Travel Insurance for Kenyans in 2026: How to Compare Cover and Providers

Quick answer

There is no single best travel insurance for Kenyans, and any article that ranks one is guessing. What you need depends on where you are going, how old you are, how long you will be away, and how much of your trip you have already paid for.

What you can rely on:

• Weekend Getaways from Nairobi Under KSh 10,000
• Two destinations make it compulsory. A Schengen visa requires at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover. Zanzibar requires its own government policy, bought separately.
• Medical cover matters more than baggage cover. Buy in that order.
• Buy comprehensive cover soon after your first non-refundable payment, not the week you fly.
• Check the insurer is licensed in Kenya on the IRA list before you pay anyone.

Is travel insurance mandatory for Kenyans?

It depends on the destination, and the answer changed recently.

Schengen visa: yes. You must show medical cover of at least EUR 30,000, valid across the entire Schengen Area, covering urgent medical treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation for the full length of your stay.

Zanzibar: yes, and it is a specific policy. Since 1 October 2024 every international visitor must hold an inbound insurance policy issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. It is checked at immigration at both the airport and the ferry terminal, and travellers without it are refused entry. A policy from a Kenyan or international insurer does not replace it.

Most other destinations: no, but the maths favours buying it. A single night in a hospital abroad, or one medical evacuation, costs more than years of premiums.

Why this article does not quote premiums

You will find plenty of Kenyan travel articles listing prices like “from KSh 4,000”. Treat all of them with suspicion, including the earlier version of this one.

A travel insurance premium is not a shelf price. It is calculated from your age, your country of residence, your destination, your trip length, your medical maximum, your deductible, the trip cost you are insuring, and any optional benefits such as adventure sports or cancellation cover. Change any one of those and the number changes.

So a figure quoted without a traveller profile and a quotation date is not information. It is decoration, and it can mislead you into budgeting for a policy that does not exist at that price.

A more useful rule: comprehensive travel insurance commonly costs somewhere around 4% to 10% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost you are insuring. Travel-medical-only cover typically costs considerably less. Use that to sanity-check a quote rather than to predict one.

What travel insurance actually covers

Insurance is sold on the exciting parts and claimed on the boring ones. In rough order of how much they matter:

• Emergency medical treatment. The reason to buy. This is what turns a catastrophe into an inconvenience.
• Medical evacuation and repatriation. Moving you to adequate care, or home. The single most expensive event a policy covers, and the one people most often underinsure.
• Trip cancellation and interruption. Refunds prepaid costs when something specified goes wrong. Only comprehensive policies do this properly.
• Baggage and personal effects. Real, but usually capped low enough that it should never drive your choice.
• Travel delay. Modest daily amounts after a defined number of hours.

Kenyan insurers

These are companies licensed to write insurance in Kenya, which means you can hold them to account with a Kenyan regulator. Verify current licensing on the IRA licensed entities list before buying.

International travel-medical plans

These are underwritten outside Kenya. They can be excellent for medical cover, but read the eligibility terms carefully, because some are restricted by country of residence.

• WorldTrips Atlas Travel. Primarily a travel-medical plan. WorldTrips states that qualifying configurations meet standard Schengen medical requirements and that it can issue a visa letter. It does include some limited travel benefits such as trip interruption and baggage, so it is not purely medical, but it does not give you the trip-cost protection of a comprehensive policy.
• IMG Patriot Lite. A travel-medical plan with selectable medical maximums. Confirm the configuration you choose meets the Schengen minimum before relying on it for a visa.
• Seven Corners Travel Medical Global. Medical and evacuation limits vary by the plan and age band you select, so read your own certificate rather than a figure quoted in an article.

Comparison websites are not insurers

This distinction matters and the earlier version of this article blurred it.

Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip are marketplaces. They compare policies from many underwriters and sell you someone else’s product. They are useful for seeing options side by side, and they are not themselves insurance companies.

The important catch for Kenyan readers: eligibility on both platforms depends on your primary country of residence, and many listed policies are built for US residents. Before you spend time comparing, confirm that the specific policy accepts Kenyan residents and that you can complete the purchase. Some travel-medical products are available to non-US residents; many comprehensive ones are not.

Schengen visa insurance requirements

For a Schengen visa your policy must show, on the certificate:

• Medical cover of at least EUR 30,000
• Validity across the entire Schengen Area
• Cover for urgent medical treatment, emergency hospitalisation and repatriation, including repatriation of remains
• Validity for the full duration of the intended stay

Be careful with blanket claims that a named plan “works” for Schengen. Whether a policy qualifies depends on the exact medical maximum, deductible, travel dates, geographic area and certificate wording, and consulates differ in what they will accept. WorldTrips states that qualifying Atlas Travel configurations are designed to meet Schengen requirements and can provide a visa letter. For any policy, including a local one, check the certificate against the four points above before your appointment.

