A courtesy visa is issued to individuals who represent foreign governments and international organizations like the UN. These visas are issued to those individuals who do not qualify as diplomats but have the status of merit expedited and courteous treatment. To apply for a Courtesy Visa for Kenya fill an online Kenya visa application form. The Courtesy Visa for Kenya is also issued to diplomatic, officials and service passport holders. Individuals who are passing through Kenya to a third country on official duties or business are eligible for the courtesy visa. This visa type is free of charge.
Requirements for a Courtesy Visa
The basic requirements to become eligible for a courtesy visa are listed below:
- An official travel document with a validity of at least six months.
- The applicant should belong to a service, must be an official and have a diplomatic passport.
- When applying for the visa, an official letter from the country of origin, foreign affairs or organization must be shown.
- If the applicant is passing through Kenya and is in transit, a ticket of the official trip must be shown. If that is not available, the boarding pass will suffice.
- If the applicant falls under category 3 of visa regulations; the Kenyan visa regulations should mention in the visa if the applicant is on transit or on official business.
Fee for Application
This type of visa application is free of charge around the world. Getting a Kenya Courtesy Visa is also free.
Documents Required
The applicants will be required to attach a few documents for Kenya visa requirements during the application process of courtesy visa. These documents must only be in a file format of PDFs, JGPs or MS Word.
Identification Documents
The following documents for identification of the applicant will be required during the application process. These are:
- A clear picture of the passport where the biodata of the applicant is mentioned. The information on this page should be legible.
- A passport size photograph of the applicant.
Photograph Requirements
The following Kenya visa photo size requirements are mandatory for the photograph being attached to the application:
- Scanning the picture on the passport is not allowed. The applicant must not use the same picture as is on the passport for the application.
- The picture must be taken recently, within the last six months. This is important to show the current appearance of the applicant.
- The picture must be in color and black and white photograph will not be considered.
- The applicant’s face must be visible in full without obscuring the head, ears and neck.
- Background of the photograph should be plain white or off-white. Colored backgrounds will not be considered.
- The applicant should not be in uniform but in a casual dress. No uniforms should be worn while taking the photograph except that if religious attire like the abaya for women.
- The applicant must not wear any headgear or hat. Except for covering the head for religious reasons.
- In case the applicant uses a hearing device, wears a prescription glasses or a wig, they should be worn in the photograph. This is to ensure the reality of the applicant.
- Some people wear dark glasses or prescription glasses with tinted lenses for medical reasons. If that is the case, they should be worn in the photograph. However, the applicant may be asked to produce a medical certificate to prove the same.
Applying for a Courtesy Kenya Visa is easy. Individuals who have a diplomatic passport can get the visa without any hassle. The Kenyan immigration offices in Nairobi and Mombasa value and understand the need for diplomatic missions and official business. Granting Courtesy visa is an honor like most countries.
