Kenya exempts Ethiopia, South Africa from e-travel authorization fees

Business Daily | Kenya has begun twitching its online visitor registration service that policymakers wanted to use to ease travel into the country, but which saw some countries complain of high charges.

The Department of Immigration and Citizen Services says citizens from Ethiopia and four other African countries will not be required to pay the US$30 per traveller charged when visitors apply to come to Kenya.

The fee is often paid online via the portal www.etakenya.go.ke after the government launched the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) in January. According to the department, citizens from the Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Eritrea, Mozambique and South Africa will also no longer be charged when filing for eTA applications.

The department said these are “countries which had concluded visa abolitions agreement or signed bilateral visa waiver agreements with the Republic of Kenya.”

The four had signed visa exemption deals in the last one year. Their exemption from eTA began on February 15.

Bacha Debele, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya had on Monday told Ethiopian nationals wishing to travel to Kenya to file free applications for the eTA, which remains mandatory.

“We kindly inform our citizens that they can enter Kenya without any requirement for visa and its related payment, but the requirement to fill eTA form online before arrival, remains mandatory.”

Ethiopia is among the earliest countries to sign visa exemption pacts with Nairobi, with its agreements being in place for the last five decades. But while Kenyans only need valid passports to travel to Ethiopia, Ethiopians had been, for the last two months, required to pay US$30 for the eTA applied for at least 72 hours before arrival.

The system has generated complaints, especially from countries that routinely do not demand visas from Kenya. The new changes are part of ongoing consultations with foreign partners to improve it, a source told reporters on Wednesday but gave no timelines on when the review will be completed.

Immigration said applications for eTA will still be pegged 72 hours before arrival.

“An Issued eTA is valid for travel to Kenya within 90 days from the date of issue.”

However, it may face another question from critics who say the eTA application is not flexible, especially if one adjusts travel times or needs emergency travel.

As it is, East African Community member states will be exempt from applying for the eTA and can travel as long as they have valid passports or national identification.