Arriving at Nairobi Airport: A Guide for International Travellers
Everything that happens between the aircraft door and your hotel at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport — immigration and travel authorisation, baggage and customs, money and connectivity, and how to reach central Nairobi without being overcharged on your first hour in the country.
Before you book flights — check your own entry requirements
Kenya replaced visa-on-arrival with an Electronic Travel Authorisation that must be approved before you travel, and airlines can deny boarding without it. Requirements, exemptions and fees vary by nationality and are revised from time to time. This guide describes the arrival process, not your individual eligibility — always confirm your own case on the official Kenyan government portal at etakenya.go.ke and with your airline. Health entry rules, including yellow fever certification, depend on the countries you travel through as well as where you start.
Guide last reviewed 21 September 2026. JosraCab is a transport operator, not an immigration adviser.
Step by step
Your First Hour at JKIA, in Order
What actually happens between leaving the aircraft and stepping into a car, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
Health screening and disembarkation
You leave the aircraft into Terminal 1E, the international arrivals terminal. Where health screening is in operation you pass through it first. Kenya requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers arriving from, or transiting through, countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission — check whether that applies to your route before you fly.
Immigration
Most visitors now need an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) obtained online before departure — this replaced the old visa-on-arrival system, and airlines can deny boarding without it. Have the approval, your passport (valid at least six months beyond arrival), and your accommodation address ready. Queues are longest when several wide-body flights land together in the early morning.
Baggage reclaim
Screens in the hall list flights against belts. Trolleys are available in the baggage area. If a bag does not arrive, report it at the airline desk inside the baggage hall before you clear customs — it is considerably harder to resolve once you have left.
Customs
Take the green channel if you have nothing to declare, red if you do. Kenya banned single-use plastic bags in 2017 and the rule is enforced at the airport, so repack anything carried in one before you travel.
The arrivals hall
You come out into the public meeting area. This is where pre-booked drivers wait with name boards, and also where unlicensed touts approach arriving passengers. If you have booked a transfer, your driver is holding a board with your name and you already have their photo and plate number.
The drive into the city
The Nairobi Expressway runs from the airport into and past the city and bypasses the worst of the Mombasa Road traffic. Journey time to central Nairobi is usually well under an hour on the Expressway, against a great deal longer on the old road at peak times.
Getting into Nairobi
Five Ways to Reach the City — and Who Each One Suits
There is no single right answer. What matters is knowing what each option involves before you are standing in the arrivals hall deciding.
Characteristics of each option as they typically apply at JKIA. Third-party services vary by operator, driver and time of day.
Practical basics
What to Know Before You Land
Time, money, power, language and onward flights — the details that are obvious once you live here and invisible before you arrive.
Time zone
Kenya runs on East Africa Time (EAT), UTC+3, with no daylight saving. It does not shift, so a pickup time you agree in advance means the same thing all year.
Money
The currency is the Kenyan Shilling (KES). ATMs and bank-operated exchange counters are available in the arrivals area. Cards are widely accepted in Nairobi hotels, malls and restaurants, less so outside the cities.
Mobile money
M-Pesa is used for everyday payments across Kenya and often works where a card will not. It needs a local number, so most visitors pick up a SIM on arrival if they plan to use it.
SIM cards and data
Local SIMs are sold at the airport and registration requires your passport. An eSIM bought before you travel is the simpler option if your phone supports one, and means you have data the moment you land.
Power
Kenya uses the UK-style three-pin Type G socket at 240V. Bring an adapter if you are coming from a region that uses anything else.
Language
English and Swahili are both official languages. English is used in business, signage and government, so you will be understood throughout your stay without speaking any Swahili.
Onward domestic flights
Many safari and coastal flights leave from Wilson Airport, which is a different airport roughly half an hour from JKIA — not a terminal within it. If your itinerary has one, you need ground transport between the two and should allow real time for it.
Luggage on light aircraft
Safari flights out of Wilson usually restrict baggage to soft-sided bags and a low weight limit per passenger. Many Nairobi hotels will store a hard case while you are on safari.
Arriving safely
Is It Safe to Take a Taxi from Nairobi Airport?
Short answer: yes, if you have decided how you are getting to your hotel before you land. Here is what that means in practice.
Arrange your ride before you land
The single thing that removes most arrival risk. Walking into an unfamiliar airport at night with luggage and no plan is when travellers get overcharged. If a driver is already holding a board with your name, there is no decision to make while tired.
Decline anyone who approaches you
Unlicensed touts work the arrivals hall offering cheap rides, then raise the price once you are moving. Legitimate pre-booked drivers wait with a name board and do not solicit passengers. A polite no is all that is needed.
Check the car against your booking
Match the plate number and the driver name to what you were sent before you get in. If they do not match, do not travel — call the operator instead. Any reputable transfer company sends these details in advance precisely so you can check.
Know the price before the wheels turn
Whichever option you choose, agree the total first. A pre-booked transfer has this settled before you fly; in a rank taxi, settle it at the kerb rather than on arrival at your hotel.
Nairobi is fine — arrival logistics are the weak point
Ordinary precautions serve you well here as in any large city. The specific thing worth preparing is the airport-to-hotel leg, because it is the one moment you are tired, carrying everything you own, and have no local bearings.
