Car hire at JKIA, handed over in arrivals

How the JKIA handover works

• Before you fly: book online and add your flight number. Your booking is confirmed straight away and emailed to you.
• The evening before: we send you your driver's name and phone number on WhatsApp.
• We track your flight: if it lands early or late, your driver adjusts to the real landing time. Waiting is free: after your flight lands, and before your flight home when you return the car.
• Meeting point: your driver stands at the meeting spot just outside the terminal, holding a sign with your name. Your driver shares their live location with you on WhatsApp, so you find the exact meeting spot. It is usually the passenger pick-up and drop-off lot right in front of the terminal.
• No Kenyan SIM? Connect to the airport Wi-Fi and message us on WhatsApp. Our number works from any phone with data.
• At the car: we walk round it together and film the outside and inside on video. We show you the fuel level, the spare wheel and the jack. Then you drive away, or sit back if you booked a chauffeur.

The full promise is written down on our airport promise page.

What it costs

Delivery to JKIA costs KES 1,000 ($8 USD / £6 GBP / €7 EUR), and collection KES 1,000 ($8 USD / £6 GBP / €7 EUR), the same as anywhere in Nairobi. Every booking also has a one-time cleaning and service fee of KES 1,000 ($8 USD / £6 GBP / €7 EUR) plus VAT, so there is no car wash charge when you return the car. Our daily rates exclude VAT at 16%, and you see every line before you book. The minimum hire is 3 days. See every car's daily rate on our prices page.

Car rental at Nairobi airport (NBO)

Searching from the USA? It is the same thing: car rental at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, airport code NBO. The big international brands have desks in the terminal, where you queue after a long flight and a credit card is usually needed for the deposit. With us: Instant confirmation of a named car, with no credit card required for checkout and no USD 1,000 card hold like the airport desks, and free cancellation until handover. Your car meets you, and you get the same Nairobi team from booking to return.

If something goes wrong at the airport

• Can't see your driver? Stay inside the arrivals hall and call or WhatsApp +254 729 635 168 or +254 796 135 377, day or night. No Kenyan SIM? Use the airport Wi-Fi.
• Only go with the driver whose name and number we sent you.
• Flight late? We follow it and wait. You never pay for waiting.
• If our driver is late, we tell you how long. Over 30 minutes, we pay for an official airport taxi and bring the car to you.
• Flight cancelled or moved? We move your booking at no cost.

Which car for the airport

• A family with luggage, or elderly parents: the Toyota Alphard with its sliding doors (always with a chauffeur), or the seven-seat Mazda CX-8.
• Heading upcountry straight away: the Toyota Prado or the Land Cruiser V8.
• Business in Westlands or Upper Hill: the Toyota Harrier or Mazda CX-5.
• Going on safari game drives: the Land Cruiser Safari, the only car we allow on them.

From the airport into town

Most people take the Nairobi Expressway, a toll road; when traffic is light, Westlands is often 20 to 30 minutes away. Our JKIA to Westlands guide covers the route and timing.

Night and early-morning arrivals

Our team works 24 hours a day, so your driver is there whatever the time. Rather not drive after a long flight? Add a chauffeur: KES 4,000 ($31 USD / £23 GBP / €28 EUR) a day in Nairobi.

Flying home

Choose JKIA as your return place when you book, and we meet you at the departures drop-off. Waiting before your flight is free. Allow extra time: cars are security-checked at the airport entrance and the approach can queue. We check the car together again, film it, and give you a written return receipt. Read what happens at return.

Before you land

Read our first-timer's guide to JKIA arrivals for the eTA, immigration, baggage and SIM cards, SIM or eSIM on arrival, and how to book if it is your first time with us.

How it works at Urban Escape

• Delivered anywhere in Nairobi and JKIA: JKIA arrivals, your hotel or your home. Delivery and collection cost KES 1,000 ($8 USD / £6 GBP / €7 EUR) each way anywhere in Nairobi.
• Flight tracking: add your flight number and your driver works to the real landing time. The evening before you land, we send your driver's name and number on WhatsApp.
• A video walk-round: we film the car with you at handover and again at return, and you leave with a written return receipt.
• 2019 or newer cars: every car is a 2019 model or newer, serviced and cleaned before each hire. In most cases you will know the exact car assigned to you in advance: your booking page shows it, with its licence plate and photos.
• A replacement car if the car has a manufacturer (mechanical) issue.
• 24/7 support: one call or WhatsApp message reaches a person, day or night.

The rules that matter

• Drivers must be 25 or over and have held a full licence for at least 2 years. We can sometimes waive the 2-year rule; ask before you book.
• The minimum hire is 3 days.
• Mileage is unlimited on every car.
• Paved roads only. Game drives only in our Land Cruiser Safari.
• No border crossing: our cars stay in Kenya.

These are the headline rules. The rental agreement you sign for each booking is the one that counts, so check it before you drive. Our rental terms in plain words explain every clause.

Paying today

No credit card is required for checkout. You pay a refundable 30% reservation deposit within 2 hours of booking (card payment link or M-Pesa), and the balance when you see the car, by M-Pesa, bank transfer, credit card or cash. Cancellation is free until the car is handed over. Paying from abroad? Our guide to paying for car hire from abroad explains each option.