Just want to make sure we will have enough money set aside at end of trip to leave airport for 10 hours in Nairobi. I've read about transit visa,$30, but not sure of requirements for same; or do we just need regular visa @$50 since we are leaving the airport? Thank you for any info.

karen

If you are in Nairobi less than 24 hrs you only need the transit visa. HOWEVER, when we transited Nairobi on our return from Rwanda in late August, I had my transit visa application and $20 fee all ready and they told me I didn't need it. We had purchased a $50 single entry visa for our 1-week stay in Kenya -- and were stamped in and out. But if your onward travel is still in the East Africa Economic Community then you are still considered to be in Kenya. I thought Rwanda wasn't part of the EAEC and I would therefore need the transit visa -- but the official at Immigration said I didn't. Am uncertain whether this is ALWAYS the case or it was just the one person I had. In any case, I found the staff in Immigration to be very helpful -- you can just explain what you are doing and they will tell you what you need.

As Skib says, if your overall itinerary includes time in Kenya AND the rest of the itinerary sees you travelling WITHIN East Africa, you only need a SINGLE entry visa for Kenya even though you may actually be entering and exiting multiple times.

We did 12 days in Kenya followed by 10 in Tanzania and returned to Kenya for just a few hours (spent in a day room in the Serena) before flying home. On our original arrival we explained the itinerary and were told to take a 3 month duration Single Entry visa for $50 which would cover us for the short duration transit visit to Kenya at the end of our trip.

Thank you, skibumette and Kavey. If I understand correctly we just need a transit visa as we will be in Nairobi for about 10 hours till our flight home. We arrive JRO, not NBO, so won't have had any visa for Kenya, only Tanzania.

Karen

Just a Transit Visa and the cost is USD$20 (unless they raised it to $30) in the past few weeks.

If you wish to leave the airport, just allow sufficient time (usually 2/hrs) to return for check-in and security. If you already have your onward Boarding Passes, keep them with to be presented and so the process goes faster.

Thank you Sandi for the response. Do we need 2 passport photos for the transit visa? Actually, I probably can find out on the embassy site, it's just so much easier and fun to ask questions of the knowledge Fodorites!

Karen

No photos are necessary when buying visas at the airport.