Travel to Kenya from the USA during Covid Pandemic
If you are considering traveling from the USA to Kenya during this pandemic and you want to know what documents you need to enter Kenya, you’ll find this post should answer most of your questions. For example, on arriving in Kenya, will you be asked to quarantine? I’ve recently flown from Seattle to Kenya and I hope this blog post, “travelling to Kenya from USA during Covid,” makes your travel plans less chaotic.
I decided to share this blog post with you is because I had a tough time finding information on requirements for traveling to Kenya from Washington state. I spent hours googling and researching with little luck. The Kenyan embassy website in Washington DC wasn’t helpful at all. At the time, the only thing on their site pertaining to Covid-19 was that Kenyan diaspora should be vigilant and take precaution per CDC.
I would like to think the number one job of an embassy is to provide useful information not available elsewhere. The website of JKIA airport in Nairobi wasn’t helpful either. Compared to other airports worldwide, JKIA didn’t offer information or requirements needed from international travelers upon arrival in Kenya. Now, the airport, seems to have more information on there site tittle ‘COVID19 Measures Essential passenger information on COVID19’ More on Kenyan embassies abroad on a later blog post/video because they truly do a disservice to the Kenya diaspora 🙁
Good news: Yes, international flights to Kenya are operating and have been. A bit of background as to why I needed to travel; let me say it wasn’t planned. I booked my flight on a Sunday, got my Covid-19 test done on Monday and flew out on Tuesday afternoon. It was that fast. Here’s why I flew back to Kenya so quickly.
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About two weeks prior to my travel to Kenya, I received news that my dear grandfather had passed away. Devastated and not really knowing where to start, I made every effort to travel to Kenya, but due to the pandemic it wasn’t as easy as just purchasing a flight ticket and packing my bags. Lots of moving parts were involved.
After hours of research and talking to friends about traveling to Kenya from the USA during the pandemic, I learned that I needed a Covid-19 negative test result, no more than 96 hours from the sample collection. I had to find a place that did Covid-19 testing for travel purposes. Keep in mind, this was weeks ago, so information wasn’t as available as it now.
Here is the thing: your primary medical provider will probably not be able to order you a Covid-19 test if you are not symptomatic. And in my experience, a Covid-19 test result is your “flight ticket.” In this case to enter Kenya!
I realized few people know where to get a Covid-19 test done near Seattle, so I wrote a blog post about it. You can check it out here. I also did a whole video on this topic on my YouTube for your enjoyment; check it out here (I will insert link here later). I hope this information helps you or someone you know travel safely or at least know what’s expected.
Long story short, I was able to get my Covid-19 test done but the results were not ready in time. My flight was set for Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and by Monday 8 p.m. the results were still not available. So, I had to cancel my flight ticket, and thankfully, I got a full refund for the cancelled flight. So be sure to purchase a flight ticket that’s refundable or at least one that you can get credit for to use later.
Fast forward, two weeks after my grandpa’s death, my grandma passed away, too. I know that’s a lot, right? As if Covid wasn’t enough. In two weeks, we went from having two incredible grandparents to zero!
But this time, after the passing of my grandmother, I knew what I needed to do, which made travel plans much easier. However, I was still anxious about traveling across the world during uncertain times, maybe getting sick or worse, getting my family, friends, and neighbors sick! This was a hard decision to make. A lot was at stake. I didn’t know if I had all that was needed or if I had what’s needed in the first place. Because we all know, vitu kwa ground ni different! That’s the back story, now let’s get to what you will need to travel to Kenya from America, more specifically WA state during the pandemic. Different airlines have different guidelines for travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
If there is anything I want you to take away from this post or my YouTube video it’s that your layover destination will play a huge role in your overall experience, unless you fly direct from the USA to Kenya. So, choose your layover destination carefully. I highly suggest not transiting via continent or country that has a high rate of Covid-19 cases. Please note, tickets to those destinations with high Covid-19 cases are cheaper and you might be tempted to purchase that ticket; but be warry my friend.
