A First-Timer's Guide to JKIA Arrivals and Car Pickup

Before you fly

A little preparation makes arrival much smoother.

• eTA: anyone entering on a foreign passport needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), unless their nationality is exempt. It costs USD 30 and you should apply at least three days before you travel, only on the official site, etakenya.go.ke. Kenyan citizens on a Kenyan passport don't need one. Have the approval saved on your phone and printed as a backup.
• Passport: make sure it is valid for at least six months from the day you arrive.
• Plastic bags: single-use plastic carrier bags are banned in Kenya. Pack gifts and shopping in reusable bags.
• Your flight details: send us your flight number when you book so we can track your flight.

Step 1: Immigration

Your first stop is passport control. Have your passport and eTA ready. Queues vary a lot with how many flights have landed together: allow anything from half an hour to over an hour at busy times, especially in the December rush. Kenyan and East African passport holders usually have their own queue.

Step 2: Baggage

After immigration, follow the signs to the baggage carousels. Trolleys are available, and porters can help with heavy bags; a small tip is customary.

Step 3: Customs

All bags go through a final customs check and scanner before you reach the public arrivals hall. If you are bringing gifts, electronics or goods for family in large quantities, check the duty-free allowances before you travel so there are no surprises.

Step 4: The arrivals hall

Once you push your trolley through the last doors, you are in the arrivals hall. It is always busy: families waiting, tour drivers holding name boards, and taxi drivers offering rides. If you have not arranged transport, this is where the hustle begins, and negotiating fares while jet-lagged is nobody's idea of a welcome home.

Step 5: Meeting us

When you book with us, you skip all of that.

• A familiar face: one of our drivers is waiting in the arrivals area with a sign bearing your name. There is no rental desk to find.
• Your flight is tracked: share your flight details when you book, and if you land early or late, we adjust. If you are held up in immigration or at baggage, send us a WhatsApp message so we know.
• Help to the car: we walk with you and your bags to the car.

Step 6: The handover

The handover takes a few minutes, not an hour of forms, because your booking and documents were settled before you flew.

• We walk round the car with you, and our driver films a video of the inside and outside. We encourage you to film your own too, so we both have a clear record for when you return the car.
• We show you the essentials: lights, fuel type and level, the spare wheel and jack.
• We make sure you have our WhatsApp number and the rental agreement.
• You take the keys, or settle into the back seat if you booked a chauffeur.

Step 7: Out onto the Expressway

Within minutes you can be on the Nairobi Expressway, heading into town above the traffic on Mombasa Road. When traffic is light, Westlands is often around 20 to 30 minutes away. Our guide to the drive from JKIA to Westlands covers the route, the toll and what to expect when you reach town.

Arriving in December

Mid-December is one of the busiest times of year at JKIA, as families come home for the holidays. Expect longer queues at immigration and at the carousels, and a busier arrivals hall. Keep your eTA, passport and our WhatsApp number to hand, and let the family waiting outside know it may take a while. If you are bringing several relatives, a seven-seater or the Alphard saves booking a second car.

Flying home

When it is time to leave, allow extra time. Cars are security-checked at the airport entrance and the approach can queue at busy times, before you even reach check-in. Choose where we collect the car when you book, at the airport or from your hotel or home.

SIM or eSIM?

You will want data from the moment you land, for maps, WhatsApp and calling your family. You have two good options, and many visitors use both.

• A travel eSIM for data. An eSIM is a digital SIM card that you download instead of inserting. Travel eSIM apps such as Airalo (on Safaricom's network) and Holafly (on Airtel Kenya's) sell data-only plans for Kenya. Install one at home before you fly and switch it on when you land. Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked; dial *#06# and if an EID number shows, it supports eSIM. WhatsApp keeps working on your usual number.
• A Safaricom SIM if you need M-Pesa. M-Pesa, the mobile money that Kenya runs on, from fuel to parking to lunch, needs a Safaricom line registered in your name. Travel eSIMs cannot give you M-Pesa. SIM cards are sold in the arrivals area, and Safaricom shops can also set you up with a Safaricom eSIM instead of a physical card. Either way, bring your passport to register it.

If you kept your Kenyan line while abroad, check it is still active before you travel. Our guide to paying for car hire from abroad explains how to settle your booking before you land. First time in Kenya? Urban Escape Kenya's guide for first-time visitors covers the eTA, money, health and what to pack.

Which car for the airport?

• Families with luggage, or elderly relatives: the Toyota Alphard, with sliding doors and captain seats, or the seven-seat Mazda CX-8.
• Business travellers: the Mazda CX-5 or Toyota Harrier for self-drive, or the Land Cruiser V8 with a chauffeur.
• Heading upcountry straight from the airport: the Toyota Prado, or the Land Cruiser Safari if you are going on game drives.

Start your trip stress-free

Don't leave your airport pickup to chance. Choose your car from the fleet, send your flight details, and let us handle the rest. See how booking works.