Guest travel guide for a Kenya wedding: visas, flights and stays

Your guests are flying across the world to celebrate with you. The kindest thing you can do is make the journey easy. This guide covers what international guests need to know for a wedding in Kenya, and you are welcome to share it with them directly.

Entry rules, airline routes and health advice change, so treat this as a starting point. Each guest should check the official requirements for their own passport and confirm with their airline before travelling.

Entry: Kenya's electronic travel authorisation (eTA)

Most visitors to Kenya need an electronic travel authorisation, known as an eTA, which replaced the traditional visa for most nationalities in 2024. Guests apply online before they travel, upload their passport details and itinerary, and pay a fee. Some nationalities, including citizens of East African Community countries and a number of other countries, are exempt, so guests should check whether it applies to them.

Apply only through the official Government of Kenya eTA website. Lookalike sites charge extra fees for the same thing. Processing is often quick, but we recommend guests apply at least two to three weeks before travel to leave room for any problems.

A note for the diaspora: guests who hold a valid Kenyan passport enter as Kenyan citizens. Family members travelling only on a foreign passport usually need an eTA, even if they were born in Kenya.

Passports and health

Passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the date of arrival, with blank pages for stamps.

Guests arriving from, or transiting through, a country with a risk of yellow fever may be asked for a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Malaria is present in parts of Kenya, including the coast and many safari areas, while the risk in Nairobi is low. Suggest that guests visit a travel clinic six to eight weeks before departure for personal advice on vaccinations and malaria prevention.

Travel insurance that covers medical care and evacuation is strongly recommended, especially if a safari is part of the trip.

Flights into Kenya

Most international guests will fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi (NBO), one of Africa's best-connected airports. There are direct flights from London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg and other hubs, with Kenya Airways, British Airways, KLM, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines among the airlines serving it. Guests from North America typically connect through Europe, the Middle East or Addis Ababa, and Kenya Airways has operated direct flights to New York.

For a coast wedding, guests can connect from Nairobi to Mombasa (MBA) or to Ukunda airstrip for Diani, or fly into Mombasa via the Middle East on some routes. Domestic and safari flights often depart from Nairobi's Wilson Airport, not the main international airport, so guests should check which airport their connection uses.

Getting around

Nairobi traffic can be heavy, so allow generous time for airport transfers and between events. Licensed taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely used in Nairobi and Mombasa. For wedding weekends, we usually arrange shared shuttles between hotels and venues so guests never have to work out directions after a long flight.

Light aircraft to safari areas usually have strict luggage limits, often around 15 kg per person in soft-sided bags. Guests combining a wedding and a safari should pack accordingly or leave extra luggage at a Nairobi hotel.

Where guests can stay

Kenya has excellent hotels at every level, from boutique guesthouses and serviced apartments to international five-star hotels, beach resorts and luxury safari camps. For a wedding, it helps to recommend two or three options at different price points close to the venue, and to arrange a group rate where possible.

In peak months, particularly July to October and December, the best rooms book early. Encourage guests to reserve as soon as they receive the save-the-date, ideally with flexible cancellation.

Money, phones and practicalities

Kenya's currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES). Cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and larger shops, and ATMs are easy to find in towns. M-Pesa mobile money is used almost everywhere. Some guests may want a little cash for tips, markets and small purchases.

Local SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to buy at the airport or in town; a passport is needed to register a SIM. Kenya uses UK-style three-pin plugs (Type G) and 240-volt power.

Single-use plastic bags are banned in Kenya, so guests should avoid packing items in them and leave duty-free shopping bags behind.

What to pack

Nairobi evenings can be cool, especially from June to August, so a light jacket or wrap is useful. The coast is hot and humid all year. For safari, neutral colours, layers for chilly early mornings, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent are essentials. If your celebration has a dress code, a traditional element or a theme, tell guests early so they can plan.

Keeping guests informed

A simple wedding website or a WhatsApp group with travel information, key dates, venue addresses and a contact on the ground makes a huge difference. Send save-the-dates nine to twelve months ahead for destination weddings, so guests can book flights and leave in good time.

How Marit helps your guests

We look after the guest journey as part of the celebration: recommended stays and group rates, airport welcomes, transfers and shuttles, welcome packs, safari and coast extensions, and a single point of contact your guests can message on the ground. You focus on each other. We make sure everyone arrives settled.

Information in this guide was reviewed in October 2026. Entry requirements, airline routes and health advice can change, so always check official sources before travelling.