Kenya digital nomad visa (2026)

Who can apply

• Work under a contract with a company registered outside Kenya, or
• Shareholder or representative of a foreign company, or
• Self-employed with clients located outside Kenya
• Not a prohibited immigrant

Income requirement

You need to show at least Not stated on the official portal. The official portal only asks for three months of bank statements or payslips proving monthly income; law-firm summaries cite US$55,000 a year (2024) later cut to US$24,000, but neither figure could be confirmed from an official source.

Documents you need

• Form 25 completed online
• Two recent passport photos and passport copy
• Cover letters from the applicant and the employer/company to the Director General of Immigration
• Bank statements or payslips for the last 3 months
• Proof of accommodation in Kenya
• Letter of no objection from your country's embassy in Kenya
• Police clearance certificate

How to apply, step by step

1. Create an account on the government single sign-on (eCitizen) and log in to eFNS
2. Choose permit issuance and fill in the Class N application (Form 25)
3. Pay the invoice online or at Nyayo House
4. Track progress through email and your eFNS account

Where and how to apply

All applications go online through the Department of Immigration Services' eFNS portal, which you reach with a Government of Kenya single sign-on (eCitizen) account. You can apply from abroad; the portal asks for your current immigration status, and the immigration FAQ says people outside Kenya should select the visitor status they will hold on arrival. Decisions are made by the Director General of Immigration Services, advised by an inter-ministerial Permit Determination Committee. If online payment is not possible, the printed application and documents can be taken to Nyayo House in Nairobi. A refusal can be appealed to the Cabinet Secretary.

Timeline

1. Create accounts Day 0
   Open a single sign-on account, then log in to eFNS and choose permit issuance for Class N.
2. Get the embassy no-objection letter Before submitting
   Your country's embassy in Kenya must issue a letter of no objection; allow time for its own processing.
3. Submit and pay the processing fee At submission
   Upload Form 25 and supporting documents and pay the non-refundable USD 200 processing fee; incomplete files are not accepted.
4. Committee review Not published
   The Permit Determination Committee considers the file and the Director General decides; progress is shown in your eFNS account and by email.
5. Pay the issuance fee After approval
   An invoice for the issuance fee is generated; an approval notice alone does not authorise you to work or reside.
6. Register as a foreign national Once resident for more than 90 days
   Apply for the Foreign National Certificate (alien card) on eFNS and attend biometric capture.
7. Renew Before the 1- or 2-year term ends
   Renewal uses the same eFNS permit issuance/renewal form; the official page sets no specific lead time.

Proving your income

The official requirement is bank statements or payslips for the last three months showing your monthly income. The eFNS page does not publish a minimum figure; the gazetted regulations should set it, but they could not be read from an official source. Employees also need a signed cover letter from the employer to the Director General of Immigration Services, and self-employed applicants should make sure their own cover letter explains who the clients are and that they are located outside Kenya. Company details must include a physical address and a named contact person. For documents in other languages, the immigration department's general rule (stated for dependant passes) is translation into English by an embassy, notary or other recognised body.

Bringing your family

Family members do not get Class N automatically; each applies for a Dependant Pass on eFNS (Form 28). Spouses and children of permit holders qualify, as can other dependants if a condition causing dependency (age, disability, illness) is proven. Each application needs certified relationship documents, passport copies of both the sponsor and the dependant, and a cover letter. The immigration FAQ says dependants of work permit holders do not need separate proof of income, but the dependant pass page asks for proof of sufficient income to support the family. Dependants cannot work or run a business, paid or unpaid, and children need a separate pupil's pass to attend school. The dependant pass fee is shown on the invoice after approval and is not published on the page.

Health insurance

The official Class N requirements on eFNS do not mention health insurance, and no minimum cover is published. Health care for foreigners in Kenya is mostly private and paid directly, so an international policy that covers inpatient care and medical evacuation for the whole permit period is a practical necessity, even though immigration does not check it.

Cost and processing time

The fee is uS$200 processing fee (non-refundable) plus US$1,000 issuance fee per year. Processing takes not stated officially. Budget extra for translations, certified copies and health insurance.

After you arrive

• Register for a Foreign National Certificate (alien card) on eFNS if you stay in Kenya for more than 90 days; this is separate from the permit.
• Keep the permit and the approval notice; an approval letter by itself does not authorise residence or work.
• Do not provide services to Kenyan clients or take local employment; working or doing business without the right permit or pass is an offence.
• Make sure each dependant has an approved Dependant Pass, and a pupil's pass for any child in school.
• Check with the Kenya Revenue Authority whether you need a KRA PIN; individual returns for each year are due by 30 June of the following year.
• Apply for renewal through eFNS before the permit expires; the renewal form is the same issuance/renewal tab.

Tax

KRA states that individual income tax applies to income of residents and non-residents that accrued in or was derived from Kenya, and that non-residents get no personal relief. KRA's public page does not set out the residence test, nor how foreign-paid remote work income is treated when the work is physically done in Kenya, and the Class N pages say nothing about tax. There is no special regime for digital nomads. The tax year is the calendar year and returns are due by 30 June of the following year. Because the treatment of foreign-paid remote work is unclear, ask KRA for a ruling or take local advice before relying on any assumption.

Does it lead to permanent residence?

Kenya's permanent residence Category B is for people who have held Kenyan work permits for at least seven years and lived in Kenya continuously for the three years immediately before applying, with spouses and children included. Class N is issued under the same permit system as other work permits, but the immigration pages do not state whether Class N years count toward the seven, so confirm with the Department of Immigration Services. Permanent residence decisions take three months to a year according to the immigration FAQ, and holders must live in Kenya and report any absence of a year or more.

Why applications get refused

• Incomplete application; the department states it does not accept incomplete files
• No letter of no objection from your home country's embassy in Kenya
• Bank statements or payslips that do not show a regular monthly income for the last three months
• Clients or employer located in Kenya, which falls outside Class N
• Missing company contact details or unsigned cover letters
• Being classed as a prohibited immigrant

Cost of living in Nairobi

1-bedroom rent

KSh 30,000–90,000 a month in the city centre (average about KSh 58,500); KSh 15,000–59,700 outside the centre (Numbeo, updated 6 November 2026)

Coworking desk

Nairobi Garage: KSh 11,000 a month for a hot desk and KSh 25,000 for a fixed desk, both plus 16% VAT (operator site, November 2026)

Numbeo lists fixed broadband of 60 Mbps or more at roughly KSh 3,000–6,000 a month (6 November 2026).

Good to know

• Incomplete applications are not accepted
• The processing fee is not refundable

Visiting first? Entry rules for popular passports

7 passports can enter Kenya visa-free for a short stay, a common way to try the country before applying. Check Kenya visa requirements for your passport.

Official source

Department of Immigration Services – eFNS information pack (Class N)

Not yet confirmed on an official source: income requirement, processing time, tax. Check these with the consulate before you apply.