Planning to Visit Kenya from US? Here is What You Need to Know before Traveling

On August 1st, Kenya reopened its airspace following a four-month shutdown occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. This paved the way for the resumption of international flights to and from the country to various global destinations.

Kenya has since exempted travelers from 147 countries from undertaking 14-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival in the country.

Kenya’s Transport Ministry in collaboration with the Health Ministry adopted protocols aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19 to those traveling to and out of the country.

If you are planning to travel from the US to Kenya, here is what you need to know before embarking on the trip.

Travelers from the US are not subjected to 14-day quarantine in Kenya except those originating from the states of California, Florida, and Texas, which are deemed Covid-19 high-risk areas.

Travelers from the rest of the US are required to carry a PCR-based Covid-19 negative test which must be done within 96 hours of arrival, and a certificate issued to this effect. Travelers are also issued with a Passenger Locator Card (PLC) during the flight or at the airport terminal to facilitate contact tracing in case one of the passengers tests positive for Covid-19 and is symptomatic.

In addition, passengers must have a body temperature of below 37.5°C to be granted entry into Kenya and show no coronavirus-like symptoms including persistent coughs, and difficulties in breathing.

Once they land in Kenya, travelers are also required to fill in their details in the Port Health form or through the Jitenge MoH Kenya app to aid contact tracing in case of an emergency.

Data released by the Tourism Ministry this week shows that out of the 14,049 international arrivals in Kenya since the resumption of international flights on August 1st, the US had the highest number with 2,768.

The number of visitors arriving from the US is expected to spike once Kenya Airways resumes direct flights to New York in October.