Monday, March 16, 2009

Travel Tip - You Need a Visa

There are lots of things to think about before you travel to a new country but the most important is the documentation you need to gain entry into the country. As with any international travel you need a passport. You also need a Visa ( and I don't mean the plastic kind) to allow you to stay in Kenya for a limited duration.

Before our family travelled we obtained our Visa through the Kenya High Commission to Canada, located in Ottawa. We went on the Kenya High Commission website, downloaded the application form, followed the directions for submitting the needed documentation and included our payment. Off it went and the next week, we had our passports back in hand with Visas stamped inside.

You can also obtain a Visa at the airport when you land in Nairobi. Simply stand in the right line, grab a form, fill it out and pay (you'll need cash). The cost for the Visa at the airport is about $20.00 less than if you obtain it here in Canada. But I can tell you, it was worth the extra money for our family. We arrived in Nairobi late at night, so we were ever so thankful to walk right up to the security desk with no one in our line for those holding Visas and be able to scoot on through to get our luggage and meet our new African family. The lineup for those needing to obtain a Visa was really long and our kids were so tired, I don't think they could have handled the wait.

The Kenya High Commission website is also filled with valuable information on Kenya that will be useful to you in your trip planning.

Check it out at http://www.kenyahighcommission.ca/.

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