Nairobi
Kenya
- Entry
- Travel authorisation online before departure
- Health
- Yellow fever certificate often requested
Before you fly
Travel Guide
Passports, visas, vaccinations, baggage and money — the practical things that decide whether your journey starts smoothly.
Step one
Your passport
The most common reason people are stopped at check-in is a passport problem, and it is almost always avoidable.
- Most countries we fly to want at least 6 months validity remaining from the date you arrive — not from the date you booked.
- Many African countries want at least 2 completely blank pages. A full passport can mean refused boarding.
- Your name on the ticket must match your passport exactly. Middle names, hyphens and spellings all count.
- Damaged passports are refused — water damage, a loose cover or a torn page is enough.
Tell us straight away about a name mismatch
Once tickets are issued a correction may cost money, and on some fares it is not possible at all.
Entry
Visas and travel authorisations
Requirements depend on your nationality, not where you live. A British passport, a Kenyan passport and an Indian passport on the same flight can each need something different.
Transit counts too. Connecting through a third country can require a transit visa even without leaving the airport, and some connections make you collect and re-check bags, which means clearing immigration.
Entebbe
Uganda
- Entry
- E-visa applied for in advance
- Health
- Yellow fever certificate required
Lagos
Nigeria
- Entry
- Visa arranged in advance — allow weeks
- Health
- Yellow fever certificate required
Accra
Ghana
- Entry
- Visa arranged in advance — allow weeks
- Health
- Yellow fever certificate required
Dubai
UAE
- Entry
- British passports normally granted entry on arrival
- Health
- No special certificate normally required
Istanbul
Türkiye
- Entry
- British passports normally visa-free for short stays
- Health
- No special certificate normally required
These are general guides for common nationalities and they change without notice. Confirm the current rules for your own passport at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice before booking anything non-refundable — or just ask us.
Health
Vaccinations and health
This matters more on our routes than on most.
Yellow fever
A yellow fever certificate is an entry requirement for several countries we fly to, including Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria, and is frequently requested for Kenya. Without it you can be refused entry, vaccinated at the border at your own cost, or quarantined.
The certificate is valid 10 days after vaccination
You cannot leave this to the last week. It is issued only at registered yellow fever centres, not at every GP surgery.
Malaria
Much of East and West Africa is malarial. Antimalarial tablets are prescribed, some must be started before departure, and the right one depends on the region and on you. Repellent and covering up at dusk matter as much as the tablets.
Start all of this 6 to 8 weeks before you travel. Country-specific guidance: NHS Fit for Travel and Travel Health Pro.
Protection
Travel insurance
Buy it on the day you book, not the week you fly. The cancellation cover only protects you against things that happen after the policy starts.
- Medical treatment and repatriation — the part that actually matters. An air ambulance home runs into tens of thousands of pounds.
- Pre-existing conditions, declared honestly. An undeclared condition can void the whole policy, not just that claim.
- Baggage and valuables, with a per-item limit high enough to matter.
A GHIC card is not travel insurance
It does not apply to any of the destinations in this guide.
Pilgrimage
Performing Umrah
Umrah is different from an ordinary trip, so plan it differently.
Before you go
Meningitis ACWY vaccination is a Saudi entry requirement for Umrah, and the certificate must normally be dated at least 10 days before arrival. Your Umrah visa is arranged in advance, and requirements have changed several times in recent years — confirm before booking anything non-refundable.
Where you stay matters most
Distance from the Haram shapes the whole trip. A hotel a few hundred metres closer changes your day completely — in Ramadan, in heat, or if anyone in your group has limited mobility. It is usually worth paying for proximity rather than room size.
Ask us about the walking distance, not just the star rating. We will tell you honestly.
What to pack
- Ihram garments, plus a spare set
- Unscented soap and toiletries — scented products are avoided in ihram
- Easily removable sandals, and a cloth bag to carry them
- A refillable water bottle — dehydration tires most pilgrims, not distance
- Medication in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription
At the airport
Baggage
Rules differ enormously between airlines, and on our African routes people travel heavy. Getting this wrong at the airport is expensive.
- Your allowance depends on the airline, route and fare. Two people on the same aircraft can have different allowances.
- Excess bought at the airport costs far more than extra allowance bought in advance. Tell us before you fly and we will add it.
- Hand luggage limits are enforced strictly now, and gate checks are common.
- Never pack medication, documents, keys or valuables in checked luggage.
- Label the inside and outside of every bag. Unlabelled bags are the ones that go missing permanently.
Carrying gifts or electronics in quantity?
Several countries we fly to charge duty on items that look commercial. Check the customs allowance for your destination.
Practical
Money
- Tell your bank you are travelling, or your card may be blocked on the first transaction.
- Carry two cards from different providers, kept in different places.
- Airport exchange rates are the worst you will find.
- In several of our destinations cash still rules outside the main hotels. US dollars are widely accepted in parts of East Africa — but notes must be recent and unmarked, as older series are often refused outright.
- When a card machine offers to charge you in pounds instead of the local currency, decline. That rate is set by the machine and never in your favour.
Getting there
Flights and connections
- Book the connection, not just the cheapest pair of flights. One ticket through one airline means that airline is responsible if the first leg is late. Two separate tickets means a missed connection is entirely your problem.
- A 60-minute connection at a large hub is optimistic, especially if you change terminals.
- Check in online as soon as it opens, or families get split up.
- Arrive 3 hours before a long-haul departure — our routes see long check-in queues.
- Confirm your flight times 24 hours before departure. Schedules move.
Final check
Before you leave home
- Passport in date, with enough validity and blank pages
- Visa or travel authorisation approved — including for transits
- Vaccination certificates packed, not just administered
- Travel insurance bought, policy number saved on your phone
- Checked in online, boarding passes saved offline
- Baggage allowance confirmed, extra bought in advance if needed
- Bank notified, two cards packed in different places
- Copies of passport, visa and insurance kept separately
- Someone at home has your itinerary
- Medication in hand luggage, in its original packaging
Not sure about something?
Ask us to check a requirement for your own passport and route. That is what you get by booking with a real agency rather than a website.
This guide is general information, not personal advice. Entry, visa and health requirements change without notice and differ by nationality. Always confirm the current rules for your own circumstances before you travel.