fluffnfold

Can anyone tell me how far in advance to get my visas for Kenya and Tanzania? I will be travelling during the month of August. I have the forms filled out from the embassy websites, but they don't really mention how long the visas are good for. I want to get them ahead of time rather than waiting until the airport, even though I realize this will entail a few trips to NYC (not a hardship by any means!) and/or sending things away myself or via a visa service. Thanks.

jenack

I believe they are good for 6 months

siro

We just checked with the Kenyan Embassy in Sweden (leaving in June) and the answer was that it was way to early yet, they said it would only take 7 days. Now, I'm not going to wait until 7 days before departure but I'll wait a couple of months.

jenack

I might be mistaken, they might only be good for 3 months. It should say on the website.

siro

Sorry, forgot that question. You're right Jenack, t's only good for 3 months.

sandi

One is good for 3/months, the other for 6/months. Not sure which is which; mine aren't clear enough to determine.

If you decide to obtain prior, you'll have to send one application, passport, photos and checks to each, wait its return, then send to the other. You'll also require passport-sizes photos for each, which you don't need if obtaining on arrival. And then there is the cost of sending to each Embassy by FedEx (or other) along with return postage-paid FedEx (or other).

If doing this when in NY, the consular/tourist offices usually only accept applications in the morning, then you pick-up next morning. Then repeat for the other office. These offices are pretty close to one another, but if you're not in the city daily, you'll have to make a few trips.

That's the reason, many choose to obtain visas on arrival... it's just easier. And even if you have to wait 30/min (usually only 10/min) to get to front of line, it's less time than mailing to one, to another, waiting returns, etc.

Always, your choice.

Patty

I haven't waited long to get a visa on arrival at NBO, JRO or DAR, but this could depend on how many flights are arriving at the same time as yours.

Also at NBO, even if you already have a visa, you may be waiting in a line to go through immigration, just a different line than those who need visas. And unless you're doing carry on only, I've found luggage off loading to be slow at NBO so that by the time I get my bags (priority tags don't mean anything there) even those at the back of the immigration lines have made it downstairs to baggage claim.

norval

We are finally leaving next week for Kenya and Tanzania. I had planned to get visas in Nairobi and suddenly my travel agent has suggested I should have done it long ago !! Please tell me as a Canadian that I will have no trouble getting one on arrival in Kenya..my heart can't take the panic !!

allycb

Norval,
I'm English, but I'm sure the same will apply. We got our visas on arrival at Nairobi - ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER!! In fact, the queue to get visas was shorter than the one for people with visas, but I guess this may vary. I then got my Tanzanian visa on arrival in Tanzania, again - no issues.
Have a great trip!

sandi

Shouldn't be any problems obtaining Visas on arrival whether you're American, Canadian or most Europeans.

norval

Thanks so much everyone for the reassurance !! I can't believe so close to leaving after planning for close to a year that visas became an issue now. I will sleep tonight. Our plan is this for those who might be interested:
2 nights Norfolk Nairobi ( I have contacted Kennedy for both days)
1 night Ngurdoto Mountain Village Arusha (flying Precision to Kilimanjaro)
1 night Gibbs Farm
1 night Manyara Serena
2 nights Serengeti Serena
3 nights Sayari
1 night Ngorongoro Serena
I can hardly wait...have been watching migration and weather reports for weeks.

producerkoof

We went to Kenya and Tanzania last September. We are from Los Angeles and went to the Consulate here and got our visa for Kenya in about 20 minutes.
We got our visa to Tanzania at the border of Arusha. That too took about 20 minutes tops. Very easy!!

tuckeg

You might be interested in this story on the rains: http://allafrica.com/stories/200701290878.html

imi

Hey for those of you getting your visas on arrival please make sure you have USD 50 in cash each. Dollar bill of 1999 and older are not accepted in most banks, would suggest bringing 2000 and newer bills. As for the waiting in line for Visas, it doesn’t really take that long and you will still have to wait at carousel for your luggage (so doesn’t really make a difference).
Rgds
Im

Patty

Just to avoid any confusion, the visa fees for each country (for the regular single entry) are $50 per person, but you don't have to pay with a $50 bill. You can use any denomination bills totaling $50 per person. I know that's not what the above poster meant, but I thought that someone might read it and think they need to have $50 bills.

At NBO recently, they were even giving change (in USD) to those who needed it. However, I wouldn't count on them always having change and it's better to bring exactly what you need.

fluffnfold

Thanks, everyone. It seems like most of you just waited until you arrived. It's not that I mind spending time standing in line; I think I have some fear that I might arrive in Nairobi and they will tell me that unless I had my visa prior to arrival, I will have to return to the US. Or maybe that they won't even let me on the plane FROM the US without the visa. If you are all sure that I'll be okay, then I will certainly wait, since it seems that I might have to make at least 3, and possibly 4, trips to NYC to drop off and pick up the passports. The expeditor services seem to charge SO much, too. Even if I send both my husband's and my passports together, it seems that they charge the full price for each one even though the expeditor is only dropping off/picking up once (not two separate times for pickup and two separate times for dropoff).

imi

Thanks for clearing that up Pratty.