How to Get a Kenya Work Permit: Classes, Requirements, Costs and Timelines (2026 Guide)

Foreign professionals, investors and remote workers who wish to live and work in Kenya generally need a work or residence permit issued by the Director of Immigration Services under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011, and the Regulations of 2012, as amended in 2024. A visitor's pass or an electronic travel authorisation is not permission to take up a job or run a business. Working or trading without a requisite permit or pass is an offence.

Who needs a permit

A person who is not a Kenyan citizen should not take up employment, trade, business or a profession in Kenya without a valid permit or pass, unless they fall within a statutory exemption, including those recognised under section 34(3) of the Act. The Directorate of Immigration Services states that issuance is regulated by sections 36, 40, 41 and 42 of the Act. Permits are issued by the Director on the recommendation of the Permit Determination Committee, under section 40.

Applications are filed on the eFNS portal, reached through a Government of Kenya Single Sign-On account, the same sign-on used for eCitizen. Ordinary eCitizen passport pages are not the filing route for work permits. East African Community citizens may apply under Class R, which the 2025 Service Delivery Charter lists as issued free of charge.

The main classes of permit

The classes appear in section 36(1) of the Act, read with the Seventh Schedule to the Regulations. The official eFNS information pack now lists the following, including classes added by Legal Notice No. 198 of 2024: Class A (prospecting and mining); Class B (agriculture and animal husbandry); Class C (prescribed professions); Class D (specific employment by a specific employer, where the skills are not available in Kenya and the engagement will benefit Kenya); Class F (specific manufacture); Class G (specific trade, business, consultancy or profession other than a prescribed profession); Class I (missionaries whose work is directly involved in preaching or religious worship); Class K (ordinary residence for a person aged at least thirty-five with an assured annual income, currently stated on the official Class K page as USD 24,000 a year); Class M (recognised refugees and their spouses who intend to take up employment or a specific occupation); and Class N (digital nomads working remotely in Kenya for a company registered outside the country).

Class Q is for prescribed professionals working for religious or charitable organisations who do not preach. Class P covers staff of the United Nations, diplomatic missions and certain international organisations accredited to neighbouring hardship countries. Class R is for citizens of EAC member states. Employers and investors most often need Class D or Class G.

Class D: employment by a Kenyan employer

Class D is tied to a named employer and a specific role. It is not a general licence to work for anyone in Kenya.

The eFNS Class D checklist and the Directorate's Class D page require Form 25, an employer cover letter addressed to the Director of Immigration Services, a valid passport and photographs, current immigration status if already in the country, certified academic and professional certificates and a curriculum vitae, Form 27 (the report on employment), particulars of a Kenyan understudy, the organisation's registration certificate, and a valid organisation tax compliance certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority. On a renewal, both the organisation and the individual must produce tax compliance certificates. A regulatory clearance and authorised English translations are required where they apply.

The Directorate's Class D page also asks for evidence that the organisation failed to fill the vacancy from the local labour market. That item does not appear in the same words on the eFNS checklist. A careful application should meet both official lists.

Practical tip: where the option exists, it is usually advisable to apply for a two-year permit rather than one year. It saves the cost, paperwork and risk of an early renewal.

Class G: investors, traders and consultants

Class G is the usual route for a person who intends to invest in, or carry on, a specific trade, business or consultancy in Kenya. Prescribed professions use Class C instead.

The eFNS Class G checklist and the Directorate's Class G page require documentary proof of capital of at least USD 100,000, company registration documents, a shareholding certificate (CR12), PIN certificates, a valid organisation tax compliance certificate, Form 25, Form 27, a signed cover letter and, for new cases, a bank statement verification form and proof of an offshore transaction receipt or slip. Renewals require signed current audited accounts and, on the eFNS list, a list of Kenyans already employed. Capital that cannot be traced to bank evidence is a frequent reason for delay or refusal.

Class N in brief: the digital nomad permit

Class N is a live category on the eFNS Class N page. It may be issued for one or two years and is renewable, to a foreign national who is not a prohibited immigrant and who works under contract for a company registered outside Kenya, is a shareholder or conducts business on behalf of a foreign company, or offers services as a self-employed person to clients located outside Kenya.

The official checklist includes Form 25, a passport, photographs, cover letters, bank statements or payslips for the last three months proving monthly income, proof of accommodation, a letter of no objection from the local embassy of the home country, and company contact details. The eFNS page does not state a fixed annual income figure. Some commentary on Legal Notice No. 198 of 2024 refers to USD 24,000 a year, while earlier materials referred to a higher figure. That threshold should be confirmed with the Directorate before you rely on it.

How to apply and how long it takes

Create a Government of Kenya Single Sign-On account and log in to eFNS. Select "Apply now", open "Submit Applications" and choose "Permit Issuance/Renewal". Complete Form 25 and upload the supporting documents. An invoice appears under the Payments tab. If you cannot pay online, print the application and present it, with the requirements, at Nyayo House or a regional office.

You receive progress notices by email and on your account. Approval is not, by itself, authority to start work. After the permit is issued, print the e-permit and book an appointment for endorsement, which the 2025 Charter lists as free of charge, with a service standard of one day.

The Charter gives a service standard of 21 working days for issuance of a work or residence permit, and 10 working days for a renewal. Those are official targets, not a guarantee. Applications go before the Permit Determination Committee, and incomplete papers will add time. A person aggrieved by the Director's decision may, according to the official eFNS pack, appeal to the Cabinet Secretary for review under section 22(1) of the Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Management Service Act, 2011.