To enter Kenya, the results are good for 96 hours after the sample was collected. This is not the same as from when the results are out. OK, to the kids in the back, 96 hours is 4 days. Siku nne, J which makes it really tight, maybe even impossible to travel across the world. But it’s doable. I did it! You just have to be prepared and flexible on possibly having to cancel or reschedule your flight if Covid-19 test results are not out in time.
Anyway, I travelled from Seattle to Los Angeles, California (LA) on Alaska Airlines. And I WASN’T asked for my Covid-19 negative test results before boarding the flight in Seattle. In LA, the airport was quiet compared to Seattle. Alaska Airlines was good about spacing people apart which made me feel comfortable that I was flying with them.
I flew from Los Angeles to the Istanbul airport in Turkey using Turkish Airlines. A 13-hour flight. Next, I flew from Istanbul to JKIA airport in Nairobi, Kenya on the same airlines, Turkish Airlines. This was my first time using Turkish Airlines and to be honest, my experience wasn’t that pleasant.
I say this specifically as it relates to traveling during Covid-19. There was no physical distancing which made me, and I think most of the travelers, not feel safe. And that’s on both flights. There was also about a 30-40 minute delay on both Turkish flights. It’s worth noting, I wasn’t asked for my Covid-19 test results until in Istanbul while boarding the flight to Kenya. Not even at customs.
I usually fly Emirates Airlines, because it’s a good excuse to see my girlfriend Helen and explore Dubai. And because of Emirates’ excellent customer service. As you know, I am all about a good experience and willing to pay a little extra for that. This time round, I was on a time crunch. So, Turkish Airlines it had to be.
It was interesting to see that other airports are relatively busier than in the USA. I was surprised in Istanbul’s airport, it was so busy you wouldn’t realize a pandemic was going on other than people wearing masks. But I guess that makes sense because America has the highest number of Covid-19 cases!
Upon arrival at JKIA, I was the third or fourth person and I was asked for Covid-19 negative test results and the Qcode which you get after filling out the travelers health surveillance form. I was prepared, as I had taken a screen shot ahead of time, so it was easy to access the information and show it the customs individual. I suggest you do the same. Most people didn’t know or were not aware that they needed to fill out the travelers health surveillance form prior to arrival, so they had to wait. But lucky you, you will now be well prepared.
So far, I had been using my USA passport but upon arrival to JKIA, I was informed that they were accepting the old Kenyan passport aka, the one without a chip. So, I used my Kenyan passport to gain entry to Kenya which saved me a $50 visa fee. Check out my Guide to Travelling to Kenya as an American Citizen here for more details. Yes, you can use your unchipped Kenyan passport as long as it’s not expired. When asked reasons for my travel, I said bereavement. My passport got stamped. I proceeded to baggage claim then customs declaration and I went straight through. No hustle or opening suitcases shenanigans. I exited the airport and there were no more check points. Hooray, I made it to Kenya safely.
We had arrived in JKIA airport in Nairobi, Kenya at 2:40 a.m. and I was in my taxi at 3:40. Waited 20 minutes before driving due to the travel ban. The curfew was currently set at 11 p.m.-4 a.m. So, we started driving at 4. But now I know, if you have your flight itinerary information, you should be OK to travel at night. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Usually, I don’t travel at night. On most occasions, I go by the chicken clock; “jua likianga naingia kwenye nyumba” when the sun goes down, I go in the house 🙂
While I was in Kenya, I wore my mask and took precautions as best I could. I stayed in Kenya for five weeks and returned back to the USA in September. It’s been over a month since I have been back in Washington state. Yes, I am now back. In fact, I am going to share my experience traveling to the USA from Kenya during the Covid-19 pandemic using Qatar Airways. Maybe it would be helpful to someone.
I can only imagine the overwhelming feelings and thoughts you might be having as you decide whether to travel or not. I hope this post, travel to Kenya from USA during Covid-19 pandemic answers most of your questions. If you do decide to travel to Kenya, I wish you safe travels. Remember to take precaution for your own safety and everyone else’s. Stay blessed and healthy.
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