Jubilee and Britam both sell travel products in Kenya that are worth quoting alongside the international plans, since a local policy is easier to service if something goes wrong.

Zanzibar’s mandatory government insurance

If Zanzibar is on your itinerary, this is not optional and it is not the same as your travel insurance.

Since 1 October 2024, all international visitors must buy an inbound insurance policy issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, purchased online before travel through the official portal. It is checked at immigration and entry is refused without it.

Check the current premium on the official portal when you apply rather than relying on a figure quoted in any article, including this one, since it can change. Buy only through the official government site.

One thing to confirm for yourself: East African Community citizens are exempt from the equivalent mainland Tanzania scheme, but Zanzibar sets its own rules and we could not confirm that the same exemption applies there. Ask ZIC directly rather than assuming your Kenyan passport exempts you.

Medical-only or comprehensive?

Medical-only covers you if you get hurt or sick. It is cheaper, it satisfies visa medical requirements when configured correctly, and it does nothing if your trip is cancelled. Good for a cheap trip where you have not prepaid much.

Comprehensive adds trip cancellation and interruption cover for prepaid, non-refundable costs. Worth it when you have committed real money in advance: safari deposits, non-flexible flights, a wedding you are travelling for.

The test is simple. Add up what you would actually lose if you could not travel tomorrow. If that number is large, buy comprehensive.

What is normally excluded

Read this section of your own policy. The common exclusions:

• Pre-existing medical conditions, unless specifically waived
• Adventure and extreme sports, unless you add cover
• Incidents involving alcohol or drugs
• Travel against official government advice for that destination
• Losses you cannot document, which is why receipts and police reports matter
• Cancellation for reasons not listed in the policy, unless you buy a cancel-for-any-reason upgrade

When should you buy?

• Comprehensive cover: soon after your first non-refundable payment. Cancellation cover cannot protect money you committed before the policy existed.
• Time-sensitive benefits have a window. Benefits such as pre-existing condition waivers commonly require purchase within roughly 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment, depending on the policy. Miss it and you cannot buy it later.
• Medical-only cover can be bought closer to departure, subject to the plan’s own rules and any visa deadline.
• Buying early does not mean everything is covered. It means the time-limited benefits remain available to you.

How to compare quotes properly

1. Get real quotes for your actual age, destination and dates. Not a range from an article.
2. Compare the medical maximum and the evacuation limit first. These are the numbers that matter in a genuine emergency.
3. Check the deductible. A cheaper premium with a high excess may cost you more when you claim.
4. Check age limits and any pre-existing condition terms before you get attached to a price.
5. Confirm Kenyan residents are eligible for the specific policy, especially on international marketplaces.
6. Read the claims process before buying, not after something happens.

How to claim

Claims fail on documentation more than on merit.

• Call the emergency assistance number before treatment where the policy requires it. Many policies reduce or refuse payment if you do not.
• Keep every receipt, invoice and medical report.
• Report theft to the local police and get a written report. Without one, most baggage claims fail.
• Note the claim deadline. Many policies require notification within a set number of days.
• Keep a copy of your certificate on your phone and with someone at home.

Frequently asked questions

Is travel insurance mandatory for Kenyans travelling abroad?

For a Schengen visa, yes, with at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover. For Zanzibar, yes, and it must be the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation’s own inbound policy. For most other destinations it is optional but strongly advised.

Does my Kenyan travel policy satisfy the Zanzibar requirement?

No. The Zanzibar rule requires their government-issued policy specifically. You may still want your own cover for cancellation and belongings, but it does not replace the ZIC policy.

How much should travel insurance cost?

Comprehensive cover commonly runs around 4% to 10% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost you are insuring. Medical-only is usually much less. Get a real quote rather than budgeting from a published figure.

Is AIG Kenya still an option?

Not under that name. NCBA acquired the business and rebranded it as NCBA Insurance in March 2025.

What about AXA Kenya?

We removed it from this guide. AXA does not appear on the Insurance Regulatory Authority’s list of licensed insurers in Kenya. Use the IRA list to confirm any insurer before paying.

Can Kenyans buy from Squaremouth or InsureMyTrip?

Sometimes, and it depends on the individual policy rather than the platform. Both are comparison marketplaces and eligibility is driven by your country of residence. Confirm on the specific policy before committing.

Does travel insurance cover safaris and hiking?

Standard policies frequently exclude adventure activities. If you plan to climb, dive or do anything the policy might class as extreme, check the wording and buy the add-on rather than assuming.

Official sources

• Insurance Regulatory Authority, licensed entities 2026, the first place to verify any Kenyan insurer
• NCBA Insurance travel insurance, formerly AIG Kenya
• Jubilee Insurance travel insurance
• Zanzibar official inbound insurance portal, the only place to buy the mandatory policy
• WorldTrips Schengen visa insurance
• IMG Patriot Lite
• Seven Corners Travel Medical Global