Kenya Digital Nomad Visa (2026)

Digital nomad visa: Yes

Overall5/10Harder visas than about 65% of cities

Good to know

Good to Know

This is not a 'visa-free' arrangement in the classic sense — nearly every nomad must apply online for an eTA and pay USD 30 before flying, even for short trips.
Apply as soon as flights and accommodation are booked; official guidance recommends submitting at least 3 days before travel, but a week or more is safer to absorb any delays.
If you plan multiple trips in and out of Kenya, the multiple-entry eTA (same USD 30 fee) covering up to 5 years of 90-day stays is worth choosing over the single-entry option.
Keep a printed or downloaded copy of your approved eTA — it must be presented alongside your passport at the port of entry.
Only use etakenya.go.ke; there are lookalike third-party sites that overcharge and can cause your real application to be denied.
If you're a citizen of an EAC Partner State (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda), you skip the eTA entirely and get up to 180 days on entry.
Reported minimum income figures for the Class N permit are inconsistent across sources — anywhere from about USD 24,000/year to USD 55,000/year — so budget for the higher figure and verify the current threshold directly on the eFNS portal or with Kenyan Immigration before applying.
You cannot take local paid work or earn Kenyan-source income on this permit — it's strictly for people paid by employers/clients based outside Kenya.
Even if you owe no Kenyan income tax, you'll likely still need a KRA PIN for everyday things like opening a bank account or signing a lease.
If you plan to stay past 183 days in a 12-month period, get tax advice before arrival — that's the trigger point where Kenya may treat you as a tax resident on your worldwide income, not just Kenyan-source income.
Enter Kenya within 90 days of your permit being issued, or it may lapse.

Visa Free Entry

Visa fee: KES 3,879
How To Apply: Apply exclusively at the official government portal etakenya.go.ke — create an account, complete personal/travel/accommodation details, upload documents, and pay online. Applications can be submitted up to 3 months before travel.
Who Needs It: All foreign nationals intending to travel to Kenya, including infants and children, unless specifically exempted. This covers the vast majority of nomads (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, etc.).
System Summary: Kenya no longer has a traditional visa-free or visa-on-arrival regime for most nomads. Since 5 January 2024 it operates an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) system: a mandatory pre-travel digital authorization (not a visa) that almost all foreign visitors, including tourists and remote workers, must obtain online before departure.
Processing Time: Standard official processing time is 3 working days, though some sources report approvals arriving within 24–72 hours; applying at least a week before travel is recommended to allow for delays
Multiple Entry Option: A multiple-entry eTA is also available for the same USD 30 fee, allowing repeated entries over a period of up to 5 years, with each stay capped at 90 days — useful for nomads who plan to leave and re-enter Kenya repeatedly.
Extending Stay Beyond Initial Period: Extensions can be requested in person at the Department of Immigration Services (Nyayo House, Nairobi) before the initial stay expires. Sources vary on the exact cap, but combined extensions generally do not exceed roughly 180 days (about 6 months) total; extensions are granted at the discretion of the Director of Immigration and require proof of funds/return ticket. For stays beyond that, a work, student, or residence permit is needed.
Fee Note: The eTA fee is set and charged in USD (30 USD) directly on the official portal; the KES figure shown is an approximate equivalent at current exchange rates, not a separate local-currency price.
Fee Exemption Note: Nationals of certain African Union member states have been exempted from paying the eTA processing fee (effective 15 February 2024) but must still submit an eTA application online.

Important Caveats

An approved eTA is a pre-travel clearance, not a guarantee of entry — immigration officers make the final admissibility decision on arrival
Kenya no longer issues visas on arrival or eVisas; arriving without an approved eTA can lead to denied boarding or a penalty
The eTA fee is non-refundable even if the application is denied
Only the official etakenya.go.ke site should be used — third-party sites charge inflated fees and applications made through them are automatically denied

Application Requirements

Valid passport with at least 6 months' validity beyond arrival date and one blank page
Recent passport-style photo (JPEG, white background)
Return/onward flight booking
Proof of accommodation (hotel booking or invitation letter/host details)
Valid debit or credit card for payment (cheques/cash not accepted)
Yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission

Duration For Typical Nomad

Stay Length: Actual permitted length of stay is set by the immigration officer at the port of entry, typically up to 90 days
ETA Validity To Enter: The approved eTA must be used to enter Kenya within 90 days of issuance, after which it expires (single-entry version)
Eac Regional Exception: EAC Partner State citizens (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) are exempt from the eTA and may enter for up to 180 days

Official Government Sources

Who Is Exempt From Needing An ETA

Citizens of the East African Community (EAC) Partner States: Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
Holders of Kenya Permanent Residence, valid Work Permits, or Passes
Passengers in genuine airside/seaside transit who do not leave port precincts
Diplomatic/official passport and UN/AU/laissez-passer holders on official duty

