Kenya To Require $50,000 Insurance for All Travelers

Clients headed to Kenya on safari will now have to prove that they have purchased travel health insurance of at least $50,000.

The new framework requires coverage of $20,000 for medical expenses, $25,000 for emergency medical transportation, $5,000 for repatriation of mortal remains, $1,000 for mental health treatment, and $300 for prescribed medicines.

According to iPMI Global, a business intelligence platform and news provider for the international private medical insurance, sector: “The Ministry of Health has determined that ‘catastrophic-only’ policies often fail to address the specific costs of mental healthcare and pharmaceutical needs, which can destabilize domestic healthcare administrative processes. Consequently, insurers must now issue Kenya-specific certificates that explicitly break out five mandatory sub-limits. Policyholders should be advised that “lump sum” coverage certificates will likely be rejected by the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) portal, as they do not provide the granular proof required to confirm compliance with each benefit category.”

Travelers headed to Kenya will need to submit proof of their insurance through a pre-travel verification protocol during their ETA application at etakenya.go.ke. Any insurance that does not cover the minimums will automatically trigger a rejection of the ETA application.

Travelers granted an ETA should bring proof of their insurance with them to Kenya, as the Department of Immigration Services maintains the right to conduct secondary verification of insurance validity upon arrival in Kenya.

For clients arriving into Kenya in the immediate future, the Kenya Ministry of Health has “established alternative pathways” for travelers lacking pre-existing, compliant coverage. In these cases, travelers may purchase a compliant policy at the point of entry from an insurer licensed under the Kenya Insurance Act.