How charges work

Departure taxes in Africa

Q: Are children exempt from departure charges?

In Kenya children under two are exempt. In Sierra Leone children under 2 are exempt from the passenger service charge.

Last checked 24 October 2026 · 10 sources

Short answer

Most departure charges in Africa are collected in the air ticket, not at the airport. The IATA Travel Centre says no airport tax is levied at embarkation in Kenya and Ghana ^4,5. Kenya's Air Passenger Service Charge of US$50 is collected when the ticket is sold ³. Sierra Leone charges a Foreign Travel Tax of 10 percent of the return ticket price, collected by the ticket issuer ¹. ECOWAS states agreed in 2024 to remove air transport taxes by 1 January 2026 ⁹.

Sierra Leone: Foreign Travel Tax, 10 percent of the normal return ticket price ¹
Kenya: US$50 external, KSh 600 internal ³
The Gambia: €20 airport development fee per departing passenger ⁶
DR Congo: US$50 international and US$10 domestic infrastructure development charge, ICAO extract of 2009 ⁷
Cameroon: XAF 15,000 infrastructure development charge, ICAO extract of 2014 ⁸
ECOWAS rule: Removal of air transport taxes, agreed for 1 January 2026 ⁹

Taxes and charges on departure

Passengers leaving an African airport can face two kinds of item. One is a government tax. The other is a charge for airport services or development. ECOWAS ministers treated them apart in November 2024. They called for eliminating taxes not in line with ICAO recommendations and for cutting the passenger and security charges by 25 percent ⁹.

Names vary. Kenya's charge was set up under an earlier law amended by the Air Passenger Tax (Amendment) Act, 1973, and is now the Air Passenger Service Charge ³. Sierra Leone's tax comes from the Foreign Travel (Ticket) Tax Act, 1975 ¹.

Departure charges by country

Country	Charge	Amount	How paid	Status
Sierra Leone ¹	Foreign Travel Tax ¹	10 percent of the normal return ticket price ¹	Collected by the ticket issuer ¹	Undated NRA page, viewed 24 October 2026 ¹
Sierra Leone ²	Passenger Service Charge ²	US$40 or equivalent in leones, for passengers on African carriers ²	Airport of departure ²	IATA Travel Centre, viewed 24 October 2026 ²
Kenya ³	Air Passenger Service Charge ³	US$50 external, KSh 600 internal ³	Collected when the ticket is sold ³	In force from 4 November 2025 ³
The Gambia ⁶	Airport development fee ⁶	€20 per departing passenger ⁶	Airport charge schedule ⁶	Undated schedule posted January 2024 ⁶
The Gambia ⁶	Passenger service charge ⁶	£10 per departing passenger ⁶	Airport charge schedule ⁶	Undated schedule posted January 2024 ⁶
DR Congo ⁷	Infrastructure development charge ⁷	US$50 international, US$10 domestic ⁷	Per embarking passenger ⁷	Historical, ICAO extract amended 9 April 2009 ⁷
DR Congo ⁷	Passenger service charge ⁷	US$20 international, US$8 domestic over 12 years, US$6 domestic up to 12 ⁷	Payable by the carrier ⁷	Historical, ICAO extract amended 9 April 2009 ⁷
Cameroon ⁸	Infrastructure development charge ⁸	XAF 15,000 per passenger ⁸	Not stated by the source ⁸	Historical, ICAO extract amended 11 April 2014 ⁸
Cameroon ⁸	Passenger service charge ⁸	XAF 10,500 international, XAF 6,000 to CEMAC states and Nigeria, XAF 500 domestic ⁸	Payable by the carrier, passengers aged 2 and over ⁸	Historical, ICAO extract amended 11 April 2014 ⁸

Paid in the ticket or at the airport

The IATA Travel Centre pages for Kenya and Ghana each say no airport tax is levied on passengers at embarkation at the airport ^4,5. In Kenya the law makes the airline's agent collect the charge at the time of sale ³. If an airline fails to collect it, the airline pays ³.

Sierra Leone's National Revenue Authority says the Foreign Travel Tax is payable by every person departing by ship, aircraft or other means, and the person issuing the ticket collects it ¹. The Minister of Finance may exempt persons by Order in the Gazette ¹. The IATA Travel Centre lists a separate US$40 passenger service charge paid at the airport of departure for passengers on African carriers ². Transit passengers proceeding within 24 hours and children under 2 are exempt from that charge ².

Common exemptions

Children under two in Kenya ³ and under 2 for the Sierra Leone charge ².
Transit passengers in Kenya ³ and in Sierra Leone if they do not leave the airport and fly on within 24 hours ².
In Cameroon the passenger service charge applies to departing passengers aged 2 and over ⁸.

The ECOWAS removal of taxes

ECOWAS reported on 12 November 2024 that transport ministers meeting in Lomé agreed to eliminate air transport taxes and set a start date no later than 1 January 2026 ⁹. The Sun reported on 10 July 2026 that Côte d'Ivoire had fully eliminated its taxes under the decision, according to ECOWAS Director of Transport Chris Appiah ¹⁰. Appiah said removing taxes requires revising national tax laws, as reported ¹⁰. This site found no notice that Sierra Leone repealed its Foreign Travel Tax.

Common questions

Do I pay departure tax at the airport in Kenya?

The IATA Travel Centre says no airport tax is levied at embarkation ⁴. The US$50 charge is collected when the ticket is sold ³.

What is Sierra Leone's foreign travel tax?

A tax of 10 percent of the normal return ticket price, collected by whoever issues the ticket ¹.

Are children exempt from departure charges?

In Kenya children under two are exempt ³. In Sierra Leone children under 2 are exempt from the passenger service charge ².

Did ECOWAS abolish departure taxes?

ECOWAS states agreed to remove air transport taxes from 1 January 2026 ⁹. Côte d'Ivoire had done so by July 2026, as reported ¹⁰.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@africapassengercharges.com.

Sources

Kenya passenger charges
Kenya's Air Passenger Service Charge of US$50 and KSh 600, who collects it, exemptions, the 2025 increase, eTA fees and the 2026 insurance rule.
Airport security fees in Africa
Airport security charges and fees in Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, the DR Congo and Cameroon, how they are collected, and the ECOWAS 2026 cut.
ECOWAS air charges reduction 2026
What ECOWAS decided on air transport taxes and the 25 percent cut in passenger and security charges from 1 January 2026, and where it stands.
What taxes and charges are in an air ticket
The taxes, fees and charges added to the fare on flights in Africa, who sets them, how airlines collect them, and what the rules say about price changes.
Ghana passenger charges
Ghana's Airport Infrastructure Development Charge from 1 April 2026, the US$18 API/PNR fee, reported amounts and the ECOWAS response.