Outbound travel by Kenyans continued to gather momentum in the first half of 2026, driven by growing demand for employment opportunities in the Middle East.
The surge has also been accelerated by the rising desire for overseas education and international tourism, according to new data that points to a sustained recovery in cross-border mobility.
A report by VFS Global shows visa application volumes from Kenya rose by 20 per cent in the first six months of 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year, extending an upward trend that had already seen applications jump 44 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024.
Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Canada remained the leading destinations for Kenyan applicants, while Australia and China also registered strong growth in demand.
“Popular destinations including Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Canada continue to record strong demand from Kenyan travellers, while destinations such as Australia and China are also showing positive growth trends,” the report presented to journalists in Nairobi last week states.
According to VFS Global, the increase reflects continued expansion in international labour mobility, overseas education, tourism, business travel and visits to friends and relatives.
The sharpest growth, however, has been recorded in applications destined for the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, which has emerged as Kenya’s leading labour export market.
Although VFS Global facilitates visa applications on behalf of governments, it does not issue visas or disclose the number of successful applicants, noting that final approval rests with individual countries.
Even so, Stephen Kubasu, general manager for Operations at VFS Global Kenya, said applications to Middle Eastern destinations have more than doubled over the past two years, reflecting the growing appetite among Kenyans seeking employment abroad.
“Our continued focus is on supporting governments and applicants through responsible processes, strong anti-fraud measures, and services that help facilitate travel from Kenya safely and reliably,” Kubasu said.
The surge mirrors Kenya’s aggressive labour export strategy, which has seen thousands of young people recruited for jobs abroad under bilateral labour agreements.
Saudi Arabia now hosts Kenya’s largest diaspora population outside the United States, with government estimates placing the number of Kenyans living and working in the Kingdom at more than 350,000.
The figure has risen rapidly since Nairobi signed labour mobility agreements with Riyadh aimed at creating employment opportunities for Kenyan youth while addressing labour shortages in the Gulf nation.
In recent months, the Ministry of Labour has continued rolling out overseas recruitment drives under the Kazi Majuu programme after temporarily suspending placements because of regional security concerns and complaints of exploitation by rogue recruitment agencies.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said the government had strengthened oversight mechanisms before resuming recruitment, insisting that only licensed agencies would participate in the programme.
Mutua has repeatedly maintained that labour migration remains a key pillar of Kenya’s employment strategy, while promising stronger protection for workers through government-to-government agreements, enhanced pre-departure training and stricter regulation of recruitment agencies.
During a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, he also pledged to work with Saudi authorities to improve the welfare and protection of Kenyan workers after meeting employment agencies and diaspora representatives.
Despite the expanding opportunities, labour migration to the Gulf continues to attract criticism from human rights groups and labour organisations.
They have documented cases of contract substitution, withheld wages, passport confiscation, abuse by employers and recruitment fraud targeting desperate job seekers.
The government has increasingly warned Kenyans against dealing with unlicensed recruitment agents, noting that fraudulent agencies often disappear after collecting placement fees or promise jobs that do not exist.
The growing movement of workers has also reshaped Kenya’s remittance landscape.
Data from the Central Bank of Kenya shows the Middle East has become one of the country’s fastest-growing Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar
The CBK projects diaspora remittances to remain above $5 billion (Sh650 billion) annually despite recent geopolitical disruptions affecting parts of the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia alone has evolved from a relatively minor contributor into one of Kenya’s largest remittance corridors over the past decade, although inflows have recently softened following changes in the Kingdom’s foreign worker permit system.
Beyond employment, overseas education has become another major driver of outbound travel.
Education consultants report sustained demand from Kenyan students seeking undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, attracted by globally recognised qualifications, post-study work opportunities and migration pathways.
Canada continues to rank among the most preferred destinations because of its relatively favourable immigration policies and internationally competitive universities.
Australia has also seen growing interest following the expansion of scholarship opportunities and demand for skilled professionals.
The UK also remains a preferred destination owing to its long-standing academic reputation and extensive Kenyan alumni network and families.
Business travel and tourism are equally contributing to the rise in visa applications as global travel continues to recover after the pandemic.
The rebound has not only benefited outbound travel but also strengthened Kenya’s own tourism industry.
According to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, Kenya welcomed an estimated 7.9 million tourists in 2025, comprising 2.7 million international visitors and 5.2 million domestic travellers.
The sector generated approximately Sh0.5 trillion in total earnings, reinforcing tourism’s position as one of Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earners.
International arrivals increased from about 2.47 million in 2024 to 2.7 million in 2025, representing growth of roughly nine per cent, more than double the global tourism growth rate of around four per cent.
Globally, tourist arrivals reached an estimated 1.52 billion in 2025, reflecting continued recovery in international travel.
The Ministry of Tourism attributes Kenya’s above-average performance to stronger destination marketing, diversification of tourism products and recovery across key
However, the rapid increase in international travel is also creating new opportunities for fraudsters targeting unsuspecting visa applicants.
VFS Global and government agencies say cases involving fake visa appointments, forged documents, fraudulent travel agencies and bogus employment offers continue to rise globally as travel demand recovers.
International policing agency Interpol and immigration authorities in several countries have repeatedly warned that organised criminal networks are increasingly exploiting online platforms, fake websites and social media to impersonate legitimate visa service providers.
This has resulted in substantial financial losses for travellers.
“As international travel demand from Kenya continues to grow, we strongly encourage applicants to use only official VFS Global channels, avoid intermediaries who make false promises, and plan their applications well in advance,” Kubasu said.
VFS Global says it continues to invest in applicant-awareness campaigns designed to help travellers identify and avoid fraudulent schemes.
“Applicants are reminded that visa appointments are booked through official channels and that no agent, employee, or third party can guarantee an earlier appointment, faster processing, or a positive visa decision,” said Siddharth Mehra, the company’s Chief Operating Officer for the Middle East and Africa.
Mehra said fraudsters frequently misuse company names, logos, unofficial websites, fake social media accounts and misleading search engine listings to deceive applicants into paying unnecessary fees.
He stressed that optional services offered by VFS Global, including assisted form filling, courier passport return, SMS notifications, premium lounge facilities and mobile submission services where available, are entirely voluntary.
These services are transparently priced and approved by respective governments and do not influence visa decisions or processing times.
Operating in Kenya since 2007, VFS Global currently provides visa application services for 24 client governments through a network of 25 application centres.
It employs approximately 100 Kenyan staff, underscoring the country’s growing importance as both a regional travel hub and a
