Are you planning to visit Kenya soon? If so, you may already be aware that you require a visa to gain entry into this country which is home to world-record marathoners. Kenya is a Visa free country for many nationalities, and in the year 2021, Kenya introduced eVisa, which is an online-issued travel visa, what you do as an applicant is apply for your visa online by filling and submitting an application form, upon approval, it is issued online in PDF format, all you do is download it, pick your passport, and set off for Kenya. If you want to read more on how to apply for a Kenya eVisa online, check a step-by-step post that I wrote on the same here.
However, for your visa application to be approved, the Kenyan eVisa officials require you to have supporting documents, which are meant to verify your travel and stay in Kenya and enable your visa approval.
One of the required documents is an invitation letter.
In this post, I’ll discuss some tips and strategies to help you navigate the process of obtaining a Kenyan visa invitation letter from your host, making your eVisa application process smooth and hassle-free.
Purpose of your visit: Before you even start applying for a Kenyan visa, it’s important to know the purpose of your visit to Kenya. This will help you determine the type of invitation letter, attachments, and any other information that you will need your host to include in the invitation letter.
Here are the most common types of visits to Kenya, that require a visa applicant to have an invitation letter:
Family visits- This type of visit is made by families who are not Kenyan citizens and need their families in Kenya to host them during their visit.
Tourist visits– This requires the visa applicant to provide a host’s invitation letter, which can either be a friend or family, if none of that applies to the applicant, then they attach hotel bookings since they need to show proof of where they will be staying during their visit.
Business visits– This requires the applicant to attach an invitation letter from the company which they are visiting for business.
What to include in a Kenyan visa invitation letter
Now that you already know your type of visit, let’s go ahead and look at what exactly is included in the invitation letter written by the host.
Host details: Full name, physical address, telephone contacts, copy of identification document, relationship with the applicant, date of birth, occupation, and date of writing the invitation letter. If the host is an organization, the letter should be done on the organization’s letterhead.
Visa applicant’s details: Full name, date of birth, relationship with the host, occupation, arrival, and departure date, physical address, telephone contacts.
Salutations: Do salutations like you would do in any other letter.
The invitation letter’s body: Write a detailed and relevant invitation letter, that will help the visa officials, approve your applicant’s visa to Kenya, fast.
In conclusion, obtaining a Kenyan visa invitation letter can seem like a daunting task, but with the right information and preparation, it can be a smooth and hassle-free experience. By knowing the purpose of your visit, providing complete and accurate information, including all required documentation, and drafting the invitation letter early, you can increase your chances of a successful eVisa application and a stress-free trip to Kenya.
