With November begins the migration period, among which the migration of Italian tourists to Kenya finally returns in abundance. Many will be neophytes, i.e., first-time travelers to the African country, many others regular visitors and therefore more accustomed to some minor "hiccups" when going through the formalities of applying for a tourist visa, which for the past three years can only be done online. Here are the main problems encountered by our readers and how to try to overcome the related inconveniences.

1. VISA COST IS HIGHER THAN PROJECTED ($51).

First of all, make sure that the site where you are starting the online visa application is the only one accredited by the Kenyan Ministry of Home Affairs, immigration office. That is, evisa.go.ke

Other sites may be agencies and then charge a fee (which can range from 20 even to 100 euros) or scam sites, which promise to issue the visa and then disappear.

2. CREDIT CARD IS NOT ACCEPTED

The problem is not with the Kenyan immigration but with the Italian banks.
Let's explain further: the evisa.go.ke site is not considered secure under the latest European regulations on online payments. In this case, the only thing to do is to call your bank, explain what happened and get your credit card unblocked. The card will not be unblocked for all sites, so it will not become vulnerable in the face of possible fraud, but it is the Kenyan site that will be moved to the White List of http addresses deemed trustworthy for the purpose of an online transaction.

3. THE EVISA SITE DOES NOT OPEN

Often the evisa.go.ke site does not display. It is necessary to try again several times and usually after an average of ten times, the page appears. It may also happen that the page gives an error message, explaining that the server took too long to respond. Be patient, it is the African "pole pole" that, like a bug, has also affected websites.
Jokes aside, if it's really not what, try logging in with a different browser, if you have Google Chrome use Internet Explorer or Mozilla and vice versa.

4. I GET THE PAYMENT RECEIPT, BUT NOT THE VISA.

It is often a matter of time, but if in case the visa does not arrive online before departure, go with the visa payment receipt to the airport and you will be boarded. Because in any case if the requirements for obtaining a tourist visa for Kenya are not fully completed, you will get back the form to complete or amend accordingly and not the payment receipt.

5. HOW LONG BEFORE I LEAVE CAN I APPLY FOR THE VISA?

A tourist visa for Kenya can be made a maximum of 90 days before departure, after which it expires. Important, however, to already have your airline ticket or reservation that you can attach to your application. However, the date of entry into Kenya and not the date of issuance of the online visa will count.