Kenya Mandatory Travel Insurance for Visitors (2026)
By Africa Unpacked Team · Updated 2026-10-10
Kenya now requires visitors to hold inbound travel health insurance. Since 6 October 2026 the ETA portal will not finish an application without a Kenyan policy, sold for $44 plus fees (about $52) at etakenya.go.ke or insurance.ecitizen.go.ke. It must provide at least $50,000 of cover. East African Community citizens are exempt.
If you are applying for a Kenya ETA this month, you will hit a new step: the portal now asks for inbound travel health insurance and will not let you finish without it. The rule comes from a gazette notice issued by Kenya's Ministry of Health in July 2026, survived a court challenge in October, and is now enforced through the ETA system. This guide explains what the law requires, what the $44 policy covers, how to buy it, who is exempt, and the questions that are still unresolved. We checked every fact against official notices and Kenyan news reports published up to 10 October 2026, and we will update this page as the rules settle.
What Changed and When
Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary published Gazette Notice No. 11492 on 30 July 2026 under the Social Health Insurance Act 2023. It says every non-Kenyan entering the country for less than 12 months must hold inbound travel health insurance that meets a set of minimum benefits. The High Court in Marsabit suspended the notice on 24 August 2026 while it heard a challenge, then dismissed that challenge on 7 October 2026 and held the notice lawful. In practice the change reached travellers a day earlier: from 6 October 2026 the official ETA portal stopped completing applications that had no qualifying cover attached, and offered a Kenyan policy for sale inside the application. A second challenge, brought by the Consumers Federation of Kenya at the Milimani High Court, had no reported outcome when we last checked.
The Minimum Cover the Law Requires
The gazette notice does not create one government product. It sets minimum benefits that any qualifying policy must provide, adding up to at least $50,000 per traveller. The policy sold through the ETA portal is built to meet these limits. It does not include luggage, trip cancellation or adventure activities, so it is a health and evacuation safety net rather than full travel insurance.
Medical expenses
Emergency treatment in Kenya for illness or injury.
- Minimum
- $20,000
Emergency medical transport
Evacuation by road or air to a suitable hospital, which matters on safari where the nearest good hospital can be hours away.
- Minimum
- $25,000
Repatriation of remains
Returning a traveller's body home if the worst happens.
- Minimum
- $5,000
Mental illness
Treatment for an acute mental health episode during the trip.
- Minimum
- $1,000
Prescribed medicines
Medication prescribed for a condition treated in Kenya.
- Minimum
- $300
How to Buy It
Most travellers will buy the policy as part of the ETA application, and the cost per traveller comes to roughly $52 once fees are added. Since early October you can also buy it on its own through Kenya's eCitizen insurance service, and the policy then links to your ETA. The gazette notice also allows purchase at the point of entry, but arriving without cover is a risk we would not take, because the ETA itself cannot be completed without it. Use only the official .go.ke websites. Plenty of third-party sites sell Kenya ETAs at a markup, and some now bundle insurance too.
Through the ETA application
Apply at etakenya.go.ke. When the portal finds no qualifying cover, it offers the Kenyan policy before you can submit.
- Premium
- $44
- Access fee
- $1
- Approximate total
- $52 with payment fees
Separately on eCitizen
Buy the Inbound Travel Health Insurance product at insurance.ecitizen.go.ke, then apply for or update your ETA.
- Best for
- Group organisers buying for several travellers
Does Your Own Travel Insurance Count?
This is the least settled part of the rule. In August the Ministry of Health said policies from your home country that meet the minimum benefits would be accepted, and Kenyan press coverage of the October ruling repeated that. Against it, a legal analysis of the gazette notice by an international law firm reads it as requiring a Kenya-licensed insurer, and the ETA portal currently has no way to upload a foreign policy. Our practical advice for now: budget for the Kenyan policy, and keep your own comprehensive travel insurance as well. The Kenyan policy does not cover cancellation, lost luggage, delayed flights or higher medical bills above its limits, and private hospitals in Nairobi can exceed $20,000 quickly for serious cases.
Who Is Exempt
Citizens of East African Community countries are exempt, and they also do not need an ETA. The rule applies to non-Kenyans staying less than 12 months, so residents and long-stay permit holders fall outside it. The eCitizen service describes the product as tied to the ETA for non-African travellers, and most African nationals no longer need an ETA, but we have not found an official statement on how those travellers are checked at the border. We also found no confirmed exemption or child rate for minors, transit passengers or ship crews, so assume children need cover until Kenya says otherwise.
Combining Kenya With Tanzania or Zanzibar
Tanzania introduced its own compulsory visitor insurance on 1 October 2026, and neither country's policy covers the other. A typical Masai Mara and Serengeti trip, or a Kenya safari ending on a Zanzibar beach, now needs both: about $52 for Kenya and $44 for Tanzania per adult, close to $96 in total. One Tanzanian policy covers both the mainland and Zanzibar. Our guide to Tanzania's mandatory travel insurance explains that side of the trip.
What Is Still Unclear
Several details had not been settled when we last updated this page on 10 October 2026. Validity is reported as three months by some sources and one year with repeat trips by others. It is not clear whether a compliant foreign policy will ever be accepted through the portal. The outcome of the second court case is unknown, as is how the rule is applied at land borders such as Namanga and Isebania for travellers arriving by road from Tanzania. If any of these matter for your trip, check the eCitizen service shortly before you apply.
Sources
Kenya Gazette Notice No. 11492 of 30 July 2026 as summarised by Clyde and Co (5 August 2026) and the Daily Nation (7 October 2026); Kenyans.co.ke on the 24 August suspension and the Consumers Federation of Kenya petition; VisasNews (6 and 7 October 2026), Fragomen (9 October 2026) and Travel Codex (9 October 2026) on the ETA portal change and pricing; Kenya's eCitizen insurance service page.
Key Takeaways
- Since 6 October 2026 the Kenya ETA portal will not complete an application without inbound travel health insurance.
- The Kenyan policy costs $44 plus fees, about $52 per traveller, at etakenya.go.ke or insurance.ecitizen.go.ke.
- Any qualifying policy must provide at least $50,000 of cover, including $20,000 medical and $25,000 evacuation.
- Whether your own insurance counts is unresolved in law, and the portal currently has no way to upload it.
- Keep your own travel insurance too: the Kenyan policy does not cover cancellation, luggage or costs above its limits.
- A Kenya and Tanzania trip now needs both countries' policies, close to $96 per adult.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is travel insurance mandatory for Kenya?
Yes. Under Gazette Notice No. 11492, non-Kenyans visiting for less than 12 months must hold inbound travel health insurance with at least $50,000 of cover, and since 6 October 2026 the ETA portal enforces it by refusing to complete applications without cover.
How much is Kenya's mandatory travel insurance?
The policy sold through the ETA portal costs $44, plus a $1 access fee and payment fees, which comes to about $52 per traveller.
Can I use my own travel insurance for the Kenya ETA?
Officially this is unclear. The Ministry of Health said compliant foreign policies would be accepted, but the ETA portal has no upload option, so in practice applicants are buying the Kenyan policy. Keep your own insurance as well for cover the Kenyan policy does not provide.
Who is exempt from Kenya's visitor insurance?
East African Community citizens are exempt, and residents staying longer than 12 months fall outside the rule. We have not found confirmed exemptions for children, transit passengers or crew.
Do I need separate insurance for Tanzania if I visit both countries?
Yes. Tanzania has required its own $44 visitor policy since 1 October 2026, and it does not accept Kenya's. A trip to both countries costs close to $96 per adult in mandatory insurance.