- Author: Raymond
- Category: Travel Insurance in Kenya
Kenya Inbound Travel Insurance Providers & eCitizen Guide
See Kenya's mandated inbound travel health insurance providers and learn how visitors can buy cover through the official eCitizen insurance platform.
Kenya mandatory travel insurance providers; buy Kenya travel insurance on eCitizen; insurance.ecitizen.go.ke; Kenya visitor health insurance; inbound travel insurance Kenya 2026
Kenya's official eCitizen insurance platform currently lists seven participating providers for inbound travel health insurance. Learn who they are, what the statutory cover includes and how to buy and retrieve your policy online.
Author: Raymond Momanyi, Founder & CEO, Imana Insurance Agency Kenya Ltd
Last reviewed: 17 October 2026
Featured-image alt text: Kenya inbound travel health insurance providers available through the official eCitizen insurance platform
Kenya's Mandated Inbound Travel Health Insurance Providers: How to Buy Cover Through eCitizen
Foreign visitors preparing to enter Kenya are now encountering a new question during their travel planning: Which insurance company should I choose for Kenya's mandatory inbound travel health insurance?
The official eCitizen insurance platform currently displays seven participating insurance brands for the programme:
- AAR Insurance
- Britam
- CIC Group
- First Assurance
- Pioneer Insurance
- Fidelity Insurance
- Star Discover General
These providers appear within the government-linked insurance journey established for visitors who are required to obtain inbound travel health insurance before entering Kenya.
This guide explains who the participating providers are, what the mandatory policy is intended to cover, how to purchase it through insurance.ecitizen.go.ke and how the policy connects with the Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation process.
Quick answer: where should a visitor buy the mandatory policy?
Buy the policy through Kenya's official eCitizen Insurance portal:
https://insurance.ecitizen.go.ke/
Select Inbound Travel Health Insurance, enter the traveller's details, review the available insurer and policy information, pay through the official checkout and download the issued policy.
Travellers whose nationality or status requires an eTA may also be prompted to obtain insurance while applying through https://etakenya.go.ke/.
Use only the official government portals. Avoid links sent through unverified messages, social-media comments or websites imitating eCitizen.
Why are several insurers participating?
Kenya's mandatory inbound travel health insurance must be provided under the applicable Kenyan legal and regulatory framework. The official portal presents participating insurers so that travellers can obtain the required policy digitally through an authorised channel.
Having several participating providers does not mean a traveller must buy seven policies. The applicant selects one appropriate offering and receives one individual policy certificate for the traveller.
It also does not mean every insurer in Kenya participates in this particular digital programme. Travellers should rely on the current list displayed on the official portal because providers and offerings can change.
The participating inbound travel health insurance providers
The providers below are listed on the official eCitizen Inbound Travel Health Insurance page as of 17 October 2026.
1. AAR Insurance
AAR is an established health and general insurance brand in Kenya. Its broader insurance portfolio includes medical and travel-related products.
For the mandatory inbound programme, travellers should assess only the offering and policy documents displayed through the official eCitizen platform. AAR's ordinary travel or medical products should not automatically be assumed to be identical to the statutory inbound policy.
2. Britam
Britam is a Kenyan financial-services group offering general insurance, life assurance, health, investments and other financial solutions. It also has experience with travel insurance products covering risks such as medical emergencies, evacuation, baggage and travel disruption.
The inbound policy available through eCitizen remains a specific programme. Applicants should read the document generated by the portal rather than relying on the features of another Britam travel product.
3. CIC Group
CIC Group is a Kenyan insurance group serving individuals, businesses and organised groups across several insurance classes. The group includes general and health insurance operations.
Where CIC appears as an available choice on eCitizen, the traveller should review the exact insurer name, policy terms, assistance contacts and claims instructions displayed before checkout.
4. First Assurance
First Assurance offers personal and corporate insurance products in Kenya, including conventional travel insurance. Its wider travel products can include medical and emergency assistance, evacuation, repatriation and other travel-related benefits, depending on the selected plan.
Those wider products should not be confused with the mandatory inbound policy. For entry compliance, rely on the certificate and benefit wording issued through the official programme.
5. Pioneer Insurance
Pioneer Insurance is one of the insurance companies displayed as participating in Kenya's inbound travel health insurance programme.
Travellers considering Pioneer should review the quotation, policy schedule, claims contact, emergency-assistance process and applicable provider information shown on eCitizen before paying.
6. Fidelity Insurance
Fidelity Insurance is also displayed among the participating companies on the official inbound travel health insurance page.
As with every provider, the brand name is only the starting point. The issued documents should confirm who underwrites the policy, how assistance is accessed and where a claim must be submitted.
7. Star Discover General
Star Discover General appears on the official portal's current list of participating insurance companies.
Before selecting it—or any other provider—travellers should confirm the exact company name on the quotation and certificate, the policy period, benefits, exclusions and claims channels.
Does every provider offer exactly the same cover?