Keep one offline copy of everything
Your ETA approval, accommodation address, transfer confirmation and driver details, saved where you can reach them without data. You may clear immigration before you have a working local connection.
Booking from abroad
Arranging Your Transfer Before You Fly
See the fare in your own currency
Prices are charged in Kenyan Shillings and can be shown in US dollars, euros or pounds so you can judge the cost against something familiar before committing.
Give us your flight number
We track the flight and move your pickup to the actual landing time. An early arrival or a long delay costs you nothing and needs no message from you.
Know your driver before you board
Driver name, photo and vehicle plate are sent ahead of your flight, so you can verify the car against your booking rather than trusting a stranger in an unfamiliar hall.
Any hour, including overnight
Long-haul arrivals into Nairobi are often very early or very late. Every arrival is covered around the clock at the same rate — there is no night surcharge.
Pay by card or mobile money
Payment is taken online by credit or debit card as well as by M-Pesa and Airtel Money, so you do not need local currency before you land.
Reach us on WhatsApp from anywhere
Message us before you fly, while you are in the air, or the moment you land. WhatsApp avoids international call charges and keeps the whole thread in one place.
Common questions
Arriving in Nairobi — Frequently Asked Questions
− Is it safe to take a taxi from Nairobi airport?
Yes, provided you use a pre-booked private transfer, the official airport taxi rank, or a licensed ride-hailing app. The risk is not taxis in general but unlicensed touts who approach arriving passengers inside the terminal and renegotiate once you are moving. A pre-booked transfer removes the problem entirely, because the driver is holding a board with your name and you already have their photo and plate number.
− How do I get from JKIA to Nairobi city centre?
The options are a pre-booked private transfer, a ride-hailing app, the airport taxi rank, a hotel shuttle where your property offers one, or public transport. A pre-booked transfer is the most predictable for a first arrival: the price is fixed before you fly, the driver meets you inside arrivals, and the Nairobi Expressway is used by default, which avoids the heaviest traffic on the old road.
− Do I need a visa or ETA to enter Kenya?
Most visitors now need an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation obtained online before travelling, which replaced the previous visa-on-arrival arrangement. Airlines can refuse boarding without it. Requirements differ by nationality and are revised from time to time, so confirm your own case on the Kenyan government ETA portal before you book flights.
+ Which terminal do international flights arrive at in Nairobi?
International arrivals at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are handled at Terminal 1E. Immigration, baggage reclaim and customs are all in that building, and you emerge into the public arrivals hall where drivers wait.
+ What happens if my flight is delayed and my driver is already waiting?
With a pre-booked JosraCab transfer we track your flight number and move the pickup to match the actual landing time, at no extra charge. Waiting time at arrivals is included, so an immigration queue or a slow bag does not cost you anything.
+ Can I pay for a Nairobi airport transfer in dollars, euros or pounds?
Fares are charged in Kenyan Shillings, which is the currency the service is priced and settled in. Prices can be displayed in US dollars, euros or pounds so you can see roughly what a trip costs in a currency you know before you commit, and payment is accepted online by card as well as by mobile money.
+ Should I get a SIM card at the airport or arrange data before I fly?
Either works. Local SIMs are sold at the airport and registration requires your passport. An eSIM arranged before departure is simpler and means you have a connection the moment you land, which matters if you intend to order a ride rather than arrive to a booked one.
+ How far is Wilson Airport from JKIA?
Wilson Airport is a separate airport on the other side of Nairobi, not a terminal within JKIA, and most safari and light-aircraft flights leave from there. The transfer between the two takes roughly half an hour in good conditions and longer at peak times, so build real margin into a same-day connection rather than treating it as an airport change.
+ Is it safe to land in Nairobi late at night?
Late arrivals are routine at JKIA and the airport operates around the clock. The thing to arrange is the onward leg: have a transfer booked so a named driver is waiting for you, rather than sorting out transport in an unfamiliar arrivals hall after a long flight. JosraCab operates 24 hours a day and monitors overnight arrivals the same as any other.
+ Can a driver meet me inside the terminal rather than at the kerb?
Yes. Pre-booked JosraCab airport transfers include meet and greet inside the arrivals hall, where the driver waits with a name board and helps with luggage. You receive the driver name, photo and vehicle plate before you travel so you know exactly who you are looking for.
+ What should I have ready before I reach immigration?
Your passport with at least six months validity remaining, your approved travel authorisation, the address of your accommodation, and a yellow fever certificate if your route requires one. Keep an offline copy of all of it, since you may not have a working local connection before you clear the hall.
+ Do you cover arrivals for safari and coastal onward travel?
Yes. JosraCab handles the JKIA connection to Wilson Airport for light-aircraft safari departures, and long-distance road transfers to destinations including Naivasha, Nakuru, Amboseli and the coast. Enter your route on the booking page and the fare is calculated from the actual distance before you pay.
Have a driver waiting when you land
Book before you fly and your driver meets you inside JKIA arrivals with a name board. Flight tracked, fare fixed in advance, any hour of the day or night.
Plan the rest of your trip