Latest Travel Updates

Responsibility

It is the guest’s responsibility to ensure they meet all COVID-19 related travel requirements and are up-to-date on travel restriction information. The Cottar’s team are here to help where we can and support you so your safari is as stress-free as possible. The below information serves to support you in your travels.

Flying Doctors

For the starting price of USD $16 AMREF’s Flying Doctors offer a medevac service from rural Kenyan places to Nairobi, which is inclusive of critical/emergency COVID-19 related medical air evacuation to cover travel for a period of 30 days or less. Contact AMREF here for more details, or contact us directly to facilitate.

Insurance

Prior to travelling, please make sure that you have medical insurance coverage that also includes treatment for COVID-19 whilst on vacation in Kenya.

Inbound to Kenya: COVID-19 Travel Kenyan Government Requirements

1. COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

• All travellers arriving into Kenya through any point of entry must have a certificate of COVID-19 vaccination. There will be no paper verification of COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates upon arrival into Kenya. Airlines will be ensuring that all travellers have uploaded both documents into global haven before boarding via globalhaven.org
  The following categories of travellers are exempt from the requirement:
  1. Travellers with medical conditions precluding vaccination. Such persons shall be required to provide a letter from a recognized medical practitioner detailing the medical reason precluding vaccination.
  2. Travellers who have recovered from an active COVID-19 infection or received convalescent plasma in the preceding 90 days. Such persons shall be required to provide a letter from a recognized medical practitioner showing that the person may have recovered from an active infection in the preceding 90 days.

• Returning unvaccinated Kenyans who have difficulty accessing vaccines in their current country of residence. Such persons must be prepared to be vaccinated immediately upon arrival and must register for vaccination on Chanjo-Ke platform before departure. Proof of registration shall be required before entry into the country.
• All travellers coming to Kenya who are fully vaccinated shall be exempt from the requirement of a PCR test.
• All eligible unvaccinated travellers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya must be in possession of a valid COVID-19 negative PCR test certificate conducted within 72 hours before departure regardless of the route of entry. Children below the age of five (5) years are exempt from this requirement.
• Unvaccinated travellers arriving at any point of entry shall be subjected to rapid antigen test at their own cost of 30 USD. Any person who tests positive on antigen RDT will be subjected to PCR test at their own further cost of 50 USD and self-isolate. Travellers below the age of five (5) years are exempt from this testing requirement.
• Passengers travelling out of Kenya will be required to abide by the particular travel, health and COVID-19 related requirements of the destination country
• Pre-departure testing may be considered at the discretion of any of the airlines departing from or terminating in Kenya.
• All travellers to countries requiring antigen testing hours before travel will be required to undertake a pre-travel rapid antigen test at the MOH Port Health facility at the airport and the results uploaded to the Trusted Travel platform.

2. Traveller’s Health Surveillance Form
   All travellers will be expected to fill the passenger locator form on the “jitenge” platform. All arriving travellers (including those in transit) are required to complete an online Travellers Health Surveillance Form from the Ministry of Health in Kenya. And thereafter submit daily health information for 14 consecutive days. Passengers will receive a QR code after completing the form, which they must then display to the Port Health Official on arrival and before proceeding through immigration.Some airlines are advising that the QR code should be available prior to flight departure. It is our recommendation to complete before flight embarkation.
3. E-Visa Implementation
   All travellers to Kenya requiring an entry visa will need to have an e-visa, having applied for it ahead of travel online. Visas on arrival will no longer be available. Travellers may not be permitted to board the departing aircraft without it. E-visas can be applied for by visiting evisa.go.ke. If travellers are arriving from a country that requires quarantine, their visa must be provided 24 hours before boarding. To apply for your e-visa you will need to upload a copy of our Company Registration Certificate which you can find HERE

NOTE: It is advisable to print out all your documents IN COLOUR before arriving into Kenya, as this will vastly speed up the process on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: your e-visa, your Health Surveillance QR code, and your PCR COVID-19 vaccination.

You can check the requirements for your travel HERE

Government Health Check

1. Passengers are required to present a PCR COVID-19 negative certificate, TT code and QR code. Without this you will be required to quarantine for 14 days in government facilities, at your own cost.
2. All travellers will be screened on arrival and required to quarantine for 14 days if they display symptoms of COVID-19.
3. Passengers whose certificates expire while in transit will be required to deposit their passport with the airport Port of Health Authorities and facilitate testing in a recognized facility at their own cost. This includes those transiting through Kenya.

