Duale: Foreign travellers must have health cover to enter Kenya

Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale/FILE

Foreign travellers entering Kenya will be required to have valid travel health insurance, the Ministry of Health has clarified, in a move aimed at ensuring non-Kenyans have medical cover during their stay in the country.

‎The ministry said the requirement applies to every non-Kenyan intending to enter and remain in Kenya for less than 12 months and is anchored in the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023 and the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024.

‎The clarification was issued by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale following the publication of Gazette Notice No. 11492 dated July 30, 2026, which prescribed the benefit limits and tariffs applicable to travel health insurance for non-Kenyan travellers.

‎The ministry said the legal requirement is provided for under Section 26(6) of the Social Health Insurance Act, which requires a non-Kenyan entering Kenya for less than 12 months to possess travel health insurance cover as designated by the Cabinet Secretary.

‎“Every non-Kenyan intending to enter and remain in Kenya for a period of less than twelve months is required to possess a valid travel health insurance policy,” Duale said.

‎The requirement is further reinforced by Regulation 70(1) of the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024, which provides that a person travelling into Kenya shall have travel health insurance cover.

‎The ministry said travellers who already have health insurance from their countries of origin will not necessarily be required to purchase another policy, provided their existing cover meets the prescribed insurable value under Gazette Notice No. 11492.

‎Such travellers will, however, be required to upload proof of the valid insurance policy through the Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system.

‎The clarification is expected to affect visitors, tourists, business travellers and other non-Kenyans seeking entry into the country.

‎The ministry also said travellers who do not have the required insurance before travelling to Kenya will have the option of obtaining a compliant policy at the point of entry.

‎“A person travelling into Kenya may obtain the travel health insurance cover at the point of entry in Kenya,” the regulations provide.

‎The policy obtained at the point of entry must be from an insurer licensed under the Insurance Act and approved to provide the required travel health insurance cover.

‎The government said the arrangement is intended to facilitate compliance while giving travellers an alternative avenue to obtain cover if they had not secured it before departure.

‎Applicants for a Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation will also be required to upload proof of a valid travel health insurance policy as part of the eTA application process.

‎The policy will then be verified before the traveller proceeds with their journey to Kenya.

‎The Department of Immigration Services will be responsible for implementing the requirement through the eTA system and at designated points of entry into the country.

‎Immigration officials will verify compliance with the travel health insurance requirement before allowing entry.

‎Where a traveller opts to obtain insurance at the point of entry, the department will verify the policy before granting admission into Kenya.

‎The ministry said the measures are being implemented pursuant to the legal provisions governing travel health insurance and the tariffs and benefit limits prescribed by the Health Cabinet Secretary.

‎The clarification, signed by Duale, seeks to spell out how the requirement will apply to non-Kenyan travellers and how compliance will be checked before entry into the country.