At a glance
- Every foreign national who works in Kenya needs a permit or pass. An Electronic Travel Authorisation allows entry, never work.
- Class D covers employees of a specific employer. Class G covers investors running their own business.
- Class D costs a KES 20,000 processing fee and a KES 500,000 issuance fee per year. East African Community citizens pay no fee.
- A Class D application must name a Kenyan understudy and show the role could not be filled locally.
- Applications are filed online through the Directorate of Immigration Services' eFNS portal.
Entering Kenya and working in Kenya are separate permissions
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), introduced in 2024, approved before they fly. A September 2026 guide put the single-entry eTA at USD 30 and noted that the official portal advises applying two weeks before travel. Amendment rules published in 2025 exempted nationals of almost every African country except Somalia and Libya, and citizens of East African Community states may stay for up to 180 days.
Neither an eTA nor visa-free entry allows a person to work. Meetings, site visits and negotiations are fine; doing the job is not. That requires a work permit or, for short assignments, a Special Pass.
The permit classes
Kenya issues work permits by class, each tied to a purpose. The fees below follow the schedule gazetted in November 2023, which the Directorate's own Class D page and later reporting confirm.
| Class | Purpose | Issuance fee per year (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Prospecting and mining | 500,000 |
| B | Agriculture and animal husbandry | 250,000 |
| C | Members of prescribed professions | 250,000 |
| D | Employment by a specific employer | 500,000 |
| F | Specific manufacturing | 250,000 |
| G | Specific trade, business or consultancy (investors) | 250,000 |
| I | Approved religious or charitable activity | 50,000 |
| K | Ordinary residence on income from outside Kenya | 250,000 |
A non-refundable processing fee of KES 20,000 applies to every class except Class I, where it is KES 5,000. Citizens of East African Community states pay no permit fees, although they still need a permit to work.
Class D: employing a foreign national
Class D is the permit most employers need. It ties the holder to a named employer and role, and it rests on a simple test: the employer must show that the skills could not be found in Kenya, and that a Kenyan will be trained to take over. The Directorate's Class D checklist asks for:
- Completed and signed Forms 25 and 27.
- A cover letter from the employer addressed to the Director General of Immigration Services.
- A copy of the passport bio-data page, a recent colour passport photo and evidence of current immigration status for applicants already in Kenya.
- A valid tax compliance certificate for the company, and for the individual on renewal.
- Certified academic and professional certificates and a CV.
- The name, ID, CV, certificates and contact details of the Kenyan understudy.
- The organisation's certificate of registration and clearance letters from relevant institutions.
- Evidence of competitive recruitment showing the vacancy could not be filled from the local labour market.
- English translations, by an embassy, a notary or a recognised institution, of any document in another language.
Class G: investors running their own business
Class G is for foreign nationals who invest in and actively run a business in Kenya. The company must be registered in Kenya, and the investor must show at least USD 100,000 to invest. An investor who holds a KenInvest Investment Certificate can also obtain permits for up to three management or technical staff and three owners, shareholders or partners, according to the summary of the Investment Promotion Act in UNCTAD's investment guide.
Short assignments and families
A Special Pass covers short-term work, typically assignments of less than three months, and can bridge the gap while a full permit is processed. Family members of permit holders apply for a dependant's pass, filed by the permit holder.
Timelines and renewals
Processing times vary with the Directorate's workload and the completeness of the file, so apply well before the planned start date. After approval, the permit is endorsed and the holder registers as a foreign national. Renewals need the same care as first applications, including a current tax compliance certificate; we recommend filing at least three months before expiry.
What usually causes delay
- The wrong class. A manager filed under Class G, or an investor under Class D, starts again.
- A thin localisation case. No named understudy, or no evidence that the role was advertised locally.
- An expired tax compliance certificate for the employer.
- Uncertified or untranslated documents.
- Starting work early. Working before approval exposes both the employee and the employer to penalties and can damage future applications.
Checked against the sources below on 12 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change with each Finance Act and gazette notice, so confirm the current position before you act, or ask us.
Sources
- Directorate of Immigration Services: Class D (Employment)
- Clyde & Co: Review of charges and fees with respect to immigration applications in Kenya
- The Rio Times: Kenya work permit guide, fees, investor rules and entry (September 2026)
- Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr: Kenya amends immigration rules, broadens eTA exemptions
- UNCTAD iGuides: Kenya, overview of setting up a business