As of the 2026 Henley Passport Index, the Kenyan passport ranks 68th globally, granting holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 69 destinations . This is a five-place improvement from 73rd in 2025, though the number of accessible destinations fell by one from the previous year’s 70 . The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and measures the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa .
Within Africa, Kenya holds 10th place, behind Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Morocco and Malawi . Seychelles leads the continent with visa-free access to 154 destinations, followed by Mauritius with 145 . In East Africa, Kenya ranks first, ahead of Rwanda and Tanzania (tied 69th, with access to 68 destinations each) and Uganda (72nd, with 65 destinations) .
Kenyan passport holders have visa-free access to 37 destinations, visa on arrival or facilitated entry to 33 destinations, and electronic travel authorisation (eTA) to 5 destinations . A further 123 destinations require a visa, representing 62.1% of countries covered . Within Africa, Kenyans can access 71.7% of destinations, including 19 visa-free countries and 16 offering visa on arrival . The Caribbean offers the widest access at 81.3%, while Europe sits at 2.1% and the Middle East at 5.9% .
Under the East African Community framework, Kenyan citizens can travel freely without visas to Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan . Other notable visa-free destinations include Botswana (90 days), South Africa (30 days), Ghana (90 days), Mauritius (90 days), Zambia (90 days) and Zimbabwe (90 days) . Caribbean visa-free destinations include Barbados (6 months), Dominica (21 days) and Haiti (3 months) . Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines also offer visa-free entry for short stays
The Kenyan passport is valid for 10 years and is non-renewable; holders must apply for a new passport upon expiry . Kenya issues a third-generation e-Passport, introduced in 2017 . According to the Directorate of Immigration Services, current fees are Kshs. 7,550 for 34 pages, Kshs. 9,550 for 50 pages, and Kshs. 12,050 for 66 pages . The eCitizen portal lists slightly different figures for 32-, 48- and 64-page booklets . Replacement of a lost passport costs Kshs. 12,050, and a mutilated passport Kshs. 10,050 .
Historically, Kenya’s strongest passport ranking was 52nd in 2006, while its weakest over the past two decades was 77th in 2021 . In 2025, Kenya introduced visa waivers for nearly all African nationals, allowing stays of up to 60 days . This policy earned Kenya a top Henley Openness score, but full visa reciprocity for Kenyan citizens remains limited in some parts of the continent
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