Kenya adds Ghana to Electronic Travel Authorization exemption list

In January this year Kenya introduced what it calls a ‘visa-free’ regime for all countries travelling to that country. However, visitors were required to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), pay $35 online and get approval before they travel to Kenya. The request takes 72 hours to get approval.

There has been an uproar as Kenya has bundled all countries including countries it has had visa-free regimes with like Ghana for decades. Before the introduction of the new system, Ghanaians only needed their passports to enter Kenya and then they are given an entry stamp at the airport. But with the new ‘visa-free’ system, Ghanaians were required to apply for the permit and pay for it.

Soon after the introduction of the system, Kenya gave a waiver to some countries. They were South Africa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, Mozambique, and members of the East African Community (EAC) regional bloc. San Marino, Europe’s third-smallest nation, was the only other country on the exemption list.
While Kenya waived the payment of the fee, travellers from these countries were still required to apply for the ETA and receive approval before they travel. The permit is valid for 90 days.

In addition to Ghana, the other countries added to the exemption list include Boswana, Eswatini, The Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. With this new list, the number of exempt countries adds up to 18.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Eliphas Barine, had said in March that Kenya would exempt Ghana from paying the fee. However, travellers would still have to apply for the permit online and wait for approval before they travel.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi