Arriving at JKIA: A Complete Guide to Getting Into Nairobi
From the moment your plane parks to the moment you check into your hotel - immigration, baggage, SIM cards, taxis and how to avoid the queues.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is the busiest gateway into East Africa and the first impression most visitors get of Kenya. Handled well it takes under an hour from the aircraft door to the arrivals kerb. Handled badly it can take three.
Before you land
Fill in your immigration card while you are still in the air - the crew usually hands them out about an hour before landing. Have your passport, your visa or eTA confirmation and your hotel address written down and accessible. A pen in your hand luggage saves an enormous amount of time.
Immigration
The e-passport gates have transformed arrivals for Kenyan citizens and residents. Visitors queue for the manual desks, which move steadily if you are prepared. Answer the officer clearly, give the address of your first night of accommodation, and keep the stamped slip safe - you will be asked for it when you leave.
Baggage and customs
Screens tell you which belt is yours. Trolleys are free. If a bag goes missing, the lost luggage desk is on the left before you exit customs and you will need your baggage receipt from check-in.
The green channel is for nothing to declare. If you are carrying anything questionable, use the red channel - the fines for failing to declare are far more painful than the queue.
Money, SIM cards and connectivity
There are ATMs and forex bureaus in the arrivals hall. Rates at the airport are not the best in town, so change only what you need for the first day. Safaricom and Airtel both sell tourist SIM cards with data at the airport and the process takes ten minutes.
Getting into the city
The taxi touts inside the arrivals hall are not your friends. Agree a price before you get into any vehicle, or better still arrange a transfer in advance.
A pre-booked transfer removes every one of these decisions. Your driver waits with a name board, tracks your flight so a delay costs you nothing, and drives you directly to your hotel door at a price agreed before you travelled.
The practical checklist
- Passport, visa or eTA, and a printed hotel address
- A pen for the immigration card
- Local currency for the first day, or a card that works in the ATMs
- A pre-booked transfer with your flight number supplied
- Your driver contact saved on WhatsApp before you land