Official fees

Fees were revised by Gazette Notice No. 15493 of 14 November 2023, with effect from 1 January 2024, and are restated in the 2025 Service Delivery Charter. A processing fee is paid on application and is not refundable. An issuance fee is paid after approval, for each year of the permit. Where official pages disagree, confirm the amount against the eFNS invoice before payment.

Official government fees change from time to time. Always confirm the current fees on the Department of Immigration Services eFNS portal (fns.immigration.go.ke) before paying.

The Charter and the 2023 Gazette give a processing fee of KES 20,000 for Classes A, B, C, D, F, G, K and Q, and issuance fees of KES 500,000 a year for Classes A and D, KES 250,000 a year for Classes B, C, F, G and K, and KES 100,000 a year for Class Q. Those issuance figures also appear on the current Directorate pages for Classes A, D, B, F, G and K. Classes M and R are issued free of charge. Class P issuance is listed at USD 1,000 a year. Permits for EAC members, refugees and diplomats are listed as gratis, where that treatment applies.

Class I fees are not aligned across official pages. The current eFNS Class I pack lists processing as gratis and issuance as KES 20,000 a year. The 2025 Charter lists the same issuance fee but a processing fee of KES 5,000. The Directorate's Class I webpage still shows KES 5,000 to process and KES 50,000 to issue. Treat the eFNS invoice as the amount payable.

Class N issuance is USD 1,000 a year on both the eFNS pack and the Charter. The processing fee is listed as USD 200 on eFNS and as KES 20,000 in the Charter. Pay the amount shown on the current government invoice. These government charges do not include professional fees, translations or tax compliance certificates.

The fees above are government fees only. Professional legal fees for preparing and lodging the application are charged separately and can be significant, depending on the permit class and the complexity of the file. Ask for a written fee quote before you begin.

A special pass while the permit is pending

Do not start work on the strength of a pending application alone. If you need to remain in Kenya, or to begin temporary work, while a permit is under consideration, the usual route is a special pass.

A special pass may be issued for a period not exceeding six months, to conduct a business, trade or profession temporarily. The eFNS special pass pack also states that it may be used to remain in Kenya in order to apply for a permit or pass, or to seek review of a refusal. The official fee is USD 200 a month for non-EAC applicants, and the pass is listed as gratis for EAC member states, with a service standard of 7 working days. Notification of approval is not authority to work until the pass itself has been obtained, and failure to pay within thirty days of notification will render the approval void.

Dependants

A dependant's pass may be issued to a foreign national who is a dependant of a Kenyan citizen, a permit holder, a permanent resident or an exempted person. The application is made on Form 28 and requires evidence of the relationship, proof of sufficient and assured income, and, where the sponsor holds a work permit, a valid copy of that permit with at least six months left before expiry. The official issuance fees are KES 20,000 for a spouse or child of a Kenyan citizen, and KES 10,000 for a dependant of a work permit or permanent residence holder, with a service standard of 15 working days. EAC member states are listed as gratis. A re-entry pass, listed at KES 5,000 a year, applies only to dependant pass holders. Foreign nationals registration is listed at KES 5,000 a year, with a service standard of six weeks.

Common reasons for refusal

Incomplete applications will not be accepted, and the processing fee is not refunded if the application fails. Refusals often arise from applying under the wrong class; a Class D file that does not show scarce skills, a genuine Kenyan understudy, or evidence of local recruitment where the Directorate requires it; a Class G file that does not prove the USD 100,000 capital with traceable bank evidence; missing tax compliance certificates; documents that are not certified or translated; starting work before the permit or special pass has been issued and endorsed; and inconsistencies between the cover letter, Form 25, the contract and the certificates. If a permit is refused, the official route is a review by the Cabinet Secretary.

How Ben Manani & Co. Advocates can help

Ben Manani & Co. Advocates advises employers, investors and individual applicants on the correct class, the documents the Directorate expects, and the sequencing of a special pass, the permit itself, dependant passes and foreign national registration. We review draft cover letters and supporting papers before they are uploaded, assist with filing on the eFNS portal, and advise on a review where an application has been refused.

If you are taking up employment in Kenya, investing here, or considering the digital nomad route, Chat on WhatsApp for advice before you file.

Sources

1. Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011, sections 34, 36, 40, 41 and 42, as cited on the Directorate of Immigration Services work permits page and the eFNS permit information pack.
2. Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012, Seventh Schedule, as cited on the eFNS permit information pack; amendments including Legal Notice No. 198 of 2024 (Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 225 of 16 December 2024).
3. Directorate of Immigration Services, Service Delivery Charter, 2025 (fees and service standards).
4. Gazette Notice No. 15493 of 14 November 2023, Kenya Gazette (Special Issue), Vol. CXXV No. 241 (fee revision effective 1 January 2024).
5. eFNS Class D information pack and Class D page, Directorate of Immigration Services.
6. eFNS Class G information pack and Class G page, Directorate of Immigration Services.
7. eFNS Class N information pack.
8. eFNS Class I information pack and Class I page, Directorate of Immigration Services (the two sources currently disagree on fees).
9. Class K page, Directorate of Immigration Services.
10. Special Pass page, Directorate of Immigration Services and eFNS special pass information pack.
11. Dependant's Pass page, Directorate of Immigration Services.
12. Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Management Service Act, 2011, section 22(1), as cited on the eFNS permit information pack (appeal to the Cabinet Secretary).