Kenyans will no longer book appointments to acquire Chinese visa

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Kenyan President William Ruto at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China on October 18, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua/Li Xueren)

By Dennis Tarus
Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Applicants who have already completed online appointments will be given priority for submitting their documents within the corresponding time slot at the appointment date by presenting the confirmation page upon arrival.

Kenyans seeking to travel to China will no longer be required to make visa appointments from 20 November 2023.

The Embassy in a statement on Tuesday said that in order to further facilitate the exchange of China and Kenya, it will completely cancel visa appointments from next week Monday.

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"Applicants can submit their visa applications directly to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Nairobi during working hours," the Embassy said.

However, the Embassy said the visa processing time limit and fees remain unchanged.

Applicants who have already completed online appointments will be given priority for submitting their documents within the corresponding time slot at the appointment date by presenting the confirmation page upon arrival.

The Embassy advised the applicants to avoid peak hours when submitting the application to avoid overcrowding and delays.

Notice of the Cancellation of Visa Application Appointments
In order to further facilitate the exchange of China and Kenya, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya will completely cancel visa appointments from November 20th, 2023. Applicants can submit their visa applications directly to… pic.twitter.com/PwE42cGiDL
— Chinese Embassy in Kenya (@ChineseEmbKenya) November 13, 2023

Kenya-China cooperation

The development comes barely a month after President Xi Jinping held talks with his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

During the talks, Xi pointed out the long history of friendship between China and Kenya for over 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations based on mutual trust and partnership for win-win cooperation.

"China approaches its relationship with Kenya from a strategic and long-term perspective and is ready to work with Kenya to promote the continued development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries," Xi said.

During his Beijing visit, Ruto highlighted Kenya's determination to bolster its economy through strategic partnerships, signalling a transformative shift towards a more inclusive growth model.

At the Kenya-China Investors' Roundtable, Ruto underscored the immense potential of the Kenyan market and the broader African landscape, emphasizing the need for Chinese investors to seize the opportunity for mutually beneficial collaboration.

Ruto stressed the critical role of investments in sustainable agriculture, eco-conscious agro-industrial practices, and equitable growth in the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise sectors.