The government has drafted rules and conditions to be met for persons using the Visa-Free entry into Kenya method that the President directed during Jamhuri Day Celebrations last month.
The draft has been dubbed The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Regulations, 2023, which directs that persons visiting Kenya must register on a portal to be established by the immigration director.
According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, any person intending to visit the country will be prescreened before their travel into the country using the Visa-Free method set to come up.
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“Each person intending to travel into the country shall apply to the director for an electronic travel authorisation through the electronic portal and have the authorisation before embarking (on their journey).”
Persons will be required to provide biographical information, travel itinerary, and “any other information relating to the application that the director may require upon request.
In addition, passengers will state their official travel document number, issuing state, document type, date of expiry, surname, nationality, date of birth, gender, seating information, baggage information, visa number, primary residence, destination address, place of birth, port of origin, port of clearance, passenger name record locator number or unique identifier.
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Aeroplanes and Carriers bringing persons into the country are required to ensure that their passengers have a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation failure to which a fine will be imposed on the carrier.
“Each carrier coming into the country shall not onboard a passenger who does not hold a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation. The captain in charge of a carrier shall ensure that each passenger on board the aircraft holds a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation.”
The carriers will be liable for any passenger who they will carry without an Electronic travel document by ensuring that they return the said passenger to his/her country of origin in line withbthe Visa-Free Entry Into Kenya regulations.
“The carrier shall return that passenger to his or her last port of call or country of origin. Airlines that violate the rule would be surcharged Sh200,000 for every non-compliant passenger.”
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However, Possession of an Electronic Travel Authorisation shall not constitute final authority to enter the country. Various airlines will be required to submit to the Immigration director ‘advance passenger information (API) and passenger name record (PNR)’ 24 hours before scheduled flight departure.
In addition to these regulations, the regulations indicate that those who provide erroneous, faulty or misleading data would be charged a penalty of US$10,000 (Sh1.6 million) each.