Kenya’s Department of Immigration Services has informed it national carrier, Kenya Airways that effective 1st January 2021, it will commence 100% E-visa implementation in the country.
In a statement by the agency, it said guests who are not visa-exempted must apply online for a Kenya eVisa before boarding a flight to the country and hold a printed copy of the e-Visa on arrival to present at Immigrations.
According to kenyanwallstreet.com, the immigration department says that visitors will use a newly developed online system for visa application, payment, and issuance. The deputy director Immigration Department, Alicent Odipo, lauds the new system as one that will streamline the issuance of visas to foreign nationals jetting into the country.
In this case, the applicant receives an e-visa completion on their email that will be printed and endorsed in the passport at the port of arrival. This implies that foreigners need not visit Kenyan embassies or consulates in their country for visa applications.
Odipo added that the e-Visa will be obtained through the agency’s website.
The move is in line with the government’s goal to switch to e-services to enhance efficiency and security. There have also been calls to migrate to the e-passport by March 2021 when Kenyans will replace their old passports with the East African Community biometric e-passport.
