--- title: "Kenya Class R · EAC nationals requirements 2026: 5-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-r-eac-nationals/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- Kenya · Work # Kenya Class R · EAC nationals **First stay:** 5 yrs Class R Permit (East African Community nationals, KEP/R) Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 5 yrs (Validity is set by the Director of Immigration Services, up to five years per issue or renewal.) - **Who can apply:** 7 nationalities (Citizens of East African Community member states other than Kenya. The Class R page names no countries.) ## Key facts Class R · EAC nationals is a work route for Kenya. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source. - **Processing:** 21 working days - **First stay:** 5 yrs ## Time and long term **Renewal: Renewable** Can be renewed for further periods on payment of the renewal fee. No single issue or renewal can run longer than five years. [Kenya Law](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2012/64/eng@2025-05-30) [Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya](https://fns.immigration.go.ke/infopack/permits/classR/) **Permanent residence: Conditions** 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 Law](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2011/12/eng) [Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya](https://immigration.go.ke/permanent-residence/) **Citizenship: After 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. [Kenya Law](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2011/12/eng) **Processing: 21 working days** Service standard: 21 working days for a new work or residence permit and 10 working days for a renewal. [Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya](https://immigration.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DIRECTORATE-OF-IMMIGRATION-SERVICE-DELIVERY-CHARTER-2025.pdf) **Where to apply: Where 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 Law](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2011/12/eng) [Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya](https://fns.immigration.go.ke/infopack/permits/classR/) **Presence rules: Stay 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 also stops being valid if you stop the activity it was issued for or take up a different one. [Kenya Law](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2012/64/eng@2025-05-30) ## Why this route may not fit Check this before you apply. - Only for passports from 7 countries ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - The applicant is not a prohibited immigrant. #### What you must show - The processing fee and the final fee are both KES 0. #### Documents - Investors show a capital investment and shareholding certificate. - Farmers show land ownership or a lease. - Residents show proof of source of income. - Professionals show licences. ## 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 5 years at first, renewable** - **Tax residence:** - **At least 183 days in a year of income** Individual 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 **Full official text** Permit for citizens of East African Community member states who will reside, work, run a business or trade, or practise a prescribed profession in Kenya; no fees. (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) #### Requirements - The applicant is not a prohibited immigrant. (source 1) - The processing fee and the final fee are both KES 0. (source 1) - Investors show a capital investment and shareholding certificate. (source 1) - Farmers show land ownership or a lease. (source 1) - Residents show proof of source of income. (source 1) - Professionals show licences. (source 1) #### Stay - Validity is set by the Director of Immigration Services, up to five years per issue or renewal. - First stay: up to 60 months, decided case by case. - Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal. #### Nationality Citizens of East African Community member states other than Kenya. The Class R page names no countries. Open to: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda. #### Work Employment, business, trade or prescribed profession. #### Family Dependant passes are issued to dependants of permit holders; the holder's work permit must still be valid for at least six more months when the dependant applies. #### Fine print The Class R page says "a citizen of a Member State of the East African Community" and names no countries. The passport list here is the Community's partner states other than Kenya, including Somalia; Kenya's separate eTA exemption list does not include Somalia. The Community's own site refused the request on 12 October 2026. Checked 2026-10-12 ## Official sources 1. [Permit Class R (East African Community nationals)](https://fns.immigration.go.ke/infopack/permits/classR/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12 2. [Immigration Permit Information Pack (permit classes)](https://fns.immigration.go.ke/infopack/permits/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10 3. [Work Permits and Passes](https://immigration.go.ke/work-permits-and-passes/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10 4. [The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012 (Legal Notice 64 of 2012), consolidated](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2012/64/eng@2025-05-30) · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11 5. [EAC Partner States](https://www.eac.int/eac-partner-states) · East African Community · checked 2026-10-11 6. [Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2011/12/eng) · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11 7. [Permanent Residence](https://immigration.go.ke/permanent-residence/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10 8. [Directorate of Immigration Services Delivery Charter 2025](https://immigration.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DIRECTORATE-OF-IMMIGRATION-SERVICE-DELIVERY-CHARTER-2025.pdf) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12 ## Class R · EAC nationals and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Class R · EAC nationals | – | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Class D · Employment](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-d-employment/) | – | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Class I · Religious work](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-i-religious/) | – | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Class P · International staff](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-p-international-staff/) | – | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Class Q · Faith/charity staff](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-q-religious-professionals/) | – | 5 yr, renewable | – | ## Questions people ask ### How long can I stay on the Class R · EAC nationals? Validity is set by the Director of Immigration Services, up to five years per issue or renewal. ### How long does the Class R · EAC nationals 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 R · EAC nationals? Employment, business, trade or prescribed profession. ### Can I bring my family on the Class R · EAC nationals? Dependant passes are issued to dependants of permit holders; the holder's work permit must still be valid for at least six more months when the dependant applies. ### Who can apply for the Class R · EAC nationals? Citizens of East African Community member states other than Kenya. The Class R page names no countries. Open to: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda. ### Does the Class R · EAC nationals 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 R · EAC nationals counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 7 years of residence. ### How are Class R · EAC nationals holders taxed in Kenya? No special regime in our records is tied to the Class R · EAC nationals. 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 [Class N · Digital nomad](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-n-digital-nomad/) [Class C · Prescribed profession](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-c-prescribed-profession/) [Class G · Business](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/class-g-business/) [Internship / research pass](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/internship-research-pass/) [Student pass](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/kenya/student-pass/) ## Work visas elsewhere [🇲🇦 Employee residence card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/morocco/employment-contract-visa/) [🇿🇦 Critical Skills visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-africa/critical-skills-work-visa/) [🇲🇺 Professional Occupation Permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mauritius/professional-occupation-permit/) [🇨🇻 Highly qualified permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/cabo-verde/highly-qualified/) [🇳🇬 Employment · Cleric (R6A)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/nigeria/employment-r6a-cleric/) [🇷🇼 Skilled worker H1 (demand list)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/rwanda/h1-skilled-worker-occupation-on-demand/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## How this was checked **Checked on 2026-10-12 against 8 official sources.** Status: verified against the official sources. 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. 1. [Permit Class R (East African Community nationals)](https://fns.immigration.go.ke/infopack/permits/classR/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-12 2. [Immigration Permit Information Pack (permit classes)](https://fns.immigration.go.ke/infopack/permits/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10 3. [Work Permits and Passes](https://immigration.go.ke/work-permits-and-passes/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10 4. [The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012 (Legal Notice 64 of 2012), consolidated](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2012/64/eng@2025-05-30) · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11 5. [EAC Partner States](https://www.eac.int/eac-partner-states) · East African Community · checked 2026-10-11 6. [Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011](https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2011/12/eng) · Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting) · checked 2026-10-11 7. [Permanent Residence](https://immigration.go.ke/permanent-residence/) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10 8. [Directorate of Immigration Services Delivery Charter 2025](https://immigration.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DIRECTORATE-OF-IMMIGRATION-SERVICE-DELIVERY-CHARTER-2025.pdf) · 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](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.