Every qualifying mandatory inbound policy must satisfy the prescribed statutory requirements. The official portal currently presents a cumulative policy benefit limit of up to US$50,000, with stated benefits including:
- Emergency medical transportation: up to US$25,000
- Medical expenses: up to US$20,000
- Repatriation of mortal remains: up to US$5,000
- Mental illness treatment or assistance: up to US$1,000
- Prescribed medicines: up to US$300
These figures are benefit limits, not the price of the insurance and not guaranteed cash payments.
Even where statutory minimum benefits are standardised, practical differences may still exist in the policy wording, assistance arrangements, medical-provider access, claims administration, communication channels and any additional services displayed by an insurer.
Always review the actual quotation and policy before paying.
How should a traveller choose among the participating insurers?
The official portal may present available insurer offerings during the quotation process. Do not choose purely because you recognise a logo.
Consider the following:
Confirm the underwriter's identity
Check the legal insurer name on the quotation and policy certificate. Save the insurer's claims and emergency-assistance contacts separately from the eCitizen login.
Read the policy period
The official portal currently describes the cover as applying for 90 days. Confirm the exact commencement and expiry dates on your own certificate, particularly if your travel schedule changes.
Check the hospital and assistance process
The eCitizen page says the policy provides access at accredited hospitals across Kenya's 47 counties. Confirm whether treatment is cashless, requires pre-authorisation or works through reimbursement.
Understand exclusions and conditions
Minimum benefits do not mean every medical event is automatically payable. Review exclusions involving pre-existing conditions, planned treatment, high-risk activities, alcohol or substance use, non-medical travel costs and failure to follow the assistance procedure.
Check how claims are initiated
Know whether you must contact a 24-hour assistance centre before treatment, except in a genuine emergency. Keep the claims email, telephone number and policy reference accessible offline.
Compare the final amount at checkout
Look at the full amount before authorising payment. The insurance premium and any applicable access, convenience or payment-gateway charges should be clearly distinguished.
How to buy Kenya's inbound travel health insurance through eCitizen
The application can be completed online using a mobile phone, tablet or computer.
Step 1: Open the official insurance portal
Go directly to:
https://insurance.ecitizen.go.ke/
Check the spelling carefully. The address should end in .go.ke.
Step 2: Select Inbound Travel Health Insurance
The insurance dashboard currently displays more than one service. Choose Inbound Travel Health Insurance, not Marine Cargo Insurance or another insurance class.
Step 3: Choose nationality and applicant type
Enter the passport-issuing country and indicate whether the application is for one traveller or includes several family members.
Each person who is required to hold the policy should be individually identified. The official portal states that every traveller must have an individual policy certificate, including applicable minors and dependants.
Step 4: Provide passport details
Upload or scan a clear, high-resolution image of the passport biographical page. The portal may use optical character recognition to extract the passport information.
Check every field after scanning. Technology can misread letters, numbers or name order.
Step 5: Complete the selfie or photograph verification
Provide the requested live selfie or photograph. Make sure the traveller's face is clear, the lighting is adequate and the image is not obscured by sunglasses, shadows or another person.
Step 6: Enter contact and travel information
Provide accurate details including:
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Arrival date
- Planned departure date
- Counties or destinations to be visited, where requested
- Emergency contact
- Purpose of travel
Use an email address the traveller can access throughout the journey because the policy and payment confirmation may be delivered electronically.
Step 7: Review the participating insurer offerings
The platform's purchase journey includes the stages Select Insurer, Review Offering and Your Quote.
Read the displayed information before selecting a provider. Confirm the insurer, premium, policy duration, benefit limits and any important terms.
Step 8: Proceed to checkout and pay
Use one of the payment methods accepted by the portal. Confirm that the web address remains within the official process before entering card or payment details.
Do not refresh the browser repeatedly or submit a second payment immediately if the page responds slowly. First check the payment status, email and insurance-status function.
Step 9: Download the PDF policy
After successful payment, the official process says the digital policy is sent to the applicant's email. Download and save:
- The policy certificate
- Policy schedule
- Insurance reference number
- Payment receipt
- Policy wording
- Emergency-assistance details
Keep copies on the traveller's phone and in cloud storage, and carry a printed copy where practical.
Step 10: Confirm that the policy status is valid
Use the Search Status function on the insurance portal to retrieve or confirm the policy record. Check that the traveller's passport number and policy status are correct.
How the insurance connects to the Kenya eTA
The insurance policy and the eTA are different documents.
- etakenya.go.ke processes permission to travel.
- insurance.ecitizen.go.ke issues or facilitates the inbound travel health policy.
Travellers who require an eTA may be prompted to purchase the policy during their eTA application. If the policy was purchased separately through eCitizen, the eTA system may locate it using the traveller's passport details.
For this connection to work smoothly, the following information should match exactly across both platforms:
- Passport number
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Passport used for the journey
An insurance policy does not create or approve an eTA. An approved eTA is also not a substitute for the insurance certificate.
Read our separate guide: Kenya eTA vs eCitizen Insurance Portal: What Is the Difference?
Who is required to buy the inbound policy?
