The Chinese Embassy has announced the removal of visa appointments for Kenyans, starting November 20, 2023, a move to ease the process for local travelers to the East Asian economic powerhouse.
According to the statement released by the embassy, Kenyans seeking a Chinese visa submit their applications directly to the Visa Application Service Centre in Nairobi. All applications should be done during working hours.
“To further facilitate the exchange of China and Kenya, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya will completely cancel visa appointments from November 20, 2023,” read part of the statement.
The embassy also stated that Kenyans seeking a Chinese visa to submit their applications directly to the Visa application service center in Nairobi. However, the Chinese embassy noted that the processing time and fees will remain unchanged.
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In the past, Kenyans have complained over punitive visa requirements that make traveling expensive due to high fees, delays, and a lot of requirements that force applicants to dig deeper into their pockets.
Applicants will be required to fill up the form online through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Nairobi website visa for china. cn/NBO2_EN/.
After filling out the forms, download and print the form and submit it with other materials at the time of application. The embassy advised the applicants to avoid peak hours when applying to avoid overcrowding and delays.
Additionally, applicants who have already completed online appointments will be given priority.
“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,” read part of the statement.
In October 2023, President Ruto went on his first trip to China since he took office. He went for a three-state visit, where his hunt for public-private partnerships bore fruit after Kenya and China signed more deals. Kenya and China are marking six decades of formal diplomatic relations.
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