Kenya Travel Insurance Requirements: The Mandatory eTA Health Cover

Quick Answer: Is Travel Insurance Mandatory for Kenya?

Yes. Since 5 October 2026, most non-Kenyans visiting for less than 12 months must hold travel health insurance that meets Kenya's US$50,000 benefit standard. The usual route is the Kenyan Government-provided policy bought during the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) application.

Whether a policy bought at home can be used instead is where official sources disagree. Kenya's High Court, in its 5 October 2026 judgment upholding the scheme, held that foreign travel insurance uploaded and verified through the eTA is valid. The UK government's travel advice still says that "foreign travel insurance policies are not accepted in place of this requirement."

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What the Law Says

The Act and the regulation

Section 26(6) of the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023 requires a non-Kenyan who intends to enter and stay in Kenya "for a period of less than twelve months" to hold travel health insurance cover "as may be designated by the Cabinet Secretary."

Regulation 70 of the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024 fills in the detail. The cover must:

• "cover the person's entire period of stay in Kenya", and
• provide benefits including personal accident, emergency medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, hospital benefits and prescription medicines.

Regulation 70(3) adds that a traveller "may obtain the travel health insurance cover at the point of entry in Kenya." Regulation 70(4) says the Social Health Authority itself will not provide the cover.

The Gazette notice

Gazette Notice No. 11492, published in the Kenya Gazette of 30 July 2026 and signed by Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale on 29 July, sets the minimum benefits. The cumulative limit "shall not be less than fifty thousand United States dollars (US$ 50,000)":

The five lines add up to US$51,300, a little above the US$50,000 headline floor. The notice says the insurance "shall be provided by insurers approved and licensed under the Insurance Act, Cap. 487", and contains no start date and no list of exemptions.

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Can You Use Your Own Travel Insurance?

This is the question the sources answer differently, so it is worth setting out exactly who says what.

The legal position, as confirmed by the court, is that a home-country policy meeting the US$50,000 benefit standard can satisfy the requirement if it is uploaded and verified through the eTA. The practical position, as described by the UK government, is that the Kenyan Government policy is the one that counts.

For a traveller, that means checking two things before relying on a home policy:

• The benefit lines. The policy has to meet each line of the Gazette schedule, including US$25,000 of emergency medical transportation and US$5,000 for repatriation of remains, not just a large overall limit.
• The eTA screen itself. If the application offers no way to upload and verify a policy, the government policy is the route that completes it.

That is a different model from the Schengen visa rule, where the €30,000 minimum is a standard that a qualifying policy from the traveller's own insurer can meet without a government channel.

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How the Requirement Is Checked

If you are applying for an eTA

GOV.UK says the insurance is bought during the eTA application. News reports of the live portal describe a step titled "Mandatory Inbound Travel Health Insurance Requirement" before payment.

If you already hold a valid eTA

GOV.UK directs these travellers to the eCitizen insurance portal (insurance.ecitizen.go.ke), which describes the cover as "tied to your eTA (for Non-African travellers to Kenya)".

At the point of entry

Regulation 70(3) allows cover to be obtained on arrival, and the Ministry of Health's memorandum refers to buying a compliant policy at the point of entry from a licensed insurer. In court, the government described the Immigration Department's role as verifying compliance with this entry condition, through the eTA or at points of entry.

How long it lasts

GOV.UK says the government policy is valid for 90 days and allows multiple entries. Regulation 70(2)(a) requires cover for the entire period of stay, so a visit longer than 90 days needs cover for the remainder.

No penalty for arriving without cover appears in the Act, the regulation, the Gazette notice or the judgment.

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Who Is Exempt

The Act applies to non-Kenyans staying less than 12 months, so Kenyan citizens are outside it by definition. According to the UK FCDO, the requirement also does not apply to:

• Holders of valid Kenyan residence status
• Citizens of East African Community partner states
• Transit passengers who do not pass through immigration control

The eCitizen portal's own wording ("for Non-African travellers") suggests that African nationals who do not need an eTA are outside the online purchase route. How they are expected to comply has not been published.

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Timeline

The court found the Gazette notice and the accompanying memorandum "properly issued and … valid in law", and ordered each side to bear its own costs. No appeal appeared on Kenya Law as of 21 October 2026.

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Kenya and Tanzania on the Same Trip

Safari itineraries often combine Kenya with Tanzania or Zanzibar, and each country now runs its own visitor insurance scheme:

• Kenya: the requirement described here, usually met through the eTA.
• Tanzania: Zanzibar's scheme through the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, and a mainland scheme in force from 1 October 2026.

Neither scheme has been reported to accept the other's policy. A traveller crossing between the two should expect to meet both.

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FAQ

Is travel insurance mandatory for Kenya?

Yes, for most non-Kenyans staying less than 12 months, since 5 October 2026. The cover must meet the US$50,000 benefit schedule in Gazette Notice No. 11492 and last for the whole stay.

Can I use my own travel insurance for Kenya?

Kenyan law says yes, if it meets the US$50,000 schedule and is uploaded and verified through the eTA; the High Court confirmed this on 5 October 2026. UK government advice still says foreign policies are not accepted, and the eTA portal has been reported to offer no upload option, so the government policy is the reliable route.

How much does Kenya's mandatory travel insurance cost?

About US$44 has been reported, roughly US$52 with access and payment fees. No official tariff was found on the government pages reviewed.

Was Kenya's travel insurance requirement suspended?

An interim conservatory order suspended enforcement after a petition dated 21 August 2026 was brought in the High Court. The High Court dismissed the petition on 5 October 2026, and the requirement is in force.

Can I buy the insurance when I arrive in Kenya?

Regulation 70(3) allows cover to be obtained at the point of entry, and the Ministry of Health's memorandum refers to buying a compliant policy there. Most visitors buy it with the eTA before travelling.

What does the minimum cover include?

At least US$50,000 in total: US$20,000 medical expenses, US$25,000 emergency medical transport, US$300 prescribed medicines, US$1,000 mental illness and US$5,000 repatriation of remains.

Do East Africans need the Kenya travel insurance?

No. UK government advice lists citizens of East African Community partner states as exempt, along with Kenyan citizens, Kenyan residents and airside transit passengers.

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Key Takeaways

• Mandatory since 5 October 2026 for most non-Kenyans staying under 12 months; the High Court dismissed the challenge the same day.
• The cover must meet five benefit lines totalling US$51,300 and last for the whole stay.
• The usual route is the government policy bought with the eTA; buying at the point of entry is also allowed under reg. 70(3).
• Home-country policies: valid under Kenyan law and the court ruling if they meet the schedule and are verified through the eTA, but UK government advice says they are not accepted.
• Kenya plus Tanzania means two separate schemes.

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Sources

• Social Health Insurance Act, 2023 (No. 16 of 2023), s. 26(6)
• Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024 (L.N. 49 of 2024), reg. 70 — Kenya Law
• Kenya Gazette Vol. CXXVIII No. 129 (30 July 2026), Gazette Notice No. 11492 — Kenya Law
• Mohammed & another v Ministry of Interior and National Administration & 4 others, Constitutional Petition E006 of 2026, [2026] KEHC 15080 (KLR) (5 October 2026)
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Kenya travel advice, Entry requirements
• Kenya Government eCitizen — Travel insurance portal

Last verified: 2026-10

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Important Disclaimer

This guide provides general information about insurance requirements based on publicly available sources as of the "Last verified" date above. It is not legal, insurance, or financial advice. Requirements, penalties, and statutes can change; individual circumstances vary. Always confirm current rules with your state's Department of Insurance or DMV, and consult a licensed insurance professional for advice specific to your situation.