzania issues citizens of Azerbaijan a separate online visa.
Do children need an eTA too?
Yes, a separate eTA is taken for every passenger, and the fee is paid for children as well.
Is the Kenya visa obtained at the border?
No. The visa-on-arrival system has been abolished, and a passenger arriving without an eTA will not be let onto the flight by the airline in Baku.
In closing
The Kenya visa is obtained through the online eTA system. The fee is around 30 dollars, the answer usually comes within 72 hours, and the application is made only through the official portal.
The real preparation, though, is not in the visa but in the safari itself. Settle in advance which season you will go in, which park you will choose and which vaccinations you need.
The Viza.az team helps with formalising the eTA, choosing the flight route and planning the safari programme.
You can read more about the Kenya destination and the service fees or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is as of the publication date. The eTA fee and the rules can change, so look at the official portal once more before applying.
