Planning Paris, Rome or Amsterdam but scared of losing KES 16,000 to a refusal letter?
A Schengen visa for Kenyans costs €90 for adults (about KES 13,350) plus a service fee of about €20 at VFS Global. It covers up to 90 days in any 180 day period across 29 countries. Apply up to six months before you fly. Decisions usually take 15 calendar days.
Title sponsorAlumni Golf Challenge
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Golf is part of who we are, so we put our name behind the Alumni Golf Challenge. Want more golf after the day? Tell us when you are free. We book your tee time at Karen, Muthaiga or Vipingo Ridge and sort the transfers and the stay.
- Visa fee€90 adultAbout KES 13,350, paid in shillings
- Child 6 to 11€45Under 6 is free
- Service feeAbout €20VFS Global, varies by embassy
- Processing15 calendar daysCan stretch to 45 days
- Stay allowedUp to 90 daysIn any 180 day period
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A Schengen visa for Kenyans is the short stay visa that lets you visit France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and 23 other European countries on one sticker. Kenyan passport holders need it for holidays, family visits and business trips. You cannot get it on arrival.
The good news is that the process is the same for every Schengen country. You pick the right embassy, book an appointment, give your fingerprints and wait about two weeks. This guide gives you the fees in shillings, the documents that matter and the mistakes that cause most refusals. Visa rules change. Authentic Adventures checks the current rule with the embassy when you book.
Highlights
- Adult visa fee is €90, about KES 13,350 at the VFS rate
- Children 6 to 11 pay €45 and children under 6 pay nothing
- Apply at the embassy of the country where you spend the most nights
- Apply no earlier than six months and no later than 15 days before travel
- Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover is mandatory
- Fingerprints and a photo are now also taken at the border under the new EES system
- Kenyans do not need ETIAS because they already need a visa
Schengen visa costs for Kenyan applicants
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult visa, 12 years and above | €90 (about KES 13,350) | Paid in shillings at the daily rate |
| Child visa, 6 to 11 years | €45 (about KES 6,700) | Same documents as adults plus birth certificate |
| Child under 6 | Free | Service fee may still apply |
| VFS Global service fee | About €20 (about KES 2,970) | Rate shown for Finland at VFS Nairobi |
| Optional extras | Varies | SMS updates, courier, premium lounge |
| Travel insurance | From about KES 3,000 | Depends on days, age and insurer |
- Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.
- Shilling amounts move with the exchange rate set by the embassy or VFS.
- Authentic Adventures confirms the current fee for your embassy when you book.
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Do Kenyans need a Schengen visa?
Yes. Kenyan passport holders need a Schengen visa before they fly to any Schengen country. The short stay visa, called a type C visa, allows up to 90 days in any 180 day period. It covers tourism, family visits, business meetings and short courses.
The Schengen area now has 29 countries. Bulgaria and Romania became full members in January 2025. The UK, Ireland and Cyprus are not part of it, so they need separate visas. For the UK see our UK visa guide for Kenyans.
How much is the Schengen visa for Kenyans in shillings?
The visa fee is €90 for anyone 12 and older. At the rate VFS Global Nairobi publishes, that is about KES 13,350. Children aged 6 to 11 pay €45. Children under 6 pay nothing.
On top of that you pay a service fee to the visa centre. For Finland at VFS Nairobi it is €20, about KES 2,970. Other embassies are similar. Budget roughly KES 16,500 per adult before insurance. Payment at VFS is by Mpesa. Keep your receipt because the embassy wants proof of payment.
Which embassy should you apply to?
Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If you split nights equally, apply to the country you enter first. That is the rule in the EU Visa Code. There is no legal way to choose an easier embassy.
Kenyans sent over 60,000 Schengen applications in 2024, according to research by LAGO Collective reported by HapaKenya. In 2023 about 23 percent were refused. Most refusals come from weak paperwork, not from the embassy you choose. A clear plan beats embassy shopping every time.
Schengen visa for Kenyans: what documents do you need?
Every embassy has its own checklist, but the core papers are the same. Bring originals and copies. The embassy does not return documents. Our guide to travel insurance for Kenyans shows which covers meet the rule.
- Kenyan passport valid three months after you leave Europe, with two blank pages
- Completed and signed application form
- Two recent passport photos, 35 by 45 mm, white background
- Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover for the whole trip
- Return flight reservation (a paid ticket is not required)
- Hotel bookings or an invitation letter for every night
- Bank statements for the last three to six months, stamped by the bank
- Employment letter and payslips, or business registration and KRA PIN if self employed
- Cover letter with your day by day plan and ties to Kenya
How long does a Schengen visa for Kenyans take?
