Kenya · Nomad / Remote work
Kenya Class N · Digital nomad
Income needed: $55k+ a year
Class N Permit (Digital Nomads, KEP/N)
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Class N · Digital nomad is a nomad / remote work route for Kenya. Applicants need income of $55k+ a year. You can stay 2 yrs, renewable. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- $55k+ a year
- Government fees
- $200 · $1,000/yr
- Processing
- 21 working days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; income to show $55k+/yr; decision: 21 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees$200 · $1,000/yr
- $200Non-refundable processing fee.
- $1,000 a yearIssuance fee per year.
Shown, not spent$55k+/yr
- $55,000 a yearAssured annual income of USD 55,000 derived from sources outside Kenya (Seventh Schedule, Class N, Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012). The Directorate's Class N page states no amount.
RenewalRenewable
Issued for one or two years and renewable. No single issue or renewal can run longer than five years.
Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of KenyaKenya Law
Permanent residenceConditions
Permanent residence is open to people who have held Kenyan work permits for at least seven years and have lived in Kenya continuously for the three years before applying.
Kenya LawDirectorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya
CitizenshipAfter 7 years of residence
Registration as a citizen needs seven years of continuous lawful residence under a valid permit, including the 12 months just before applying. You also need to speak Kiswahili or a local language, know Kenya's citizen duties and rights, and be able to contribute to national development.
Processing21 working days
Service standard: 21 working days for a new work or residence permit and 10 working days for a renewal.
Where to applyWhere to apply
Apply online through the eFNS portal. The Act says a permit application is made before entering Kenya, and the form also asks for your current immigration status if you are already in the country.
Kenya LawDirectorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya
Presence rulesStay rule
A permit issued while you are outside Kenya stops being valid if you do not enter within 90 days of issue; the Director can extend that by up to 90 days on written application. The permit stops being valid if you breach its terms, including taking up work for a Kenyan employer.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant works under an employment contract with a company registered outside Kenya.
- Alternatively, the applicant is a shareholder or conducts business for a foreign company.
- Alternatively, the applicant offers services as self-employed to clients located outside Kenya.
- The applicant is not a prohibited immigrant.
What you must show2
- The applicant has an assured annual income of USD 55,000 derived from sources outside Kenya.
- Bank statements or payslips for the last three months show the monthly income.
Documents4
- Cover letters from the applicant and the employer are required.
- Proof of accommodation is required.
- A letter of no objection from the home-country embassy is required.
- Police clearance is required.
When you become tax resident
How Kenya decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a year of incomeIndividual with no permanent home in Kenya is resident if present 183 days or more in the year of income.
- More than 122 days in a year of income and each of the two preceding years (average)Alternative test for an individual with no permanent home in Kenya: present in the year and averaging more than 122 days per year over the three years.
- Foreign-source income
Territorial
Kenya charges income tax on all income, of residents and non-residents, that accrued in or was derived from Kenya, at progressive rates from 10% to 35%; income arising wholly outside Kenya is outside that charge, except employment or service pay to a resident, which is deemed Kenyan-source wherever the work is done.
All tax rules for Kenya Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Accommodation
Proof of accommodation is required
- Police certificate and civil documents
Police clearance is required
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Permit for a foreigner working remotely within Kenya for a company registered outside Kenya, as a shareholder or business representative of a foreign company, or self-employed serving clients outside Kenya. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least $55,000 a year · Assured annual income of USD 55,000 derived from sources outside Kenya (Seventh Schedule, Class N, Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012). The Directorate's Class N page states no amount. 4
- A fee of $200 · Non-refundable processing fee. 1
- A fee of $1,000 a year · Issuance fee per year. 1
Requirements
- The applicant works under an employment contract with a company registered outside Kenya. 1
- Alternatively, the applicant is a shareholder or conducts business for a foreign company. 1
- Alternatively, the applicant offers services as self-employed to clients located outside Kenya. 1
- The applicant is not a prohibited immigrant. 1
- The applicant has an assured annual income of USD 55,000 derived from sources outside Kenya. 4
- Bank statements or payslips for the last three months show the monthly income. 1
- Cover letters from the applicant and the employer are required. 1
- Proof of accommodation is required. 1
- A letter of no objection from the home-country embassy is required. 1
- Police clearance is required. 1
Stay
- Issued for one or two years, renewable.
- First stay: 12 to 24 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Remote work for a foreign-registered company or foreign clients only.
Family
Dependant passes are available to dependants of permit holders.
Fine print
The Directorate's Class N page states no minimum income; it asks for bank statements or payslips for the last three months. The USD 55,000 a year figure was recorded on 11 October 2026 from the Seventh Schedule of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations on the Kenya Law site; that site refused the request on 12 October 2026, so the figure could not be read again.
Official sources
- Permit Class N: Digital Nomads (KEP/N) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Permit Information Pack (permit classes) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- Work Permits and Passes · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012 (Legal Notice 64 of 2012), consolidated · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11
- Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11
- Permanent Residence · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- Directorate of Immigration Services Delivery Charter 2025 · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12
Class N · Digital nomad and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class N · Digital nomad | Needs income of $55k+ a year | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Remote Work Visa South Africa | Needs income of ZAR 651k+ a year ≈ $39k | 3 yr | Limited |
| Premium Visa Mauritius | Needs income of $1,500+ a month | 1 yr, renewable | No local work |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Class N · Digital nomad?
Income of at least $55,000 a year. Assured annual income of USD 55,000 derived from sources outside Kenya (Seventh Schedule, Class N, Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012). A fee of $200. Non-refundable processing fee. A fee of $1,000 a year. Issuance fee per year.
How long can I stay on the Class N · Digital nomad?
Issued for one or two years, renewable.
How long does the Class N · Digital nomad take to process?
Service standard: 21 working days for a new work or residence permit and 10 working days for a renewal.
Can I work on the Class N · Digital nomad?
Limited. Remote work for a foreign-registered company or foreign clients only.
Can I bring my family on the Class N · Digital nomad?
Dependant passes are available to dependants of permit holders.
Does the Class N · Digital nomad lead to permanent residence in Kenya?
Permanent residence is open to people who have held Kenyan work permits for at least seven years and have lived in Kenya continuously for the three years before applying. Time on the Class N · Digital nomad counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 7 years of residence.
How are Class N · Digital nomad holders taxed in Kenya?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Class N · Digital nomad. The standard rules apply: Employment income is taxed in five bands from 10 percent to 35 percent; PAYE applies to residents and non-residents, and the personal relief of KES 28,800 (≈ $220) a year is granted to resident individuals only.
More in Kenya
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 7 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Permit Class N: Digital Nomads (KEP/N) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Permit Information Pack (permit classes) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- Work Permits and Passes · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012 (Legal Notice 64 of 2012), consolidated · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11
- Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11
- Permanent Residence · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- Directorate of Immigration Services Delivery Charter 2025 · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.