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JKIA Arrival Checklist

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JKIA Arrival Checklist

The landing sequence at Jomo Kenyatta International in order — documents, Port Health and customs, cash, SIM, the ride into town and your safari connection — with 2026 fees and fares from official sources.

Verified September 2026

JKIA is a busy, mostly straightforward airport that punishes people who arrive unprepared: an eTA that was never printed, a yellow fever card buried in checked luggage, a duty-free bag that gets confiscated, no shillings for the taxi and no local number for the ride-hail app. This checklist runs in the order things actually happen, from the documents you need before boarding to the Expressway toll on the way to your hotel, with the 2026 fees and fares taken from the eTA portal, Port Health, KRA customs, the Expressway gazette, Safaricom and KWS. Tick it off on the plane and the whole hall takes an hour even at the late-evening peak.

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Kenya eTA approved and saved as a PDF and in the appKenya tip

USD 30, non-refundable, plus the card fee. Apply at least 3 working days ahead on etakenya.go.ke only; the FCDO advises two weeks. Enter Kenya within 90 days of issue. Every traveller under 18 needs one, filed by a parent.

Passport valid for 6 months beyond arrival with 2 blank pages

Airlines enforce this at check-in.

Yellow fever certificate if you have been in, or transited, an endemic countryKenya tip

Checked by Port Health before immigration, including for transit through Kenya's neighbours. Port Health at JKIA is open 24 hours and can vaccinate on the spot, but the certificate is only valid from 10 days after the jab.

Hotel booking on your phone or printedKenya tip

The eTA application already asks for it; immigration can ask again.

Proof of travel insuranceKenya tip

The USD 50,000 mandatory visitor insurance gazetted in July 2026 was suspended by the High Court on 24 August 2026 with a hearing set for 16 September. Carry proof regardless; check the status before you fly.

Check the exemption list if you hold an African or EAC passportKenya tip

EAC citizens get 180 days visa-free. Since 14 July 2025 most other African nationals (except Somalia and Libya) and most Caribbean states enter for 60 or 90 days without an eTA.

Port Health desk first, then immigration; keep the eTA QR code readyKenya tip

Expect 30–90 minutes at the 21:00–02:00 arrival peak. JKIA handled 8.9 million passengers in 2025 against a 7.5 million design capacity.

Report lost or delayed bags at the airline desk before leaving the hall

Kenya Airways baggage desk: +254 20 327 4747. Claims are much harder once you are landside.

Use the green channel if you are within the duty-free limitsKenya tip

1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine, 250 g tobacco, 0.5 litre perfume, USD 500 of goods. Declare cash of USD 10,000 or more.

Take everything out of plastic carrier bags, including duty-free bagsKenya tip

Kenya's plastic-bag ban is enforced at the NEMA point in arrivals; bags are surrendered.

Drone? Only with a KCAA permit arranged before you flyKenya tip

Temporary permit KES 20,000 for 30 days, import permit KES 3,000. Parks charge non-residents USD 300 per drone per day on top.

Withdraw shillings at an Equity or KCB ATM in arrivalsKenya tip

Withdrawal limits are around KES 40,000 per transaction. You will need small notes for tips, tuk-tuks and water.

Change only a small amount at the airport bureausKenya tip

Rates are 3–5 percent worse than city banks and bureaus.

Carry crisp, unmarked USD notes from the 2013 series or newerKenya tip

Bureaus and camps reject older or marked USD 50 and 100 bills. Keep USD 20–30 in small notes for tips.

Takes about ten minutes. Most park fees, museums and many taxis now expect M-Pesa or card, not cash.

Buy a Safaricom SIM at the Terminal 1A shop with your passportKenya tip

KES 100 for the SIM; the shop is by the baggage-claim exit and open 06:00–00:00. Registration is mandatory and needs the physical passport.

Load a Jambo Tourist Bundle via *444#Kenya tip

KES 2,000 for 12 GB plus 400 minutes, KES 3,000 for 25 GB, KES 4,000 for 39 GB (Safaricom FAQ, July 2026).

Prefer an eSIM? Safaricom sells a QR eSIM in-shop for KES 250, or buy a travel eSIM before departureKenya tip

Airtel also has an arrivals kiosk; its 2026 bundle prices could not be verified.

Join JKIA_Free_WiFi to request your ride before you walk out

Book Uber, Bolt or Little Cab from inside the terminal and meet the driver at the marked ride-hail car park

Typical fares: CBD KES 1,800–3,000, Karen KES 2,500–4,500. Ride-hail needs a Kenyan number for some drivers to call you, another reason to buy the SIM first.

Or use the KAA taxi desk outside Terminal 1AKenya tip

Fixed rates: CBD KES 2,000–2,500, Westlands KES 2,500–3,000, Karen KES 3,000–3,500. Pay at the desk, not the driver.

Ask the driver to take the Nairobi ExpresswayKenya tip

Tolls are fixed by gazette: JKIA to Westlands KES 410, JKIA to the CBD (Haile Selassie) KES 330, maximum KES 500. About 15–20 minutes to Westlands off-peak; a driver quoting more is padding.

Connecting to a Wilson Airport safari flight? Avoid 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00 and allow 3–4 hoursKenya tip

Wilson is 30–45 minutes away off-peak and well over an hour in rush hour. Bush flights close check-in early.

Ignore touts and 'helpers' in the arrivals hallKenya tip

Anyone approaching you inside the hall offering a taxi, SIM or help with bags is not official.

Route 34 Citi Hoppa bus to the CBD (KES 100) only with light luggage in daylightKenya tip

Repack into soft bags of 15 kg or less for Wilson bush flightsKenya tip

Safarilink and AirKenya enforce 15 kg soft-sided luggage. Most Nairobi hotels store hard cases.

