On 7 October 2026, the High Court (Justice Francis Rayola Olel) dismissed the petition that had led to an interim suspension of Kenya's mandatory travel health insurance for foreign visitors in late August. The court found that Gazette Notice No. 11492 (dated 30 July 2026) was lawfully issued under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023 and its regulations (Daily Nation, 7 Oct 2026). The court upheld the notice. An appeal is still possible.
At the same time, the official ETA portal (etakenya.go.ke) checks for that insurance before an Electronic Travel Authorisation can be completed. Since 6 October 2026, applications without recognised cover are stopped, and the applicant is offered a policy at a premium of US$44 per traveler (VisasNews / Action-Visas tests). That US$44 figure is the insurance premium, not the ETA fee.
This note is for OTAs, tour operators and airlines. It is not legal advice. Kenyan authorities and courts decide what applies at entry.
What the rule requires
The notice applies to non-Kenyans entering Kenya for less than 12 months. Cover must provide cumulative benefits of at least US$50,000, including at least:
The court also held that immigration officers may check compliance with this entry condition without taking over the Insurance Regulatory Authority's role. Source: Daily Nation, 7 Oct 2026.
How it works in practice
Portal tests on 6 and 7 October 2026, reported by VisasNews / Action-Visas:
One open contradiction
In court, the State said visitors could upload qualifying policies bought in their home countries or buy compliant cover at official entry points (Daily Nation). The live portal tested on 7 October offered no upload option, and officials told the travel industry on 20 August that standard foreign travel insurance would not satisfy the rule (VisasNews). Until the Ministry of Health clarifies this, don't promise customers that their existing travel insurance will be accepted.
What OTAs and tour operators should do now
Show the real total. A visitor now pays about US$91 in government costs: the US$39 ETA plus about US$52 for the Kenyan insurance (at checkout in tests). Display both lines separately and don't call the bundle "the new ETA fee".
Warn before the customer starts. An ETA application will not complete without cover the portal recognises.
Customers who already hold an ETA issued before 6 October can buy cover separately on eCitizen without re-applying. Tell them to keep the insurance reference number and a screenshot of the "Valid" status, since no certificate is issued.
Groups and safaris. Run one live application per departure before mass-submitting, and budget the insurance per traveler.
Hold your own travel-insurance product out of this requirement until the Ministry of Health says a home-country policy qualifies.
What airlines should know
How this differs from Tanzania
Tanzania Mainland's inbound insurance requirement has applied since 1 October 2026 on its own legal basis (our Tanzania note). Treat the two countries separately in partner messaging. Families filing a child's Kenya ETA still need the consent affidavit on the Kenya ETA consent letter guide.
What we have not verified
The ETA checkout changed on 6 October and the High Court upheld the rule on 7 October. Coverage alerts send one email per change for the destinations you sell.
Coverage alerts send one email per rule change for the destinations you pick, from the partner console. Systems can take the same events as webhooks; the shape is in the developer docs. The live requirement for any passport is always in the requirements checker.
Information for travel businesses, not legal or insurance advice. Kenyan authorities and courts decide what applies at entry.
Daily Nation, High Court ruling, 7 Oct 2026 verified 8 Oct 2026 · VisasNews, court upholds the requirement, 7 Oct 2026 verified 8 Oct 2026 · VisasNews, ETA portal insurance step, 6 Oct 2026 verified 8 Oct 2026 · The Eastleigh Voice, High Court upholds mandatory travel insurance verified 8 Oct 2026 · etakenya.go.ke verified 8 Oct 2026 · insurance.ecitizen.go.ke verified 8 Oct 2026