Short answer: Kenyan citizens holding an ordinary passport don’t need a visa to visit South Africa for up to 90 days per year. Kenyan diplomatic, official, and service passport holders are also exempt for up to 90 days. The details below matter, especially if you travel often or your trip isn’t a simple holiday.

Check before you travel. Visa rules change, and exemptions can be withdrawn. Confirm the current position with the South African Department of Home Affairs or the South African High Commission in Nairobi before booking a flight. Link to the official website: https://dirco.gov.za/uk/visa-countries-waivers/

Quick reference

PASSPORT TYPE	VISA NEEDED?	ALLOWED STAY
KENYAN ORDINARY PASSPORT	NO	90 DAYS PER YEAR
KENYAN DIPLOMATIC, OFFICIAL SERVICE PASSPORT	NO	90DAYS
KENYAN CIVIL SERVANT ON AN ORDINARY PASSPORT, TRAVELING ON OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS	NO	90DAYS

What Kenyan Travellers Should Carry

NOTE! Keep these in your hand luggage, not in checked bags. Airlines check them at check-in, before you board.

Yellow fever card (required if you’re coming from Kenya)

This one catches many Kenyan travellers out.

• Proof of vaccination is required for travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, including layovers of more than 12 hours. To my knowledge, Kenya is on the WHO list of yellow fever risk countries, so you should expect to be asked for the card when flying from Nairobi or Mombasa.
• Carry the original yellow card (International Certificate of Vaccination), not a photo.
• Get vaccinated early. The vaccine takes about 10 days to take effect. They are not strict with this, but beware.
• If you lose your card, ask the clinic that vaccinated you for a replacement before you travel.

3. Proof of your trip (recommended)

These aren’t in the visa requirements, but officers may ask about your plans, so having them ready avoids delays

1. A hotel booking or an invitation letter from your host
2. A return or onward ticket
3. A conference registration, meeting letter or business invitation, if you’re travelling for work
4. If you’re travelling on government business(Letters or documents confirming your official status or the purpose of your trip, for diplomatic, official and service passport holders, and for civil servants on ordinary passports.
5. If you’re travelling with children(South Africa has special requirements for children aged 17 and under. Check the Home Affairs website for the current list. Parents usually need the child’s unabridged birth certificate and written consent from any parent not travelling.
6. Cash: check the limit on https://www.sars.gov.za/. Advice says you must declare cash when you enter South Africa.

Plan Your Trip: Flights, Stays and Smart Booking

Flights

• Non-stop from Nairobi: Kenya Airways and Airlink both fly non-stop from Jomo Kenyatta International to Johannesburg, with a flight time of about 4 hours 15 minutes. I admit it felt more like 5hours; you can watch a good movie or read a book. I used Kenya Airways. (I can help with booking)
• Budget option: One-stop routes, such as Ethiopian Airlines via another African city, can cost less. The trade-off is a longer journey.
• Early bird: Airlink’s daily Nairobi-Johannesburg flight leaves Nairobi at 06:30 and lands in Johannesburg at 09:40, so you start the day there. Check the current schedule, since airlines change times.
• Compare first: Use a flight comparison site like Expedia, etc. Then check the airline’s own site before you pay.
• There’s another route: using a bus from Tanzania, long and tedious yet adventurous, if you plan backpacking solo or with friends; the main buses go from Nairobi → Dar es Salaam → Lusaka → Johannesburg → Cape Town. Note on border crossing: they check passports, so do your due deligence before choosing this route.

Hotels or Airbnb?

• Airbnb: This is a personal preference; I personally stayed in an Airbnb. Please don’t forget to check the reviews and the common amenities in the area you choose. Airbnbs in Cape Town are a good choice if you plan to stay longer and move around as you travel, visiting different sites.
• Hotel: You can book hotels on Booking.com; check for hotels that allow free cancellation in case your travel plans change!
• Keep screenshots or PDFs on your phone and a printed copy in your hand luggage.
• It’s easy to access a Taxi outside the Airport(but they overcharge); I recommend using an Uber or, for more convenience, hotel pickup services.