Quarantine
No countries need to quarantine when entering Kenya

Domestic Travel

Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory by law in Kenya, however, it is required while on public transport so please make sure to travel with a mask/s.

Domestic airlines require you to wear a face mask at all times.

Please note that some scheduled flights require you to wear a surgical face mask (not the material ones).

Outbound from Kenya: COVID-19 Kenyan Government Requirements

On Departure
Kenya does not require COVID-19 testing before departure. However, all passengers departing Kenya must ensure they know and abide by the COVID-19 testing requirements at the destination and /or transit points.

1. To obtain a COVID-19 RT-PCR, passengers are advised to visit authorized laboratories to take a COVID-19 RT-PCR test and be issued with Trusted Travel (TT) code that can be verified by airlines and Port Health Authorities. A list of authorized laboratories can be accessed at https://www.trustedtravel.panabios.org or https://health.go.ke.
2. The passenger will receive a text message (SMS) from panaBIOS and in addition, an email from the testing laboratory and/or admin@panabios.org with a link to guide the passenger on how to generate a travel code at https://www.trustedtravel.panabios.org. Travellers are encouraged to check their emails including the spam folder for feedback. All COVID-19 RT-PCR approved testing laboratories in Kenya have been added to the TT system.
3. Departing passengers can enter the TT code on their certificates online at www.africacdc.org/trusted-travel.

Transiting Kenya

1. To obtain a COVID-19 RT PCR test, passengers are advised to visit authorized laboratories to undertake the test and be issued with Trusted Travel (TT) code that can be verified by airlines and Port Health Authorities. The latest requirements for testing can be obtained from www.xchange.panabios.org/countries/offers/

• Guests can obtain a test in Kenya relatively easily through authorized laboratories (see list of authorized laboratories HERE), (or through a service provided at camp – see below for camp service).

1. Passengers transiting Kenya from jurisdictions where TT is not available will use www.globalhaven.org or Global Haven via the trusted travel portal www.africacdc.org/trusted-travel to generate a travel stamp.
2. Upon successful validation, passengers are issued with a secondary travel stamp (TC code) by the system for exit approval for Kenya.

NOTE: The COVID-19 test needs to be done 96 hours before departure.

Mandatory wearing of face masks in public spaces has now been lifted but please note that you are required to wear a mask on all public transport.

Temperature screening in public places has stopped

There are government protocols in place for your safety and the safety of our staff, which we must comply with. We will do our very best to accommodate every guest’s personal needs and requests to ensure every one is as comfortable as possible but these are protocols that every guest must adhere to when on safari with us.

We strive to be flexible, transparent and approachable at all times; we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to ask any of our team members any questions you may have, at any time.

It is up to you whether you would like your guide to host you at all/any meals.

Drinking-Water

• Reusable, complementary metal water bottles will continue to be provided
• Refill stations require hand sanitization before use

Support at Camp

Cottar’s Safaris have organized a complimentary one-off virtual doctor support system for clients whilst staying at camp. This can be used for all emerging medical issues and initially for symptoms relating to COVID-19.

Testing Positive During Your Stay

Should you test positive or have symptoms whilst staying with us, Cottar’s does have an isolation tent. Patients can be isolated and supported at camp for mild cases. Virtual medical supervision would be accessible. For more severe cases that require hospitalization, we would support you and your family to connect with the relevant services. AMREF can medevac you to Nairobi safely and securely.

Once you have recovered from COVID-19 you can travel with a written or electronic documentation of proof of a negative test that confirms this.

All our partner properties and third-party companies are adhering to strict safety protocols that match our own standards; strict hygiene protocols apply to all suppliers and deliveries.

Can you get a COVID-19 test before your departure?
Yes, COVID-19 tests are readily available in Nairobi. We also offer a concierge service for COVID-19 testing at camp:

• Group test – US$155 per person (from 2 pax)
• Single Traveller – US$200 ( only one person testing)
• USD 220 per person for the express service wish is usually 16-18 hours for the results

Do the PCR tests need to be pre-paid or paid locally and with cash or card?

Prepaid is better, but they can be paid for at camp. Card payments only, no cash payments accepted.

How long does it take to get the results?

The results come back within 48 hours. The test needs to be booked two days before the test needs to be taken.

Documents can be printed onsite if needed with our camp office computer.