bgsnmky

Ih ave been reading and see varying information on the ease of Visa's.

For Tanzania I saw a post from 2010 that you could get the visa from the airport, but then when I searched the website I did not see where you could.

Kenya I did find where you could, but I also read in some forums to get it before just to feel confident.

Sure would be less expensive at the airports....

Has anyone gone recently and got it at the airports? Is it really that easy and cheap. And what if something goes wrong?

We are going January 2012...some of us live in Texas and some in Calfornia.

sandi

Cheap is relative!

Visas for both Kenya and Tanzania can be purchased on arrival at each country.

At Kenya's international airports - Nairobi or Mombasa - or any official border crossing at a cost of USD$25/person (price good thru end 2011; thereafter it's supposed to increase to USD$50/person) - single or tourist Visa is good for term of the Visa, either 3 or 6/mos. For Tanzania, also at the international airports - Kilimanjaro or Dar-es-Salaam - or official border crossings at a cost of USD$100/person - single or tourist Visa is good for 1/yr.

Download the application forms from the respective tourist websites, complete and keep with passport to hand over to agent on arrival along with your funds. Have exact amounts due* as agents will not make change. NO photos are required when purchasing on-site.

*avoid USD$100 notes, especially in Kenya; these are often refused due to counterfeiting; though USD$100 notes are accepted in Tanzania. Don't ask me, but that's the way it seems to be. Best to just use $50s, 20s, 10s, 5s.

You will also require a Yellow Fever inoculation and proof of same for entry to/from/between Kenya/Tanzania.

MARISAL3

We did Visa by mail. Needed photos and had to send passports via FedEx. Very expensive about $250 pp including FedEx. It was easy and fast but costly. There are a couple of companies out there. We used ZVS a friend used another firm-same price.

sandi

Marisal3 - That's an awful lot to pay a "service" to handle obtaining your Visas before departing on safari. Especially if this company actually put these thru w/ FedEx rather than having their own rep personally go to the respective embassy. Goodness, you could have just as easily placed documents (passport, application, photos, funds) in a FexEx package for about $10-15 and include a return FedEx envelope ($10-15) so the passports could be returned to you.

Folks - unless you have easy access (from Baltimore or Virginia) to the respective Embassies in Washington DC or consular offices (Kenya & Tanzaniia both have in NYC), just purchase these Visas on arrival.

atravelynn

Another advantage of on arrival is that your passport stays in your possession so it can't get lost and there is no stress of wondering where the passport is while in transit.

cary999

I agree about purchasing visas at arrival in country. Just be ready and patient like at JRO/KIA when your KLM flight unloads and 240 people pile up behind the one visa window. With no service there yet, waiting for the official to arrive. And travel agents breaking in front of you to hand the official a stack of his client requests.

regards - tom

sandi

Last time off a fully loaded 767 or 747 flight, there were 3/agents at the Visa window and knocking them out so quickly that those who had to purchase got thru faster than those who already had.

littlerunaway

get you visa on arrival. cheaper. doesn't take that much time (waiting in line at the airport is normal).
about the $ notes. someone here wrote the 100's are not always excepted. never happened to me. the truth is the smaller notes (20 and lower) get a much lower exchange rate than the 100 and the 50's. so don't bring any 20, 10, 5, unless you're planning to use them to pay for something.

sandi

<i>"so don't bring any 20, 10, 5, unless you're planning to use them to pay for something."</i>

... well, what else would you be doing with these but paying for something - tips for guides, driver, staff, souvenirs.

I sure wouldn't exchange these for local currency,, as you're better off obtaining local currency, either country, from an ATM.

Visa isn't any cheaper purchasing on arrival than thru the Embassy, at least not in the US, but you do have to submit with photos which aren't required if purchasing on arrival, cost of sending to/return from Embassy or Consular office and having your passport out of your control for however long it takes to process. Those arriving from the UK do seem to have the advantage using USD to purchase Visas due to the more favorable exchange rate.