Travelling to South Africa as a Kenyan is simpler than many people think. Ordinary passport holders can visit without a visa for up to 90 days per year. Just make sure you have a valid passport with 2 blank pages, your original yellow fever card, and a simple plan for your trip.

Rules can change, so take five minutes before you fly to confirm the latest requirements with the South African Department of Home Affairs or the South African High Commission in Nairobi.

Have you travelled to South Africa from Kenya? Share your experience in the comments. Your tips could save another traveller a lot of stress. Know someone planning a trip? Send them this post!

Safe travels!

OTHER COUNTRIES EXEMPT FROM VISA APPLICATION

A = Visa-free, broad exemption. The schedule doesn’t state the stay length
[CONFIRM ON OFFICIAL WEBSITE]
B = Visa-free for 30 days or less, plus transit.
C = Diplomatic, official, and service passports only, for the days shown.

Africa

• Group A
• Angola: ordinary passports, 90 days per year, each visit max 30 days
• Botswana
• Ghana: ordinary passports, 90 days per year
• Kenya: ordinary passports, 90 days per year
• Madagascar: ordinary passports, 90 days per year
• Namibia: ordinary passports only, 90 days per year
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Seychelles: ordinary passports, 90 days per year
• Sierra Leone: diplomatic, official and service passports, 90 days per year
• Tanzania: 90 days per year
• Tunisia
• Zambia: 90 days per year
• Zimbabwe

• Group B (30 days or less)
• Benin
• Cape Verde
• Eswatini
• Gabon
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique

• Group C (diplomatic, official, service)
• 120 days: none
• 90 days: Angola, Comoros, DR Congo (official visits only), Ethiopia (diplomatic and official/service), Ghana, Guinea, Kenya (includes civil servants on ordinary passports on government business), Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger (diplomatic and official only), Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia (also special passports), Uganda
• 30 days: Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles

Europe: EU countries

• Group A
• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany: diplomats taking up duty at German missions in South Africa need an accreditation visa
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden

• Group B (30 days or less)
• Cyprus (ordinary passports only)
• Hungary (ordinary passports only)
• Poland (ordinary passports only)

• Group C (diplomatic, official, service)
• 120 days: Hungary
• 90 days: Benelux states, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic

Europe: non-EU

• Group A
• Andorra
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• Norway
• Russian Federation
• San Marino
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• Group C
• 120 days: Albania
• 90 days: Belarus

• UK Islands and British Overseas Territories (all Group A)
• Guernsey, Jersey and Isle of Man
• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Antarctic Territory
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Montserrat
• St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island, Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha)
• Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
• Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus
• South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
• Turks and Caicos Islands

Asia

• Group A
• Japan
• Malaysia: diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports
• Singapore

• Group B (30 days or less)
• Hong Kong SAR of China
• Macau (Macau SAR passport holders only)
• Maldives
• Republic of Korea (South Korea)
• Thailand (ordinary passports only)

• Group C (diplomatic, official, service)
• 90 days: India, Thailand, Vietnam
• 30 days: China (PRC), Indonesia

Middle East

Australia and New Zealand

• Group A
• Australia: diplomats due for accreditation in South Africa must apply for a port of entry visa before travel
• New Zealand

America

• Group A
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Ecuador
• Jamaica
• Panama
• Paraguay
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago (ordinary passports only)
• United States of America: diplomats taking up duty at US missions in South Africa need an accreditation visa
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

• Group B (30 days or less)
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas (ordinary passports only)
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bolivia
• Costa Rica
• Guyana
• Peru

• Group C (diplomatic, official, service)
• 120 days: Paraguay
• 90 days: Cuba, Mexico

This post is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Always confirm current requirements with official sources before you travel. Last updated: 2024-03-11