Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorisation can only be obtained through one official site: etakenya.go.ke. Dozens of fraudulent websites — some charging $50–150 more than the real fee, some copying the government’s branding closely enough to fool careful travelers — now rank in search results alongside it. Applying through any of them risks denial at the official system, wasted money, or arriving at the airport without a valid eTA at all.
This is one of the newer, more aggressively documented scams affecting Kenya travel, and it’s worth taking seriously precisely because it’s easy to get right — if you know the one rule.
The only rule that matters: one official domain
The Kenyan government’s eTA system operates through a single official portal: etakenya.go.ke. That’s it. Every legitimate application goes through that domain. Kenyan embassies worldwide have issued direct warnings naming specific fraudulent sites — including domains built to closely resemble the real one — and confirming that applications submitted through third-party websites are automatically denied and may result in financial loss.
How the fake sites actually work
These aren’t crude scams. Reported fraudulent eTA sites have been documented copying the real portal’s layout, wording, and visual branding closely enough — in some cases even replicating the “.go.ke”-style appearance — that travelers researching “Kenya eTA” in good faith land on them without realizing anything is wrong. Some go further, including references and imagery designed to look official. The pattern: they rank well in search results (sometimes above the genuine site), charge a marked-up fee — commonly $50 to $150 more per person above the real cost — and either forward the application to the real system anyway (at your expense) or simply take the payment and provide nothing at all.
What this actually costs travelers
Beyond the direct overcharge — which can add up meaningfully for a family or group booking multiple eTAs — the bigger risk is a denied or invalid application discovered too late to fix before travel. An eTA submitted through an unofficial channel can be automatically rejected by the real government system, leaving a traveler without valid authorization to board their flight, sometimes without realizing it until check-in.
How to apply correctly, step by step
- Go directly to etakenya.go.ke — type it manually rather than clicking a search result or a link from an email or ad.
- Confirm the URL exactly before entering any information — fraudulent sites have used near-identical domains designed to be mistaken for the real one at a glance.
- Apply at least three working days before travel — this is the standard processing time cited by Kenyan embassies, though it can vary by nationality and eTA type.
- Pay only by card, directly on the official site — the standard fee is fixed and published; if a site quotes a noticeably higher figure, that’s a signal to stop and verify.
- Save the confirmation and downloaded eTA document — you’ll need to present it, and having it saved offline (not just in an email you might not have signal to access) is good practice for arrival.
What to do if you’re not sure a site is legitimate
Kenyan embassies have published specific warnings about individual fraudulent domains and continue to update them as new ones appear. If you have any doubt about a site you’ve landed on, don’t enter payment details — instead, navigate away and go directly to etakenya.go.ke by typing it in yourself, or check your nearest Kenyan embassy’s website for their current eTA guidance and any active fraud warnings.
FAQ
What is the only official website for the Kenya eTA? etakenya.go.ke. No other site is authorized to process Kenya eTA applications, and Kenyan embassies have explicitly warned that third-party applications may be denied.
How much does the Kenya eTA actually cost? The government-set fee is fixed and published on the official portal. Fraudulent sites have been documented charging $50–150 more per applicant than the real cost.
Can I get a Kenya eTA on arrival if my application was rejected? No. As of the current system, the eTA must be secured before travel — it is required to board your flight, and it is not available on arrival in Nairobi or Mombasa.
Related reading
- The Hidden Costs That Blow Kenya Safari Budgets — where the eTA fee fits into your real pre-trip budget.
- The Kenya Malaria Mistake That Sends Tourists Home Early — another pre-departure step worth locking in early, not at the last minute.
This is part of Nova Expedition’s Safari Planning Framework — the documented set of failure points behind every stage of booking a Kenya safari, and how we plan around each one before it reaches a guest.