Kenya eTA Photo: A Selfie or Passport-Type Photo

Kenya's eTA is one of the few travel authorisations whose official document list says, word for word, "selfie or passport-type photo." That is the whole specification. The pages we read on etakenya.go.ke — the Directorate of Immigration Services' official site — give no dimensions, no file format, no size limit, no background colour and no rule about glasses. Anything more specific than that sentence is a third party's guess.

Photo requirement

"Selfie or passport-type photo"

Dimensions, format, file size

Not stated

Background, glasses, expression

Not stated

Passport

Valid 6+ months after arrival, at least one blank page

Other documents

Contact details, itinerary, accommodation booking, payment method

Fee

$30 standard; $20 transit; expedited +$100

Processing

About 3 business days / 72 hours

Validity

Travel within 90 days of issuance

Source: Directorate of Immigration Services - Kenya eTA, How to Apply

We read the home page, eligibility list, How to Apply, FAQs, General Information and Terms and Conditions on September 20, 2026, as an ordinary visitor. We did not start an application, so we have not seen the upload screen itself — if it enforces a format or a size limit, its message is the rule.

"Selfie or passport-type photo" — what that wording means

The phrase appears twice: in the How to Apply document list ("For all travellers") and in the FAQ's answer about required documents. Both times it is the second item, right after the passport. Kenya is not the only eTA to accept a selfie, but it is rare for a government page to name it so plainly — most portals hide behind "recent photograph" and let applicants guess.

Read the word the way an immigration officer would. A selfie that works is one a stranger could use to recognise you: held at eye level, not angled from above; your whole face in frame, lit evenly, eyes open, nobody else in the picture. What it clearly does not mean is a group photo cropped down, a photo with sunglasses on, or a filtered social-media picture. "Passport-type" is the safer half of the sentence — if you already have a compliant photo, use it. Our guide to taking a passport photo at home covers the setup that produces one without a studio.

Because no background is specified, a plain light wall is the low-risk default, and because no age limit is stated for the photo, use one that looks like you now — the same logic as how recent a passport photo must be. These are precautions, not Kenyan rules.

The documents around the photo

The photo is one line in a longer list. For all travellers the portal asks for: a passport valid at least six months after the planned arrival date with at least one blank page; the photo; contact information (email and phone); arrival and departure itinerary details; accommodation booking confirmations; and a means of payment.

Depending on the purpose of the visit, the same page may also ask for a doctor's or hospital referral letter, a conference invitation, an employment contract, resettlement documents, or vaccination and test certificates. Business travellers add an invitation letter and the host company's registration; family visitors add an invitation letter plus the host's identity document or permit; diplomatic travellers add a diplomatic, official or service passport and an official letter from the sending country.

Fees, timing and who is exempt

The eligibility page prices four products: transit eTA $20, standard eTA $30, one-year multiple-entry $300, and a five-year multiple-entry eTA for US nationals at $185, with an East African tourist eTA marked "coming soon". The FAQ adds that standard processing "may take up to 72 hours" and an expedited option processes immediately for an additional $100. The Terms and Conditions are blunt about money: once you submit, the fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, even if the eTA is denied or your plans change — and a fresh application means a fresh fee.

Two timing rules matter. Processing generally takes three business days, but the General Information page recommends applying at least two weeks before travel. And the eTA is "valid for travel within 90 days from the date of issuance" — approval is not entry; admissibility is decided at the border.

The exemption list is long. Citizens of East African Partner States — Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda — need nothing for stays up to 180 days. Around 40 mostly Commonwealth and African states get 90-day exemptions, and most other African nationalities get 60. Transit passengers who do not leave the airport are exempt, as are diplomats on posted missions (though accredited diplomats still complete an eTA — the standard one is free for them). Everyone else, including infants, needs one, and one eTA does not cover a group: each passenger applies, or the lead applicant selects "Apply as a Group" at the start.

1. 1

   Confirm you need an eTA

   Check the exemption lists on the How to Apply page — EAC citizens, about 40 countries on the 90-day list, most African states on the 60-day list and airside transit passengers are all exempt.

2. 2

   Take the photo deliberately

   Selfie or passport-type: camera at eye level, plain wall, even daylight, whole face in frame, eyes open, no one else visible. Take several and keep the sharpest.

3. 3

   Gather the rest of the list

   Passport bio page, itinerary, accommodation confirmations and a payment card. Purpose-based documents (invitations, medical letters) if they apply to you.

4. 4

   Apply on the official site or app

   etakenya.go.ke or the 'Kenya Travel Authorisation' mobile app — the FAQ names those two channels only. Expect 3 business days; expedited costs $100 extra.

5. 5

   Save the approval PDF

   Print it or keep it in the app; it is shown at departure and arrival. Check status on the site with your reference number.

Checklist before you submit

• Clear, recent, front-facing photo of you alone
• Passport valid 6+ months past arrival, one blank page
• Itinerary, accommodation booking and payment method ready
• Each traveller's own application (or Apply as a Group)
• Applied at etakenya.go.ke or the official app, 2+ weeks ahead
• A group photo crop, sunglasses or a filtered selfie
• Submitting with mistakes — each new application is charged again
• Paying a lookalike third-party site

Neighbouring portals are stricter on paper but vaguer in practice: Egypt's e-Visa publishes no photo rule at all, Turkey's wants a biometric profile photo checked by the system, and Saudi Arabia's pins down an exact 200 x 200 px file. Across the Indian Ocean, Indonesia's online visa asks for a passport-size photo under 200 kb. For a photo we can check against published rules, start here.

Frequently asked questions

What photo does the Kenya eTA application need?

The official requirement list says "selfie or passport-type photo". That is the entire spec — the portal publishes no pixel size, file format, file size, background colour or head-size rule. A clear, recent, front-facing phone photo of yourself is what the wording asks for.

Can I really use a selfie for the Kenya eTA?

The requirement list on etakenya.go.ke says "selfie or passport-type photo" — it names the selfie first. Take it seriously anyway: face the camera square on, eyes open, against a plain wall with even light, with nobody else in frame. An arm's-length photo with a cluttered background is the kind of file worth replacing.

What file format does the Kenya eTA photo upload accept?

The public pages do not say. Neither the How to Apply page nor the FAQ gives a format, dimension or size limit for the photo or any other upload. If the application screen states a limit when you reach it, that screen is the authority.

How much does the Kenya eTA cost?

The eligibility page lists 30 USD for a standard eTA, 20 USD for a transit eTA, 300 USD for a one-year multiple-entry eTA and 185 USD for a five-year multiple-entry eTA for US nationals. The FAQ adds that expedited processing costs an additional 100 USD. The fee is non-refundable once submitted.

How long does Kenya eTA processing take?

The official pages say applications are generally processed within three business days or 72 hours, though they can take longer, and the site recommends applying at least two weeks before travel. An expedited option is processed immediately for an extra fee.

Do children need their own Kenya eTA?

Yes. The How to Apply page says all visitors including infants and children need an approved eTA before the journey, and the FAQ confirms an eTA is required for each passenger in a group. Parents and legal guardians are responsible for a minor's application.

Sources

• Directorate of Immigration Services - Kenya eTA, How to Apply (document list: 'selfie or passport-type photo')
• Kenya eTA - FAQs (documents, fees, expedited processing, application channels)
• Kenya eTA - General Information (processing time, 90-day validity, exemptions)
• Kenya eTA - Eligibility (eTA types and prices)
• Kenya eTA - Terms and Conditions (non-refundable fee, minors)