The East Africa Tourist Visa, or EATV, is a multiple-entry eVisa that was possible with a joint initiative by the Heads of States from Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Therefore, the EATV enables travelers to travel between these three countries with no entry limits, without the need to apply for separate eVisas for each.
It is important to note that once you leave any of the three countries to a fourth country in your itinerary (such as Tanzania, for example), the eVisa automatically expires.
Travelers often ask if it's worth applying for one. The answer will depend on your itinerary.
Common African itineraries, especially by tour operators, include Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, or Tanzania, and an individual application for Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda alone costs around 50 USD, so if your itinerary includes at least two of these countries, it makes more financial sense to apply for an EATV which has a total cost of 100 USD. Then all you need is to apply for the second eVisa for Tanzania or Zimbabwe, and you're all set.
Sherpa° currently offers the Kenyan East Africa Tourist Visa. If the itinerary starts in Rwanda or Uganda, it is possible to apply for an EATV through the respective eVisa portals, but the trip must be initiated in the country for which the application was first submitted. That means the traveler must arrive in Kenya if an EATV application was submitted to the Kenyan eVisa portal.
With that, make sure you know your itinerary before submitting your application to avoid needing to pay for a second application or having your eVisa suspended.
Before applying, make sure you:
- Have a passport that's valid for at least the next six months;
- Get a yellow fever vaccine certificate ahead of time: Even though it's not needed to enter Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda require the yellow fever vaccine certificate, so it's recommended to take it beforehand to avoid issues when traveling between the three countries.
EATV Validity: 3 months from issue date.
eVisa fees: 130 USD (101 USD govt fee + 29 USD sherpa° service fee)
Sources:
Embassy of The Republic of Kenya