Most embassies decide within 15 calendar days of your appointment. In busy months or when they need more checks it can take 30 days. In rare cases it takes up to 45 days.
You can apply up to six months before you travel. The latest you should apply is 15 calendar days before. In practice, apply six to eight weeks ahead for April, July, August and December trips. Appointment slots in Nairobi fill fast in those months.
Where do you apply in Nairobi?
Most Schengen embassies use an outside visa centre. Several use VFS Global in Nairobi, including Finland. France moved its visa intake to TLScontact in November 2024. Some embassies still take applications directly. Always book through the official embassy or visa centre website, never through a stranger on WhatsApp.
At the centre you give ten fingerprints and a photo. If you gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months, some embassies may reuse them. Your passport comes back to the visa centre for collection or courier.
What are EES and ETIAS and do they affect Kenyans?
EES is the new Entry Exit System at Schengen borders. It went fully live on 10 April 2026, according to the French foreign ministry. It records your face and fingerprints when you enter and leave. It replaces passport stamps. You do nothing before you travel. Just allow extra time at the airport.
ETIAS is a separate online travel permit for visa free nationals such as Americans. It is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 and will cost €20. Kenyans do not need ETIAS because the Schengen visa already covers you.
Why are Schengen visa applications from Kenya refused?
Refusal letters usually tick one of a few boxes. Fix these before you submit and your chances improve a lot.
- A large deposit just before applying with no history to explain it
- Hotel bookings that do not match the flight dates
- No clear reason to return, such as a job, business or studies
- Insurance that does not cover all Schengen countries or all travel days
- A plan that spends most nights in a different country from the embassy you used
How Authentic Adventures helps with your Europe trip
We plan the trip first and the paperwork follows. You get a day by day itinerary, refundable hotel bookings, flight reservations and insurance that meets the €30,000 rule. We then check your file against the embassy checklist before your appointment.
Paying for Europe in one go is hard. Our holiday payment plans let you pay a deposit and clear the balance in instalments. If Europe feels far, look at Turkey holidays from Nairobi or our list of visa free countries for Kenyans.
Questions people ask
How much is a Schengen visa for Kenyans?
The visa fee is €90 for adults, about KES 13,350 at the VFS Nairobi rate. Children aged 6 to 11 pay €45 and children under 6 pay nothing. Add a visa centre service fee of about €20. The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused, so check every document before you pay.
How long does a Schengen visa take in Kenya?
Most embassies decide within 15 calendar days of your biometrics appointment. Busy periods or extra checks can push it to 30 days and in rare cases 45 days. Apply six to eight weeks before peak travel months so you have time for a delay or a second appointment.
Which Schengen country is easiest for Kenyans?
No embassy is officially easier. You must apply to the country where you spend the most nights, or where you enter first if nights are equal. Choosing an embassy only because it seems easy can lead to refusal. A clear plan, steady bank history and proper bookings matter far more than the embassy.
How much money should be in my bank account for a Schengen visa?
Embassies do not publish one fixed amount for Kenyans. They want to see enough money for your whole trip and a steady income pattern. A sudden large deposit raises questions. Show three to six months of stamped statements, plus a sponsor letter and their statements if someone else is paying.
Do Kenyans need ETIAS to travel to Europe?
No. ETIAS is only for travellers from visa free countries. Kenyans need a full Schengen visa instead. You will, however, go through the new EES border check, where officers take your photo and fingerprints on arrival. It replaces passport stamps and needs no action before you travel.
Can I visit the UK with a Schengen visa?
No. The UK is not in the Schengen area. Kenyans need a separate UK Standard Visitor visa, which costs £135 and usually takes about three weeks. Ireland and Cyprus also need separate visas. If your trip covers London and Paris, plan both applications and start with the one that takes longer.
Sources we checked: VFS Global Finland visa information for Kenya (fees in KES, processing, insurance); European Commission: applying for a Schengen visa; Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi: visa application fees; French foreign ministry: EES goes live 10 April 2026, ETIAS status; French Embassy in Kenya: visa outsourcing from 5 November 2024; HapaKenya: Kenyan Schengen applications and refusals (LAGO Collective data). Rules and fees change, so we confirm them again when you book.
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