Pre-pay park fees on KWSPay with card or M-PesaKenya tip

KWS gates have not taken cash since 1 November 2025. Nairobi National Park is USD 80 and Amboseli USD 90 per non-resident adult.

Keep the KWSPay e-ticket PDF or QR code on your phoneKenya tip

Gate connectivity is patchy; screenshots work.

Save the emergency numbers: 999, 112 or 911 for police and ambulance, 1199 for Red Cross ambulanceKenya tip

Enrol in your country's traveller register (STEP or equivalent)

Buy bottled water and confirm your hotel Wi-Fi and M-Pesa top-up work

Re-check the visitor insurance rule after the 16 September 2026 court dateKenya tip

The mandate could be reinstated with a different wording.

Pro Tips

Apply for the eTA the day you book flights. Standard processing is three working days but the UK FCDO advises allowing two weeks, and applications through look-alike third-party sites are automatically denied and non-refundable.
Source: Kenya eTA portal text (via the Kenya Embassy Japan mirror) and UK FCDO Kenya entry requirements, accessed 7 Sep 2026
Late-evening arrivals between 21:00 and 02:00 hit the worst immigration queues. Fill in everything on the plane, keep the eTA QR code open, and if you have a long onward wait a Kenya Airways paid lounge is about USD 40 for three hours.
Source: The Kenya Times report on JKIA processing delays; Kenya Airways lounge services page
Get your SIM registered before you leave the hall. The Safaricom shop sits by the baggage-claim exit in Terminal 1A and is open 06:00 to midnight, so you can request a ride from inside the terminal instead of negotiating outside.
Source: jkiairport.com SIM card guide; Too Many Adapters Kenya SIM guide 2026
Expressway tolls are fixed by gazette. JKIA to Westlands is KES 410 and JKIA to the CBD at Haile Selassie is KES 330 for a saloon car. A driver quoting more is padding the fare.
Source: Kenya Gazette Notice No. 17419, Nairobi Expressway base toll rates, effective 1 Jan 2024
Kenyan bureaus reject pre-2013 or marked US dollar notes. Bring crisp 2013-series-or-newer USD 50 and 100 bills for exchanging and keep USD 20–30 in small notes for tips.
Source: Valley Safaris guide to US dollar note condition in Kenya
Drones need a KCAA temporary permit arranged before you fly, KES 20,000 for 30 days, and national parks charge non-residents USD 300 per drone per day on top.
Source: KCAA UAS charges schedule; KWS Conservation Fees 2025 tariff sheet
All KWS park fees are paid online through KWSPay and gates take no cash. Set up the account on hotel Wi-Fi the first evening rather than at a gate with no signal.
Source: allAfrica, KWS shifts to KWSPay, 4 Nov 2025; Kambu Campers KWS fees 2026 note

Common Mistakes

Arriving with duty-free purchases in plastic carrier bags: they are confiscated at the NEMA point in arrivals.
Assuming children are exempt from the eTA. Every traveller under 18 needs one, filed by a parent; the 'under-16 free' claims online contradict the portal text.
Booking an eTA through a look-alike website. It is automatically denied and the fee is not refunded.
Following a 'taxi' tout out of the hall instead of using the KAA desk outside 1A or the app pickup zone.
Transiting through Kenya to Tanzania without a yellow fever certificate. Tanzania treats Kenya as a risk country and checks on arrival.
Timing a same-day Wilson Airport safari flight too tightly. Rush-hour transfers from JKIA exceed an hour and bush flights close check-in early.
Bringing hard suitcases or more than 15 kg for a bush flight. Safarilink and AirKenya enforce soft bags at 15 kg.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to print my Kenya eTA?

A digital copy on your phone is accepted, but keep the PDF saved offline and a printout in your hand luggage: the arrivals hall Wi-Fi is unreliable and airlines may ask to see it at check-in. The eTA costs USD 30, takes three working days, and you must enter within 90 days of issue.

Which terminal will I arrive at?

International arrivals use Terminal 1E, which is where Port Health, immigration, customs, the ATMs and the Safaricom shop entrance are. Sources disagree on which airlines use 1A, 1B and 1C for departures, so check your boarding pass rather than a list.

How much is a taxi from JKIA?

The KAA taxi desk outside Terminal 1A charges fixed rates: about KES 2,000–2,500 to the CBD, KES 2,500–3,000 to Westlands and KES 3,000–3,500 to Karen. Uber and Bolt run KES 1,800–3,000 to the CBD and KES 2,500–4,500 to Karen, plus the Expressway toll if you use it: KES 330 to the CBD, KES 410 to Westlands.

Can I get a SIM card at the airport?

Yes. The Safaricom shop in Terminal 1A, by the baggage-claim exit, is open 06:00 to midnight and sells a SIM for KES 100 against your passport, which is required for registration. Jambo Tourist Bundles start at KES 2,000 for 12 GB and 400 minutes. Airtel also has a kiosk.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate?

Only if you are arriving from, or have transited through, a yellow fever endemic country, which includes several of Kenya's neighbours. Port Health checks certificates before immigration and can vaccinate on site 24 hours a day, but the certificate is only valid from 10 days after vaccination. If you continue to Tanzania, it treats Kenya as a risk country and will ask for one.

Is the mandatory visitor insurance in force?

Not as of early September 2026. The USD 50,000 mandatory visitor health insurance gazetted on 30 July 2026 was suspended by the High Court on 24 August 2026, with a hearing on 16 September. Carry proof of ordinary travel insurance and check the position before you travel.

How long does it take to get to Wilson Airport for a safari flight?

30–45 minutes off-peak and well over an hour between 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00. Allow three to four hours between an international arrival and a Wilson departure, and repack into a soft bag of 15 kg or less before you go.

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