My Kenya eTA is Still Pending After 72 Hours. What Should I Do?

Your Flight is in 2 Days, But Your eTA Status Just Says “Pending.”

This is one of the most stressful situations for any traveler. You applied on the official etakenya.go.ke website, the 72-hour “standard” processing time has passed, and your application is still stuck on “Pending.”

You’re left wondering: Is it a normal delay? Is there a mistake? Will I have to cancel my flight? Don’t panic. This guide explains why your eTA is pending and what you can do about it.

Why Is My Kenya eTA Still Pending After 72 Hours?

While the official site suggests a 3-day turnaround, “pending” status (especially for weeks) is very common. Here are the most likely reasons your application is stuck:

1. High Application Volume (The “Normal” Delay)
   This is the most common reason. The immigration office is simply overwhelmed with thousands of applications. Your application is in a long queue and hasn’t been seen by an officer yet. It’s not lost, just delayed.
2. A Hidden Error or “Flag” (The “Problem” Delay)
   This is the most critical reason. The system may have auto-flagged your application for a manual review due to a potential issue (e.g., a blurry passport photo, an unclear hotel booking). It’s “pending” because an officer needs to look at it, but it won’t be approved without a correction—and you haven’t been sent a correction link.
3. A System Glitch (The “Stuck” Delay)
   Sometimes, an application simply gets “stuck” in the digital system. It’s not in the queue and it’s not flagged for an error; it’s just in a digital limbo. This is the most frustrating reason, as it will likely stay “Pending” forever unless manually retrieved.

What You Can Do (The “Official” Way)

The first thing all travelers do is try to contact the official eTA support team. The government provides these public contact methods:

• Email: etakenya@ecitizen.go.ke
• Phone: +254 717 436 070
• WhatsApp: +254 110 922 064

You should absolutely try these channels. However, due to the high volume of applicants, it is very unlikely you will receive a timely response, if at all. Many travelers report sending multiple emails and getting no reply, which only adds to the panic.

The Guaranteed Solution: eTA Rush

This is where we come in. eTA Rush is a private advocacy service that was created to solve this exact problem. We have direct immigration contacts—we don’t use the public email, we have a private channel to the officers processing the applications.

We can solve all three “pending” problems:

• If it’s a High Volume delay, we get your file moved to the top of the queue.
• If it’s a Hidden Error, our contact will identify it and trigger the official “correction link” to your email so you can fix it.
• If it’s a System Glitch, our contact will manually find the file, fix the glitch, and push it for approval.