![Travellers pictured at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). [Photo/ NMG]](https://businesstoday.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/images-2022-06-21T115951.043.jpeg)
UPDATE (22/06/2022):
Kenya’s ambassador to France, Prof. Judi Wakhungu, deleted the controversial public notice from her social media pages amid an outcry from Kenyans.
A newly introduced Visa requirement is set to complicate the travel plans of countless Kenyans in addition to affecting the bottomlines of various carriers. A public notice shared by Kenya’s ambasaddor to France, Prof. Judi Wakhungu, on Tuesday, June 21 informed Kenyan citizens entering Schengen territory on transit that they would be required to apply for a Transit Schengen visa before leaving Kenya.
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As most European countries are in the Schengen territory, Kenyans planning trips to various destinations with connecting flights in Europe will have to reorganize their travel plans.
The 26 countries that make up the Schengen territory are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The new restriction means that, for example, a Kenyan travelling to Asia, the UK, or elsewhere with a connecting flight through Amsterdam or Paris, for instance, will have to apply for a Transit Schengen visa before leaving Kenya.
Airlines with connecting flights through Europe are likely to be affected as travellers seek out alternatives.
Gulf carriers, whose transit stops are often in their Middle East hubs, are expected to be among the winners as a result of the directive.
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“Any Kenyan who enters the Schengen territory in order to change their means of transport (air/sea) must apply for Transit Schengen Visa (i.e Airport Transit Schengen Visa or Transit Schengen Visa for Seafarers) before leaving Kenya,” the notice from Wakhungu read in part.
Specific groups of Kenyans will, however, be exempt from the requirement. You may be exempt if you;
1. Hold a diplomatic passport
2. Are a family member of a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland
3. Hold a valid visa issued by a Schengen state, a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area, Canada, Japan or the United States
4. Hold a valid resident permit issued by a Schengen state, a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area, the Principality of Andorra, Canada, Japan, Republic of San Marino or the United States
5. Are a flight crew member national of a contracting party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation
Ukoloni. What other reason do they have? Hawa watu maringo tupu. What did Kenyans do?
They want to raise their revenue,one more way of milking Kenyans their money
Cyprian, blame it on Kenya government. They always accept blindly all what Western countries suggest to them, because they are short sighted and never care about how these policies would hurt its people. We can not even import vehicles over 8 yrs old!!!! Why???
I agree, UK had started this manenos we complained and they removed them. We should decide to boycott flying to EU so that they can understand we have economic impact. Where are our Ambassadors in all this. They should fight for us or explain why they accept such a raw deal.
Kenya has to be a tough partner. We can’t afford buying in STUPID policies over and over. Our governments are known to be their own people’s enemy.
This is not a good thing for us Kenyans. It means there is a shortfall that has been noted some whee and I suspect our corrupt nature has infiltrated the identity and travel authorities whereby a certain tribe acquires dubious citizenship n upon arrival in these schenghen states they seek asylum immediately as they join their fellow countrymen from our neighbourhood country where they originated. Else, bilateral agreements in international relations calls for tit for tat. Can our government tighten the issuance of Kenyan visa to the Europeans too???
I have applied for a US transit VISA to travel to jamaica in the month of August but appointment date is April 2024. Am very much worried may the lord intervene those who are able to assist want huge amount of money though back door to work.on the case faster unfortunately l cannot raise that money at the moment because l have booked ticket and paid money for VISA. How l can.l.get help?
You are stupid for paying for a ticket without sorting out your visa worries first. You will loose all you money and this will be a lesson learnt on research before jumping into actions. I don’t feel bad or sorry for you.
A Kenyan diplomat doesn’t make policy rules governing other nations; rather, she is simply relaying the host nations’ stipulated mandates. She is right. These policies are created by the Schengen nations.
When are these rules starting to take place?
How can someone get a visa , i need it to london
This does not seem to be entirely correct news. And if it is correct, what is the implementation time? Surely it cannot be immediate given that there is time involvement in obtaining this said ‘Airport Transit Visa’ as well.
Turkish, BA and Kenya Airways stand to benefit. Direct flights to UK and US from Kenya. Kenyans can connect to America via Turkey and travel to Asia via Dubai but lack of competition will inflate prices.
They can now travel 🧳 wenyewe . Yani this people see us as slaves Hadi lini ……kwani tumekuwa bokoharam ! Nkt just transit aaaaai ……
Kenyans Kenyans everywhere… really transit? people don’t even leave the airport into their territory what is inside their heads seriously?
I will blame it all on our useless government all they do is think about themselves since they hold diplomatic passports what about us who are not diplomats? Not once or twice has our government neglected the fact that Kenyans have the right to travel without such nonsensical measures. Right now even traveling to some part of Asia is an issue especially Hong Kong just because our government refused to comply with them. Our president should sack the people responsible in the ministry of foreign affairs nkt
Well, you vote in these people into government just because they promise you cheap unga prices while neglecting core issues. Time to marry foreigners and get out of that hell hole.
Its devastating when you read the comments and think of where we’re coming from and where we’re heading to, there are core issues that need to be addressed but the Kenyans ambassador placed in such position are only there because they sided with the sitting government at that moment. We all stand to suffer .
For many people, the ability to travel freely is essential for business, education, and family purposes, so this sudden shift in visa policies is undoubtedly frustrating. The article does a good job of explaining the various aspects of the new rules and their potential impact on both short-term and long-term travel plans.
I also appreciate the inclusion of the experiences of Kenyan travelers who have already been affected, as it provides a personal perspective on the issue. It’s clear that this change is creating a lot of uncertainty for many people who rely on international travel for work or personal reasons.
This post serves as a crucial reminder of how quickly visa policies can shift, and it underscores the importance of staying informed about the latest travel regulations. Hopefully, there will be further discussions to address these concerns.