Kenyan visa question.......
 

Hi everyone,

I'm leaving for my dream trip to Kenya in a little over two weeks and I just wanted to verify something I read on he (NBO)Jomo Kenyatta airport website.
I understand I can get my Kenyan visa upon arrival, but their web site states that I also need a passport sized photo along with my visa application.
Anyone know if they actually require one? I haven't seen any other posts mentioning this on fodors before, so I wanted to make sure.
Thank you!

Application, yes.

Photos, no.

Have a good trip!

The photo is required only if you apply for the visa by mail.

It doesn't have to be the same photo as on your passport, does it? I am applying by mail, as recommended by Micato, and will need to take a new picture; my passport is about 8 years old and I don't of course have any of the old photos.
Jess

Jess -

Do any of us look the same today as we did 8/years ago? Now with different color hair, length, wearing glasses, etc. :)

You have to supply current photos.

Micato's request for you to obtain the visa prior arrival is for their convenience. Remember, everyone has to wait for their luggage to come of the plane and this takes a good 20+/min or more. This time give you the opportunity to obtain on arrival, and not have to provide photos, nor put you passport into the mail. Besides the cost to send by Fedex (or similar) and a return Fedex (or other postage paid envelope).

Unless you live in Wash, DC or NYC where you can stop into the Embassy or Tourist Office, which avoids the mailing to/from... but you'll still have to submit application and passport with these new photos.

The decision is yours.

Thanks, Sandi- you can always be counted on to give a reasoned, well-balanced and sensible reply.
Jess

Hi Jess-

When we went in May, there was no problem to get the visa upon arrival in Kenya, as Sandi says, you have to wait for your luggage anyways, and Micato had no problem with that at all.

They did ask though if we could please get our TZ visas via the mail, as getting a visa on arrival in TZ could hold up the group, which out of courtesy is not a good thing!

It was touch and go with us as to whether we would have our passports back from the Cdn gov't in time to send for a visa, I emailed Micato and they said 'no problem', if there wasn't time then they would ensure that we obtained our TZ visas on the day we were in Nairobi. But we didn't have to go to that length, they gov't ACTUALLY came through for once and we had our passports in time with a month to spare. The TZ embassy in Canada also gave a real zippy turnaround time, I mailed them on a Wednesday and incredibly they were back the next Tuesday. Not even a week - you have to like that!