Park fees for Kenyan citizens living abroad

Which document to carry, and where citizen rates apply.

Kenyans in the U.S.. Updated November 2026. 3 min read.

Park fees are one of the biggest costs of a Kenya safari, and the gap between what a Kenyan citizen and a foreign visitor pays is large. If you are Kenyan and live in the U.S., you may be paying the visitor rate without needing to. Here is how the categories work and what to carry.

Three categories

Kenya Wildlife Service, which runs the national parks, charges by category. Its 2025 fee regulations, in force since October 1, 2025, set rates for Kenyan citizens, East African citizens, residents and non-residents. A resident, in those rules, is someone who is not a Kenyan or East African citizen but lives in Kenya on a valid permit. A Kenyan citizen is a citizen wherever they live.

The regulations ask Kenyan citizens to show valid identification. In practice that means your Kenyan national ID card or your Kenyan passport. If you travel on a U.S. passport alone, expect to be treated as a non-resident.

Carry your Kenyan national ID or Kenyan passport on every park day, even if you flew in on a U.S. passport
For children who are Kenyan citizens, carry their Kenyan passport if they have one, and their birth certificate
Spouses and friends who are not Kenyan pay the rate for their own category
Book through us and we price each person at the rate they qualify for

An elephant herd crossing the open Amboseli plains

Where the rules differ

Not every park is run by Kenya Wildlife Service. The Maasai Mara National Reserve is managed by Narok County, Samburu by its county, and private conservancies such as those around the Mara and in Laikipia set their own fees. Most publish separate rates for Kenyan citizens, but the amounts and the documents they accept differ. We check each one for your dates before you pay.

A hot-air balloon drifts over wildebeest herds on the Maasai Mara plains — The Maasai Mara is a county reserve, so its fees are set by Narok County, not Kenya Wildlife Service.

Lodges and camps

Many lodges also offer citizen or resident rates, sometimes far below their international prices, especially outside July to October. These are the lodges' own offers and they change by season. Ask us: we quote citizen rates wherever your family qualifies.

Bring the green ID. It is the cheapest thing you will pack.

Sources and official links

Karibu Kenya. Why Kenya, and why us

Everything in one trip
The great safari parks, the Indian Ocean coast, mountains, lakes and more than forty cultures, all in one country.
Conservation that works
Community conservancies and rhino sanctuaries where tourism pays for wildlife and the people who live beside it.
Easy from the U.S.
Apply for the eTA online and fly nonstop from New York to Nairobi, or one stop from most U.S. cities.
Planned by Kenyans
Kenyan guides and hosts, two U.S. companies behind you, and the option to pay monthly with no deposit.

Plan a trip Upcoming trips

Common questions

Do Kenyans living in the U.S. pay citizen park fees?

Kenya Wildlife Service charges citizen rates to Kenyan citizens who show valid identification, wherever they live. Carry your Kenyan national ID or Kenyan passport. On a U.S. passport alone you are likely to pay the non-resident rate.

I'm a dual citizen. Which passport should I use?

Enter Kenya on whichever passport you choose, but carry your Kenyan ID or Kenyan passport into the parks so you can be charged the citizen rate.

Does the Maasai Mara have citizen rates?

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is run by Narok County, which sets its own fees, including rates for Kenyan citizens. Private conservancies around it set their own. We confirm them for your dates.

Do my non-Kenyan spouse and friends get the citizen rate?

No. Each person pays the rate for their own category: citizen, East African citizen, resident or non-resident.

When did park fees last change?

Kenya Wildlife Service's current fee regulations took effect on October 1, 2025. Check the KWS fee schedule, or ask us, for the current amounts.

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