A round-trip ticket from BWI to Kisumu costs about $1,500.00. The per diem cost while in Kenya is $85 per day. This amount includes housing, food, and the cost of any events which BCM/D will host. The per diem amount is the same for all travelers, regardless of dates of travel or choice of service option.

Total trip cost, not including flight, passport, visa, immunizations, insurance or personal incidental costs.

We’ve compiled a list that will be helpful if you are preparing to join the BCM/D on the upcoming mission trips to Kenya.

1. Eligibility
   Each registrant must be a member in good standing of an affiliated and cooperating BCM/D congregation.
2. Passport
   Your passport must be valid for at least six months following your intended date of exit from Kenya and should have at least two blank pages. The U.S. Department of State provides online instructions for obtaining or renewing a passport. The process of obtaining or renewing a passport involves multiple steps and is time consuming. It is important to initiate the process well in advance of your departure date.
3. Visa
   Kenyan Immigration requires all visitors from the United States to have a current visa and recommends applying for this document using the country’s preferred online system. A single entry visa is appropriate for the purposes of the trip and detailed directions are available at the above website. As the passport and visa requirements are specific, be sure to read and understand the guidelines thoroughly before applying.
4. Immunizations
   The Kenyan government recommends that inbound travelers obtain a yellow fever vaccination; it is not required by Kenyan law. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that travelers be current on all routine vaccinations and consider other special vaccines corresponding to diseases found in Kenya. Lists of suggested vaccines and yellow fever vaccine clinic locations are available on the CDC’s website. Except for immunizations required by United States law, other vaccines can be obtained at the discretion of each individual traveler and/or church. However, please allow sufficient time to obtain these vaccines prior to departing for Kenya. Passport Health is a good resource for yellow fever vaccinations and other travel-related medical preparations and has multiple locations throughout Maryland and Delaware.
5. Insurance
   Kenya’s major cities offer adequate medical services for most conditions. However, medical options are very limited outside of these urban areas and it is not uncommon for medical facilities to refuse U.S. insurance plans. The U.S. Department of State advises travelers to review their insurance plans for coverage of international travel, particularly medical evacuation, and if necessary, to purchase supplemental insurance.
6. Safety
   The U.S. Department of State is currently advising travelers to Kenya to exercise increased caution, due to instances of terrorism and crime. U.S. citizens are encouraged to avoid certain volatile areas of the country, particularly the northeastern and coastal counties, and certain neighborhoods in Nairobi and Mombasa. BCM/D’s work takes place in western and southern Kenya, over 400 miles from the areas of caution noted by the U.S. Department of State. More information is available on the Department of State’s Kenya Information Page.