FAQ's

1.) Do I need a visa to enter Kenya?

Citizens from most countries (including Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Australians and New Zealanders) now need to get a visa to enter Kenya. Regular visas cost US$ 50 or 35 Pounds sterling, and are valid for 90 days.

2.) Will I need to have a visa BEFORE entering Kenya?

Yes, if you are from either of these countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Senegal, Somali, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Yemen.

3.) When will I NOT need a visa to enter Kenya?

If you are a Nationality of the following countries: Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei-Darussalam, Cyprus, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands, Gambia, The, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

4.) Can I extend my visa?

You can renew your visa for another 3 months at the immigration offices in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Lamu and Malindi – although immigration officials in the last 3 cities may sometimes refer you back to the offices in Nairobi and Mombasa again. The total time you can stay in Kenya on a tourist visa is 6 months.

A visa extension costs Kshs. 2,200 and needs 2 photographs from you.

5.) What are the wedding requirements?

Residency in Kenya is 21 days. If this is not possible, a Special License can be obtained beforehand from the Registrar's Office in Kenya. With this, no period of residency is necessary.
You will need to produce your original birth certificates and valid 10-year passports or Identity cards.
A statutory declaration must be obtained stating that you are both single and free to marry. This must be stamped and sealed and state the words "solicitor", "notary public" or "Commissioner of Oaths". Handwritten documents are not accepted.
If you are divorced you must produce your Decree Absolute with a court stamp.
If either of you is widowed you must provide the death certificate of your deceased spouse.
If you are under 21years old, you will need to obtain parental consent in the form of a Statutory Declaration stamped and signed by a solicitor.
If your name has been changed by Deed Poll you must provide legal proof stamped and signed by a solicitor. This also applies if you are a divorced woman and have reverted back to your maiden name.

6.) When is a Special License issued?

A Special License can be granted to couples that are:

Unable to give 21-days Notice to the Registrar of Marriage and who wish to marry in a register office.
Unable to give 21-days Notice to the Registrar of Marriage and who wish to marry in a venue other than a register office.

Couples are required to notify both the Registrars’ Office and the church where they want to marry, 21days before the wedding day. Most couples from abroad fly in only a few days to their wedding. For this reason, they have to get a special License from the Registrar of Marriages to have their wedding recognized under the Marriage Act.

7.)What time should we get married?

For a legal marriage celebration, the marriage should be celebrated in a licensed place and must be between 8:00am and 6:00pm, before two witnesses.

More information can be obtained from the Registrars’ Office:

The Registrar of Marriages
Department of the Registrar General

Sheria House, Second Floor, Room 208
P. O. Box 30031
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 227 461
Fax: +254 20 215 651

Senior Assistant Registrar General
P. O. Box 80366
Mombasa, Kenya
Tel: +254 41 316 061/2

8.) How far in advance can we book our wedding venue?

The popular venues are booked more than a year in advance; we suggest that reservation of your special location be done before any other plans, to avoid disappointments.

9.) Who is a wedding Planner?

A Wedding Planner is a professional who specializes in planning weddings. She advises you and assists you so that you have all the information you need for the most spectacular wedding possible on a budget you can afford, and then you make all the final decisions.

10.) Do I need a wedding Planner?

Yes.

The reality is that few couples have the level of time in their schedules required to successfully plan, manage, and execute such an event effectively.

The Professional Wedding planner has long working relations with vendors and suppliers within the wedding industry, and because of the volume business, the wedding planner will be able to obtain discounts for their clients on the products and services they desire, or to negotiate much better prices. They will have answers to wedding questions you may have, or at least know where to find the answers.

The Professional Wedding planner will assist with drawing up budgets and adhere to them, develop important time-lines and schedules, in order to ensure that everything that needs to be done is taking place at the appropriate time.

The result: a stress-free and relaxed bride and groom who are free to celebrate and enjoy this day they have waited so long for.

11.) Can I hire a Wedding Planner for part of my wedding?

Yes.

The Wedding planner can do as much, or as little, as the couple would like. A bride and groom may choose to hire a wedding consultant simply for one comprehensive planning session, which will get their wedding plans off to an amazing start, or to oversee the planning from start to finish or use the services of the planner just on the wedding day itself, so that nothing is left to chance when the biggest day of their life finally arrives.

12.) How much will it cost to hire a Wedding Planner?

Couples today find the fees surprisingly affordable. Often the money a wedding planner saves the couple from the discounts obtained from the service providers, far surpasses the cost of the service.

The Charges range from a fixed rate fee or on a percentage of your wedding budget.

13.) What kind of wedding ceremony can I have?

You can choose from a religious ceremony in a church, a civil ceremony in the Register’s Office. If you are adventurous and want something out of the ordinary, you can have your wedding at the beautiful white sandy beaches, historical town of Lamu, in one of the many national parks with the magnificent wildlife as your witnesses or an air Butterfly theme wedding

Disclaimer

Aura Weddings and Events makes reasonable efforts to obtain data from reliable sources and to keep the contents reasonably accurate. However, specifications and requirements may change and Aura Weddings and Events cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the content or information. Please always check with the official authorities before proceeding. If you notice some outdated information please let us know.