Kenya Sets $50,000 Minimum Coverage Threshold for Mandatory Visitor Health Insurance
Kenya has published the minimum benefit requirements for its planned mandatory travel health insurance for foreign visitors, with a cumulative coverage limit of $50,000. Published in a special issue of the Kenya Gazette on 30 July 2026 and signed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the notice breaks down coverage into medical expenses ($20,000), emergency medical transportation ($25,000), prescribed medications ($300), mental health care ($1,000) and repatriation of mortal remains ($5,000). The requirement must be provided by insurers licensed under Kenyan law, though the cost of the policy has not yet been announced.
The legal foundation for mandatory visitor health insurance has been in place since Kenya's Social Health Insurance Act of 2023, with supporting regulations adopted in 2024. However, key practical details - including the implementation date, whether coverage must be obtained before or on arrival, possible exemptions and the acceptance of foreign-issued policies - remain unconfirmed. Proof of insurance is not yet listed among the documents required on Kenya's official eTA portal. The development mirrors similar moves across the region: Zanzibar has required visitors to purchase a mandatory $44 local insurance policy since October 2024, while Mainland Tanzania is still finalising its own equivalent framework.
Source: Visa News