The official insurance page currently says the mandatory category includes non-Kenyan visitors entering for short stays, subject to stated exemptions. It specifically identifies tourism, business, conferences and family visits, as well as travellers from African countries outside the East African Community who may be exempt from an eTA but not necessarily exempt from the insurance requirement.
The portal currently states that the cover applies to visitors staying for less than three months. Earlier statutory and public communications have sometimes referred to stays of less than 12 months. Because official wording has evolved, travellers should follow the current portal decision for their category and seek official clarification where the intended stay exceeds 90 days.
Who is currently listed as exempt?
The eCitizen insurance page currently identifies exemptions including:
- Kenyan citizens
- Holders of valid Kenyan residence status
- Citizens of East African Community partner states
- Persons seeking asylum
- Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports
- Qualifying crew members with valid employer-provided health insurance or those remaining within the port of entry
- Transit passengers who do not seek entry into Kenya
The portal text contains some inconsistency elsewhere concerning refugee and stateless status. Applicants in these categories should obtain confirmation directly from the relevant government authority instead of relying on a secondary summary.
Do children need individual policies?
The official programme states that each qualifying traveller needs an individual policy certificate. The page specifically refers to each child above three years needing an individual policy.
Parents should follow the decision produced by the official portal for each child and confirm that every traveller who requires cover appears on an issued certificate. Do not assume that a parent's policy automatically includes children.
Does existing international travel insurance replace the mandatory policy?
The official eCitizen insurance FAQ currently describes the inbound policy as a separate statutory requirement and says a traveller may retain an existing travel policy as well.
This matters because a conventional international policy may contain wider benefits—such as baggage, cancellation, delay or personal liability—that may not be included in the mandatory inbound product.
Minimum entry compliance and comprehensive travel protection are not always the same thing.
What happens if payment succeeds but no policy arrives?
Do not pay again immediately.
First:
- Check the email inbox and spam folder.
- Confirm whether the payment was completed or remains pending.
- Use the portal's Search Status function.
- Search using the same passport details entered during purchase.
- Save the payment reference and any confirmation screen.
- Contact the official portal or issuing insurer using the support details displayed in the transaction.
A second purchase could create duplicate policies or charges.
What should a traveller do during a medical emergency in Kenya?
Safety comes first. Seek urgent medical assistance where delay would put life or health at risk.
As soon as reasonably possible:
- Contact the insurer's emergency-assistance number
- Quote the policy and passport numbers
- Confirm whether pre-authorisation is required
- Ask which accredited hospital should be used
- Keep medical reports, prescriptions, invoices and receipts
- Record the names of the people contacted and claim-reference numbers
The exact claim procedure depends on the issuing insurer and policy wording.
Can Imana sell the mandatory government-linked policy?
The mandated inbound policy should be purchased through the officially designated eTA or eCitizen insurance process.
Imana Insurance Agency Kenya Ltd can explain insurance terminology and help visitors, tour operators, employers and families compare additional travel insurance from licensed Kenyan insurers where broader protection is required. Imana does not issue eTAs, make immigration decisions or guarantee entry into Kenya.
For quotation comparison, visit imanainsurance.com or review travel insurance options in Kenya.
For travel planning, accommodation, tours and activities, visit MyKava Travel and Tours Agency. Insurance services remain handled separately through Imana Insurance Agency Kenya Ltd.
Final checklist before travelling to Kenya
- Verify whether you require an eTA
- Verify separately whether the inbound policy applies to you
- Purchase only through the official eCitizen or linked eTA journey
- Compare the participating insurer information displayed by the portal
- Use passport details exactly as printed
- Check all traveller names before paying
- Download the policy and receipt
- Confirm that the policy status is valid
- Save the insurer's emergency and claims contacts
- Carry both the eTA and insurance proof where required
- Recheck official guidance shortly before departure
Final word
Kenya's seven participating inbound travel health insurance providers give visitors a choice within one regulated digital process. The most important decision is not simply which logo looks familiar. It is whether the traveller understands the issued policy, can access emergency assistance and has correctly connected the cover to the passport used for travel.
Use the official eCitizen platform, review before paying and keep the policy close. In travel, clarity is its own kind of protection.
About the author
Raymond Momanyi is the Founder & CEO of Imana Insurance Agency Kenya Ltd, a Westlands-based insurance intermediary helping individuals, families and businesses compare quotations from licensed Kenyan insurers across Travel, Medical, Motor, WIBA, PSV, Motorcycle, Cyber, SME/Corporate and other insurance classes.
Contact Imana
Call/WhatsApp: +254 796 209 402
Office: 4th Floor, Krishna Centre, Woodvale Grove, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
Websites: imanainsurance.com | imana.co.ke | mykava.co.ke
Disclaimer: This article provides general information based on the official portal as reviewed on 17 October 2026. Participating insurers, eligibility rules, premiums, benefit descriptions, exemptions and portal processes may change. Cover is subject to the selected insurer's policy terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and claims procedures. Confirm all requirements through the official eCitizen Insurance and Kenya eTA portals before travelling. Imana Insurance Agency Kenya Ltd does not control either government portal or make immigration decisions.
