Kenya is gradually laying the groundwork for mandatory health insurance as an entry requirement.
In a special issue of the Kenya Gazette published on July 30, 2026, the government formally established the minimum benefits that the future travel health insurance policy must provide to foreign visitors. Gazette Notice No. 11492, signed the previous day by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, sets a cumulative minimum coverage limit of $50,000.
The notice does not mean that every visitor must immediately present proof of insurance before departure or upon arrival in Kenya. Rather, it marks another step in building the legal and administrative framework for the program.
Minimum coverage of $50,000
The schedule published by Kenyan authorities details the benefits that the travel health insurance policy must include:
- $20,000 for medical expenses;
- $25,000 for emergency medical transportation;
- $300 for prescribed medications;
- $1,000 for mental health care;
- $5,000 for the repatriation of mortal remains.
The $50,000 figure refers to the minimum level of coverage provided under the policy. The amount travelers will have to pay for the insurance has not yet been announced.
The Gazette also states that the coverage must be provided by insurers approved and licensed under Kenyan insurance law.
A requirement already established under Kenyan law
The concept of mandatory travel health insurance is not entirely new.
The Social Health Insurance Act, adopted in 2023, states that non-Kenyan nationals seeking to enter and remain in the country for less than 12 months must hold travel health insurance that meets conditions established by the Health Cabinet Secretary.
Regulations adopted in 2024 specify that the policy must remain valid for the traveler’s entire stay. They also provide for the possibility of purchasing coverage at a Kenyan port of entry.
In May 2025, Kenya’s health and immigration ministries announced that they were working together on the program’s practical implementation. Their discussions focused in part on how to incorporate the new requirement into entry procedures for foreign nationals.
The publication of minimum benefit limits in the Gazette therefore adds another layer to a system that has been under development for several years.
Implementation date has yet to be confirmed
Several key details still need to be communicated to travelers.
Authorities have not announced when insurance checks will begin, nor have they clarified whether travelers will need to obtain coverage before applying for an electronic travel authorization, or eTA, before boarding their flight, or upon arrival.
Possible exemptions, the cost of the policy, purchasing procedures and the acceptance of insurance issued outside Kenya also remain unclear.
The official Kenya eTA portal does not currently list proof of insurance among the documents generally required. Travelers are currently asked to provide items including a passport, photograph, travel itinerary and proof of accommodation.
The Ministry of Health’s page for incoming travelers also does not list the insurance among entry requirements already being enforced.
Kenya therefore appears to have much of the legal framework in place, but not yet all the tools needed to roll out the requirement at its borders.
Zanzibar already requires insurance, while Mainland Tanzania is still preparing its own program
Kenya’s plans echo developments in neighboring Tanzania, although Zanzibar and the mainland are currently at different stages.
Since October 1, 2024, foreign visitors traveling to Zanzibar, except residents, have been required to purchase a local insurance policy covering the full duration of their stay, up to 92 days. The policy must be purchased from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, or ZIC, even when the traveler already holds international travel insurance. It costs $44 per person.
The policy covers certain medical emergencies, evacuation and repatriation expenses. Travelers who do not hold the required insurance may be denied entry to the archipelago.
A similar requirement is also being prepared for Mainland Tanzania. In an official notice issued in July 2025, Tanzania’s Ministry of Finance announced plans for mandatory $44 insurance for foreign nationals, covering benefits including emergency medical treatment, lost baggage, rescue services and repatriation.
Implementation remains subject to the publication of the necessary regulations in the government Gazette. That operational step has not yet been officially announced, and the insurance is not currently listed among the entry requirements published by Tanzania’s immigration authorities.
Kenya is therefore following a path similar to its neighbor’s. Zanzibar has already implemented its program, while Nairobi and Mainland Tanzania continue to define the practical arrangements before their respective requirements take effect.
VisasNews Take
Travelers heading to Kenya do not yet have any new steps to complete. However, the publication of the $50,000 minimum coverage threshold shows that the project is moving forward and that authorities are gradually defining the terms of the future insurance requirement. Before traveling, visitors should check the official Kenya eTA portal and updates from Kenyan authorities for details on the implementation date, policy cost and accepted insurance plans.
