Mandatory Inbound Travel/Health Insurance For Kenya

Kenya's ETA application system has started stopping applicants who cannot show travel health coverage, steering them toward a $44 policy sold inside the portal itself. The change was observed on October 6, 2026 — six weeks after the High Court froze enforcement of the very rule behind it. The portal is at etakenya.go.ke.

What Applicants Now See

A test run by VisasUpdate on October 6 showed an application could not be finished unless insurance was detected. A screen headed "Mandatory Inbound Travel Health Insurance Requirement" appears just before the payment step, citing Gazette Notice No. 11492 from late July 2026.

Applicants without linked cover see a blunt message: "You do not have an existing travel insurance." Two buttons follow — "Search Status" for policies already on file, and "Get Now" to buy a new one.

The purchase page carries the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) logo. Applicant details carry over automatically, and with no matching policy the record reads "Insurance REF: None." The price quoted is $44 per traveler.

At checkout, a $1 access fee and a gateway fee are added. VisasUpdate's test produced a final charge of $52. There was no option to upload a foreign-issued policy at that stage.

The New Insurance Rule

STARTS: 6 October 2026.

WHO: Foreign visitors staying in Kenya for less than 12 months, arriving by air, land or water. Citizens of East African Community countries are exempt.

COST: US$44 per person. System and gateway charges are added at checkout, so the total you pay will be slightly higher.

WHERE: On the official eTA portal as part of your application, or in advance on the government's eCitizen insurance portal. Only government portals. Nowhere else.

YOUR CHECKLIST

Three Steps

1 · APPLY FOR YOUR ETA
Do it well before you fly, at etakenya.go.ke.

2 · BUY THE INSURANCE
Buy it during the application, or beforehand at insurance.ecitizen.go.ke. The two portals recognise each other. Budget US$44 for each traveller, children included.

3 · KEEP YOUR PROOF
No policy document is issued. Save your reference number and a screenshot of the “Valid” status, and carry a copy of your eTA.

Coverage Floors, Decoded

Gazette Notice No. 11492 sets a cumulative minimum of $50,000 in benefits:

Benefit

Minimum

Medical expenses

$20,000

Emergency medical transport

$25,000

Repatriation of remains

$5,000

Mental health treatment

$1,000

Prescribed medicines

$300

Cumulative minimum

$50,000

Two clarifications matter. The $50,000 is the coverage ceiling, not a premium. And insurers must be licensed under Kenya's Insurance Act, per the Kenya Law record.

Can You Use a Policy Bought at Home?

Standard international or home-country travel insurance policies are not accepted as a substitute by the portal system. You must obtain or link the prescribed Kenyan policy..

If Your ETA Is Already Approved

You do not need to reapply for a new eTA, but you must purchase the mandatory government inbound insurance separately before you travel. If youe eTA has already been approved before 6th October 2026, you can purchase the mandatory insurance using the below website link:

https://insurance.ecitizen.go.ke/dashboard

Quick Reference

Item Detail

Change observed: October 6, 2026

Premium shown: $44 per traveler

Test total: $52 (incl. $1 access + gateway fee)

Minimum cover: $50,000 cumulative

Suspension order: August 24, 2026

Reported ruling: October 6, 2026 (upheld scheme; text unpublished)

African nationals: Most exempt; EAC 6 months; Somalia/Libya ETA required

Portal: etakenya.go.ke

The Kenyan Government requires all non-Kenyan visitors traveling to the country for less than 12 months to hold valid inbound travel health insurance. Regulated under the Social Health Insurance Act, the policy must provide a minimum medical coverage of $50,000 (approx. 6.5 million Kenya Shillings) and be underwritten by an insurer licensed in Kenya.

The travel health insurance will be verified through the Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system or by immigration officers at the airport or border if the guests buy a policy upon arrival .