Russia is in the process of negotiating with Kenya to relax the visa requirements, press secretary Sergey Fomenko of the Russian Embassy in Nairobi said.
“The issue of further easing the visa regime for entry into Kenya is being studied,” he stated, noting that since January, all foreigners entering Kenya are required to undergo paid electronic authentication, which is not formally a visa.
Earlier, the Russian Ambassador to Nairobi, Dmitry Maksimychev, said in an interview with Russian media that the number of Russian tourists choosing Kenya as a vacation destination is increasing; in the first half of 2023, their number increased by 40%.
At the same time, the ambassador clarified that despite the adoption by the authorities of the African country of certain measures to simplify the entry procedure, in reality, the abolition of visas did not occur.
Kenya has introduced an Electronic Travel Authorization system that substitutes traditional visas with a simplified online application procedure. The new process charges a nominal $30 processing fee, guaranteeing effortless entry for international passengers for a period of 90 days.