To extend your Kenya visa, you apply to extend your visitor’s pass through the government’s eFNS portal at fns.immigration.go.ke, then take the printed application and your passport to Nyayo House in Nairobi or a regional immigration office for the endorsement. The fee is USD 50, and your total stay in Kenya on a visitor’s pass cannot exceed six months from the day you entered.1Directorate of Immigration Services. Extension of Visitor’s Pass
What You’re Actually Extending
Kenya replaced its e-Visa with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) in January 2024. The eTA is what you apply for before traveling. Once you land, an immigration officer issues a visitor’s pass, and that pass, not the eTA, controls how long you can stay.2Kenya Embassy Washington D.C. Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
When people say “Kenya visa extension,” they mean extending the visitor’s pass. The eTA itself is not extended.
How Long You Can Stay
Under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012, a visitor’s pass allows you to stay for the period the immigration officer writes in at entry, and that period cannot exceed six months from your date of entry. Most travelers receive an initial 90 days. The regulations allow an officer to extend the pass one or more times, but the combined total still cannot go past six months.3Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, Stockholm. Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012 – Regulation 31
So if you were given 90 days at the airport, you can extend for up to another 90 days. That’s the ceiling. If you need to stay in Kenya longer than six months, a visitor’s pass is not the right document, and you’ll need a permit.
Documents You’ll Need
The Directorate of Immigration Services lists the following:1Directorate of Immigration Services. Extension of Visitor’s Pass
- A copy of your passport’s bio-data page
- The original visitor’s pass (the entry stamp or endorsement in your passport) and a copy
- A copy of any previous visa or eTA endorsement
- Documentation of any pending permit or pass application, if applicable
Once you complete the online form, the eFNS system produces a printout that you must sign before submitting it in person.4Department of Immigration Services. Visitor’s Pass Extension Application Information Pack
Applying Through the eFNS Portal
The application starts at the Electronic Foreign Nationals Services portal, fns.immigration.go.ke. Create an account with your email, then open the visitor’s pass extension application. The system generates Form 22 once you finish and submit the online section.1Directorate of Immigration Services. Extension of Visitor’s Pass
You upload digital scans of your passport bio-data page and your current visitor’s pass endorsement during the online step. Enter your details exactly the way they appear in your passport. Any mismatch is one of the more common reasons applications stall.
The process is not fully online. After completing the eFNS application, you print the generated forms and present them in person at Nyayo House in Nairobi or the nearest regional immigration office, bringing your original passport and all supporting documents.4Department of Immigration Services. Visitor’s Pass Extension Application Information Pack
If you’re on the coast or in a national park when your pass is running down, plan the trip to an immigration office into your schedule. There is no way around the in-person step.
Fee and Payment
The extension fee is USD 50, effective from March 2024. Before that date, extensions were free, which is why older forum posts and blog articles still describe the process as no-cost.
Payment goes through the eCitizen platform, which accepts Visa, Mastercard, and other debit cards.5eCitizen. How Do I Apply M-Pesa may also be available depending on the payment gateway when you apply. If you’re using an international card, check with your bank that transactions on Kenyan government portals won’t be flagged. Save the digital receipt; you’ll need it as proof the extension is in process.
Processing Time
Processing generally takes three to seven working days, though it varies with case volume and the office handling your file. You can check status through your eFNS dashboard, and notifications go to the email you registered.
If approved, the extension is stamped into your passport, which is why the in-person visit is required. Passport endorsements for permits and passes are handled on the ground floor at Nyayo House.6Directorate of Immigration Services. Permits and Passes Endorsement
If a week passes without word, go to the immigration office in person with your payment receipt and your passport. Do not sit and wait while your existing pass ticks down. An expired pass is a much worse problem than a slow application.
What Happens If You Overstay
Kenya’s overstay penalties are laid out in the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011, and the ten-day mark is the line that changes everything.
Overstays of ten days or fewer, caught at the airport as you leave, can be resolved on the spot: you sign a written admission and pay a fine of up to 50,000 Kenyan Shillings (roughly USD 385). If you refuse or can’t pay, the officer can start a criminal prosecution for unlawful presence.7European Country of Origin Information Network. The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 – Section 55
Beyond ten days, the on-the-spot option is gone. You face charges under Section 53, which carries fines of up to 500,000 Kenyan Shillings (roughly USD 3,850), up to three years’ imprisonment, or both.8European Country of Origin Information Network. The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 – Section 53
An overstay can also get you classified as a “prohibited immigrant” under the Act, with consequences that include deportation at your own expense, detention, and possible re-entry bans.9Directorate of Immigration Services. Prohibited Immigrants
File your extension well before your pass expires. Not the day of.
If Your Extension Is Denied
If the extension is refused, you must leave Kenya before your current visitor’s pass expires. There is no formal appeal built into the visitor’s pass system, so a denial ends that application.
Some travelers try leaving for Tanzania or Uganda for a short trip and re-entering to get a fresh visitor’s pass. Immigration officers have discretion at the border, and if the pattern looks like an attempt to work around the six-month limit, they can refuse entry. It sometimes works. It carries real risk. If you genuinely need to be in Kenya longer than six months, apply for a permit instead of gambling on a border reset.
When You Need a Permit Instead
The six-month ceiling on the visitor’s pass is firm. If your reason for being in Kenya requires more than that, you need a different immigration status.
The Class D employment permit is the standard route for someone with a job offer from a Kenyan employer. The employer must show they tried to fill the role locally, and you must have qualifications not readily available in the local labor market.10Directorate of Immigration Services. Class D Employment
The Class K residence permit is designed for retirees and people with independent income. You must be at least 35 and show an assured annual income of at least USD 24,000 from sources outside Kenya, such as pensions, rental income, dividends, or a foreign salary not paid by a Kenyan entity.
Both permits take much more paperwork and time than a visitor’s pass extension. If you think you’ll need one, start early.
You Cannot Work on a Visitor’s Pass
The visitor’s pass prohibits any form of employment, paid or unpaid, and any income-generating activity in Kenya without written permission from an immigration officer. The consequence is more serious than a fine: your visitor’s pass is automatically deemed expired from the date you started working, which means you become unlawfully present from that date even if the calendar date on the pass hasn’t yet arrived.3Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, Stockholm. Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012 – Regulation 31
Remote work for a foreign employer is not explicitly addressed in the regulations, but the language is broad. If you plan to work remotely during an extended stay, ask the immigration directorate for written clarification before relying on a visitor’s pass.