Digital Nomad Visa And Tax

Overview: Kenya has implemented a Digital Nomad Visa, which allows individuals who are employed by a company outside the country to work remotely from Kenya or as freelancers for an employer outside of Kenya.
Timeline: Kenya President William Ruto announced the Digital Nomad Work Permit on October 2, 2024, and the Department of Immigration Services published the visa validity period and application process in May 2025, with the eFNS portal opening for applications in April 2025.
Visa Name: Class N: Digital Nomad Work Permit
Visa Ease Tier: low
Visa Ease Tier Rationale: Kenya requires a mandatory paid eTA just for short visits, and its Digital Nomad Work Permit involves costly fees (~$155-$1,934), a high income threshold (~$24k+), lengthy 1-3 month processing, and inconsistent official guidance, making long-term legal residence relatively burdensome.

Fees

Eac Nationals: East African Community (EAC) nationals are exempted from these fees.
Processing Fee: KES 20,000
Annual Issuance Fee: KES 250,000
Fee Note: Fee figures are inconsistently reported across sources — at least one tracker separately cites a USD 200 processing fee and USD 1,000 annual issuance fee instead of the KES amounts above. Confirm the exact current fee schedule directly with the eFNS portal before applying.

Tax Notes

Corporate Note: If a nomad operates through a local entity or is deemed to have created a taxable local presence, Kenya's general corporate income tax rate is 30%, with foreign company branches taxed at 37.5%.
Kra Pin: A KRA PIN (Personal Identification Number) is typically required to comply with other regulatory obligations (e.g., bank accounts, rent contracts), even where no local tax is due initially.
Exit Tax: Kenya has no exit tax; once someone ceases to be a tax resident, their worldwide income is no longer subject to Kenyan taxation, and only Kenyan-source income (e.g., local rental income) remains taxable.
General Regime: Kenya primarily uses a source-based tax system: only income accrued in or derived from Kenya is taxed, unless the individual becomes a Kenyan tax resident.
Worldwide Income: Kenyan residents are taxable on their worldwide income, whereas a nonresident is taxable only on Kenyan-source income.
Residency Trigger: An individual is a Kenyan tax resident if they have a permanent home in Kenya and are present for any period in the tax year, or if they are present in Kenya for at least 183 days in the tax year, or if they average more than 122 days per year in Kenya across that year and the two preceding years.
Double Tax Treaties: Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) between Kenya and an applicant's home country may offer relief from double taxation, but professional structuring/advice is recommended.
Digital Nomad Specific: Income sourced outside Kenya for remote work performed for foreign clients is generally not subject to Kenyan PAYE, provided no income is generated from Kenyan sources, but staying long enough to trigger tax residency (183+ days) can bring worldwide income into the Kenyan tax net.

Restrictions

Digital Nomad Visa holders are prohibited from being employed by a company in Kenya or from earning money in Kenya by engaging in for-profit activities.
Holders are strictly prohibited from local employment or business activities with Kenyan-based companies or clients.

Application Path

Portal: Applications are submitted online through Kenya's eFNS (e-Foreign Nationals Services) immigration portal.
Process: Applicants complete the relevant application form on the eFNS portal together with supporting documentation, including a copy of a valid passport and a detailed, signed cover letter addressed to the Director General of Immigration Services stating the nature of employment or business, location, and duration of stay.
Entry Condition: Permit holders must enter Kenya within 90 days of permit issuance.
Processing Time: Independent guides estimate roughly 1–3 months processing time, though official average processing time has not been consistently published.

Documents Required

Valid passport (at least six months' validity)
Signed cover letter to the Director General of Immigration Services describing employment/business and intended duration of stay
Proof of remote employment or freelance/consulting contracts with a non-Kenyan employer or clients
Proof of income (bank statements, payslips, or tax returns)
Proof of accommodation in Kenya
Police clearance certificate / clean criminal record

Income Requirement

Stated Minimum: KES 3,102,960
Income Source Rule: Income must be derived from sources outside Kenya (employment abroad, freelance/consulting clients abroad, or remitted pensions/annuities/investment income); acceptable evidence typically includes 3–6 months of bank statements, employment or freelance contracts, and tax returns.
Note On Figure: Some sources report the government reduced the original minimum from about USD 55,000/year to USD 24,000/year, while several other sources published in the same period still cite roughly USD 53,922–55,000/year as the current requirement.

Validity And Renewal

Renewal: Renewable, provided the holder still meets the income, accommodation and clean-record criteria.
Initial Duration: Reports vary between 1 year and up to 2 years for the initial permit; multiple immigration-law trackers describe it as a 1–2 year, renewable permit tied to continued eligibility.

AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

Sources cited for this category

These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.

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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.