Kenya welcomes foreigners to visit the country for a range of different purposes. Its eTA service is open to all travellers willing to visit the country for tourism, business, medical, visits, work, attending meetings/conferences or resettlement reasons. On top of that, getting a Kenyan eTA is also very simple and convenient for the applicants.

The travellers can apply for Kenyan eTA from their homes by completing their eTA Application, attaching required documents, and finally paying the Kenya ETA Fee -all entirely online.

Kenya ETA Application form requires the user to enter personal details, ETA details, contact details, passport details, travel history, travel information, etc. The willing applicant also needs to attach required documents from Kenyan Authorities.

For getting a successful approval of the Kenya eTA form, travellers must provide proof of travel for visiting Kenya. Therefore, all applicants filling out the Kenyan ETA Application form need to submit copies of required documents including, HOTEL RESERVATION or INVITATION LETTER, or other additional documents along with the passport.

The invitation letter to be submitted should be according to the ETA type. It fully depends upon the purpose of the traveller’s visit to Kenya. For example, an invitation letter that a person needs to submit for doing business would be different from the letter attached for the purpose of visiting friends or family.

Find the explanation about the Documents Required By Kenyan Authorities below:

Invitation Letter

An Invitation Letter is a document that acts as proof of travel and fulfils one of the Kenyan eTA requirements. A correctly written invitation letter that satisfies the criteria set by Kenya increases the chances of smooth ETA approval, as it allows the authorities to verify the visit purpose before the visitor physically enters the country.

Preparing an Invitation letter is simple and easy to obtain. Those foreign nationals who want to visit Kenya for the following visit purposes need to attach an invitation letter as travel proof:

• Doing Business
• Visit (family/friends)
• Making Educational Trip (Attending Meetings / Workshop / Seminar / Retreat)

Invitation Letter for Kenya Business eTA

For a Business eTA, the invitation letter should meet the following requirements:

• The Invitation letter should be forwarded by the employer or sponsoring company with which the applicant will work during the stay. Not to mention, the company should be located in Kenya.
• The Invitation Letter must state the reason for the invitation to Kenya, such as any meeting or attending any other company event.
• The letter must also mention the position or role of the applicant within the company.
• The applicant should print the invitation on the company letterhead.
• The invitation should contain the following information:
  • Company’s Name
  • Telephone number
  • Full address of the company
  • Arrival and departure dates

When the Invitation Letter is ready, the applicant needs to upload it with his eTA application. The applicant may also need to upload the following documents in the application:

• Registration certificate of the inviting company
• STAFF ID of the person countersigning the invitation letter.

Invitation Letter for Kenya Visit eTA

The foreign citizens travelling to Kenya for visiting friends or family residing in Kenya do not need to book accommodations. Instead, they need to present an invitation letter from the host family in Kenya.

In the invitation letter, the respective relative or acquaintance has to provide the following details:

• Host’s Full Name
• Contact Information (includes residential address and telephone number)
• Host’s relationship with the invitee (Mentioning Family/relative is not specific enough)
• Arrival and Departure dates

This document will assist Kenyan authorities to verify that the applicant has someplace to reside in Kenya and is actually visiting somebody present in Kenya.

Along with the Invitation Letter, the applicant willing to visit Kenya should submit the host’s passport, ID card, alien card or entry permit.

Invitation Letter for Kenya Meeting Trip ETA

Foreigners visiting Kenya to attend any Meeting, Workshop, Seminar, or Retreat need to submit an invitation letter to achieve Kenya ETA for the students participating in educational activities in Africa.

For this eTA category, the invitation letter should be forwarded from the school or university. Invitation letter for educational trips should state the reason for the travel and also contain the given information:

• Contact Details of the Institute
• Address

Like the invitation letter of Kenya business eTA, the foreigner also needs to attach documents of the company’s registration and staff ID of the individual who countersigned the letter. It is recommended to get the invitations letter ready in advance before initiating the Kenya ETA Application process.

How to Submit an Invitation Letter for Kenyan eTA

Travellers who apply for Kenya eTA do not need to present any tangible paperwork in front of the embassy or consulate staff. As the eTA Service aims for facilitating the travellers as much as possible. Therefore, the eTA applicants can submit all the required documents electronically.

Document Size and Format

The document to be uploaded must be in JPEG format, and the file size must not exceed 293kb.

Additional Required Documents for Kenya eTA

Along with the invitation travel that clarifies the purpose of traveller’s visit to Kenya, the eligible foreigners need to possess:

• A passport with a minimum validity of 6 months starting from the date of entry
• One blank page (at least) in the passport for stamping
• A return ticket or the proof of an onward journey

Some travellers may also need to provide a Yellow Fever Certificate for Kenya.

If the applicant provides accurate information for all categories in the eTA form followed and attached the required documents fully satisfying the criteria, the applicant’s eTA will be approved shortly. As a result, the applicant may receive eTA on email within approximately 72 hours.