Key points
- Most non-Kenyans visiting Kenya for less than 12 months must now hold travel health insurance
- The High Court of Kenya dismissed the challenge on October 5, 2026, ending the suspension ordered in August
- Cover must reach at least $50,000, and ETA applicants deal with it as part of their application
- Kenyan and UK government sources disagree on whether your own insurance counts, so check during your ETA application
Kenya’s High Court has cleared the insurance rule, and it is now checked through the ETA
Most foreign visitors to Kenya staying for less than 12 months must now hold travel health insurance. The High Court of Kenya dismissed the constitutional challenge to the rule on October 5, 2026, according to the judgment published by Kenya Law, and travelers who need a Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) now deal with the insurance as part of their application.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, issued the rule in Gazette Notice No. 11492 on July 30, 2026, under the Social Health Insurance Act. The High Court suspended it in August while the challenge was heard, as we covered in our earlier report on the suspension. In his judgment, Justice F.R. Olel found that the notice and its explanatory memorandum “were properly issued and are valid in law.”
Kenya’s Ministry of Health told the court why it wants visitors insured:
[The requirement] protected the sustainability of Kenya's healthcare system by preventing non-Kenyan travelers from imposing uncompensated emergency healthcare costs on public health facilities.
Do I need travel health insurance to visit Kenya?
Yes, if you’re not Kenyan and you plan to stay in Kenya for less than 12 months. Section 26(6) of Kenya’s Social Health Insurance Act requires these visitors to hold travel health insurance, and the judgment confirms the minimum cover is $50,000 in total.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) says the requirement applies from October 5, 2026. It doesn’t apply to Kenyan citizens, holders of valid Kenyan residence status, citizens of East African Community partner states, or transit passengers who don’t pass through Kenyan immigration control.
Can I use my own travel insurance for Kenya?
Government sources disagree. Kenya’s Ministry of Health told the court that accepting foreign policies with at least $50,000 in cover “merely provided flexibility for non-Kenyan travelers,” and the judgment says foreign travel insurance uploaded and verified through the ETA is valid.
The FCDO’s travel advice says the opposite: travelers must hold Kenyan government-provided cover, and foreign policies are not accepted in its place. If you plan to rely on your own policy, check what the ETA application accepts before you buy anything.
How does the insurance work with the Kenya ETA?
ETA applicants buy the cover as part of the ETA application, according to the FCDO. The Kenyan government hasn’t published the price. The FCDO says the policy is valid for 90 days and covers multiple entries into Kenya in that period.
If you already hold a valid ETA, you still need the insurance. The FCDO says to buy it through the Kenyan eCitizen insurance portal before you travel. Your ETA itself stays valid.
What this means for travelers
Before, you didn’t need any insurance to enter Kenya while the court case was open. Now, sort out your insurance before you fly, during your ETA application if you don’t have one yet, or through eCitizen if you do. Keep proof of cover with you, because immigration officers can check it on arrival.
Kenya isn’t the only East African country to make cover compulsory this month. Tanzania now requires foreign visitors to hold government travel insurance for the mainland too.
