Visitor’s visa and residence permit
A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other Schengen countries for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days. A residence permit gives you the opportunity to work in Norway and to stay for more than 90 days.
Citizens of Kenya (holding a Kenyan passport) need to apply for a visitor's visa to enter Norway. If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a residence permit to enter Norway.
Where and how to hand in my application:
Applications must be submitted in person at one of the VFS Global application centres in either Nairobi, Kampala, Addis Ababa or Dar es Salaam, which works in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi.
EU/EEA family members can apply directly at the Embassy in Nairobi and pay no visa fee. Please check the UDI website to see if you fall under these specific rules.
For information about the application procedures and requirements for applicants outside of Kenya, please select your country of residence from the list on www.norway.no
General enquiries about applications:
If you have general questions regarding Schengen visas, family immigration, work or study permits, you can find further information about the application procedure, documentation requirements and case processing times on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration's (UDI) website.
If you have applied for a residence permit and your application has been forwarded to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), kindly contact UDI if you have questions about the status of your case.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway has a global agreement with VFS Global regarding receiving applications for visa and residence permits, answering phone calls and e-mails on behalf of Norwegian Embassies. Therefore, if you have any visa or immigration related questions, you can contact VFS Global via email or telephone.
VFS Global in Nairobi
Email: info.nrke@vfshelpline.com
Telephone: +254 205 147 907
VFS Global in Kampala
Email: info.nrug@vfsglobal.com
Telephone: +256 (0) 205 000 617
VFS Global in Addis Ababa
Email: info.nret@vfshelpline.com
Telephone: +251 960 437 204
VFS Global in Dar es Salaam
Email: info.norwaytz@vfshelpline.com
Telephone: +255 222 221 913
If you have further queries that VFS is unable to answer, you can contact the Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi by sending an email to visum.nairobi@mfa.no. Kindly note that the Embassy in Nairobi does not answer visa and immigration related queries by telephone.
In your request, you must mention your full name, date of birth, and passport number. If you have already applied, please also submit your reference number (DUF number), or application receipt number from UDI's application portal. Kindly note that if this information is not included in your request, you will not receive an answer from us.
Emails will be replied to within 1-3 working days.
Important information notice from Schengen Member States
According to Article 12 (a) of the Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009, commonly known as “Visa Code”, the validity of a travel document shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Schengen Member States.
According to an official notification from the Kenyan authorities issued to all diplomatic missions, all Kenyan passports – except the new East African Community biometric e-Passport – will be rendered invalid from 1st of March 2020. The Schengen Member States therefore wish to inform the Kenyan public that from 1st of December 2019 ONLY the new East African Community biometric e-Passport can be accepted for Schengen visa applications.