I’ll be honest here: Preparing to go on a Safari in Africa with a toddler–even a luxury safari where almost everything was taken care of for us–was overwhelming! The most stressful part? Getting the Kenyan visa. I was still very much living in the widow fog-mom brain-lack of sleep life when I needed to apply. I was so worried about inputting some information incorrectly or getting denied and not knowing why, but I did it! My daughter’s and my Kenyan visas were approved almost immediately.
So, I didn’t need to stress about the part I thought was so stressful. Because I’m a single parent, however, I did have to provide some unexpected, additional paperwork. And it brought up a lot of emotions for this still-new widow. So, I want you to be more prepared than I was. This is how to apply for a Kenyan visa as a single parent.
Where to Apply
This is at the top of the list for a reason! If you don’t get your visa from the right place, you don’t have a visa. You must get your Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) from the official government website here. Everyone (even your baby or toddler!) needs their own visa, and they all cost the same, as of 2026. You can apply for all your visas at the same time, if you’re traveling as a family, which is really nice because it would be a lot of information to have to type in multiple times.
More here: Why Did I Take My Toddler on Safari (and would I do it again)?
When to Apply
The travel company I went through suggested applying for our visas 2-4 weeks in advance. You can, however, apply up to three months before your arrival date. We arrived into Nairobi on February 22, but I applied for our visas–and received them!–on January 13. It was a load off once it was done. Apply when it’s best for you and your stress level.
Keep reading: What It’s Like Staying at the Viral Giraffe Manor in Nairobi
Materials and Information You Need in Order to Apply
It took about an hour for me to apply for our visas during my daughter’s nap. Admittedly, that was longer than I should have had to spend on it. It took a while for me to hunt down, download, upload, double check, and type in all the details of our travels. If you, however, have all your materials and information available before you start the process, it will take you considerably less time. Here is everything you need:
A. Arrival Information
- Arrival date (this is the date that your plane lands in Kenya, not the date that you leave home)
- Arrival flight number (i.e. “LH 590”)
- Arrival airport (NBO’s official airport name is “Jomo Kenyatta International Airport”)
- Country of origin (this is the country you will be flying from non-stop to Kenya; i.e. your last layover country–our layover was at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), so our “country of origin” in this context was “Germany”)
B. Return Information
- Departure date (this is the date that you depart Kenya, not the date that you arrive back at home)
- Departure flight number (i.e. LH 591)
- Departure airport (likely the same airport you flew into upon arrival)
- Destination (this is your first destination enroute to home; for example, our route home was NBO-FRA-IAD, so our first destination outside of Kenya was Frankfurt)
C. Hotels
- Hotel Name
- Check-in and check-out dates
- Repeat the above for each accommodation (we stayed in four different accommodations during our trip, so we had to provide hotel names and dates for each one)
- Hotel confirmation (receipts, booking confirmation, etc.)
D. Travel Documents
- Photo of passport photo page (must have at least 6 months’ validity before expiration, plus at least one blank page)
- Passport photo or selfie (must be taken of just your shoulders, neck, and face, against a white background; you can get passport photos taken at most large pharmacies or post offices if you prefer)
Read more: Tips for Feeding the Giraffes at Giraffe Manor
If You’re a Single Parent
I was not ready for this. I filled in everything, then I was directed to a page asking for a “Consent Letter.” The company I had booked the trip with had given me the hotel confirmation page to upload, but there was nothing about a “Consent Letter.” I e-mailed my contact there to ask about it, but he just sent me the same hotel confirmation page again. I knew that couldn’t be right, because I’d already uploaded it. So I did a little Googling. I think I searched for “consent letter for Kenyan visa,” or something similar.
I had read about this a few times in my travel research, but this was the first time I was faced with it. Because I was traveling alone with a minor, I needed to provide documentation from her other parent saying I had permission to travel alone with our child. This is an effort to prevent and fight human trafficking, which is a good thing, but it was more triggering to me than I was prepared for.
If you’re married and your spouse is still living, all you need is a literal “Consent Letter” that just says you’re traveling alone with your shared child, and all is well. You can find templates for this online, or have an attorney draw one up for you. If you’re divorced, you’ll need the divorce decree, plus custody paperwork and/or a consent letter from the non-traveling parent.
If you’re widowed, you’ll need to provide your child’s birth certificate and spouse’s death certificate. Of course I had those on my laptop and could upload them easily. I had to show that death certificate a lot in the months after my husband died. But I didn’t expect to have to do it again that day. Now you know.
A note of encouragement: The Top 7 Reasons Why Single Parents Should Travel with Their Kids
Wait for Confirmation
As I mentioned, I received confirmation almost immediately. My friend who applied for hers a few days later, over a weekend, had to wait until Monday to receive her confirmation. If you don’t get your confirmation immediately, don’t worry! Take into consideration the time difference between your location and Kenya, plus weekends and Kenyan holidays.
And then you’re ready to go!
Baby needs a passport? Here’s how to make it happen!
Want more? Check out my Kenya or Travel Tips Pages!
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