Kenya
Kenya East African free movement
East African Community Common Market (citizens of EAC partner states)
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
East African free movement is a long-stay route for Kenya. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Only for passports from 6 countries
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The person is a citizen of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania or Uganda and is not a prohibited immigrant.
- The EAC Common Market Protocol lets partner-state citizens enter without a visa and stay, and lets workers take up employment.
- Citizens of these EAC states are exempt from the Kenya eTA for stays of up to 180 days.
What you must show1
- Class R processing and final fees are both KES 0.
Documents4
- A copy of the passport bio-data page, two photographs and the signed Form 25 are submitted.
- A cover letter from the employer or organisation and its registration certificate are submitted.
- Academic or professional certificates are submitted, plus licences for prescribed professions.
- Investors add proof of capital and a shareholding certificate; farmers add proof of land ownership or lease.
Steps2
- A worker with a contract of over 90 days applies for a work permit within 15 working days of entry; shorter jobs need a special pass.
- Apply for the Class R permit online through the Kenya eFNS portal after creating a Government of Kenya single sign-on account.
When you become tax resident
How Kenya decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- 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
Full official text
Citizens of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda enter Kenya without a visa and can live and work under a fee-free Class R permit. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Requirements
- The person is a citizen of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania or Uganda and is not a prohibited immigrant. 6 5
- The EAC Common Market Protocol lets partner-state citizens enter without a visa and stay, and lets workers take up employment. 1 2
- Citizens of these EAC states are exempt from the Kenya eTA for stays of up to 180 days. 6
- Class R processing and final fees are both KES 0. 5
- A copy of the passport bio-data page, two photographs and the signed Form 25 are submitted. 5
- A cover letter from the employer or organisation and its registration certificate are submitted. 5
- Academic or professional certificates are submitted, plus licences for prescribed professions. 5
- Investors add proof of capital and a shareholding certificate; farmers add proof of land ownership or lease. 5
- A worker with a contract of over 90 days applies for a work permit within 15 working days of entry; shorter jobs need a special pass. 2
- Apply for the Class R permit online through the Kenya eFNS portal after creating a Government of Kenya single sign-on account. 5
Stay
- Visa-free and eTA-exempt entry for up to 180 days; longer residence or work needs a Class R permit, issued free of charge.
- Visa-free entry up to 6 months: Exempt from the eTA for up to 180 days.
- Residence or work: Class R permit for residence, employment, business, trade or a prescribed profession.
Nationality
Citizens of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Open to: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda.
Work
Employment, business, trade or a prescribed profession under a Class R permit; partner-state workers may not be discriminated against on nationality; public service jobs are excluded unless Kenya allows them.
Family
A worker has the right to be accompanied by a spouse and children under the EAC Common Market Protocol.
Fine print
Kenya's eTA page names six East African partner states for the 180-day exemption: Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Somalia, an East African Community partner state since 2024, is not on that list. The passport list here follows Kenya's list; living and working in Kenya under the treaty is done through the Class R permit, whose page says only "a citizen of a Member State of the East African Community".
Official sources
- EAC Common Market: free movement of persons, workers, establishment and residence · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Working in East Africa · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Harmonized classification, fees and procedures for entry, work and residence permits · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Visa-free entry within the EAC · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Permit Class R (East African Community nationals) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012 (as amended to 2025) · Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
East African free movement and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| East African free movement | – | – | – |
| Visa-free stay (6 months) | – | 6 mo | – |
| ECOWAS free movement Nigeria | – | – | – |
| East African free movement Rwanda | – | 6 mo | No |
| ECOWAS free movement Ghana | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the East African free movement?
Visa-free and eTA-exempt entry for up to 180 days; longer residence or work needs a Class R permit, issued free of charge.
Can I work on the East African free movement?
Employment, business, trade or a prescribed profession under a Class R permit; partner-state workers may not be discriminated against on nationality; public service jobs are excluded unless Kenya allows them.
Can I bring my family on the East African free movement?
A worker has the right to be accompanied by a spouse and children under the EAC Common Market Protocol.
Who can apply for the East African free movement?
Citizens of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Open to: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda.
How are East African free movement holders taxed in Kenya?
No special regime in our records is tied to the East African free movement. 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.
≈ 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 6 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.
- EAC Common Market: free movement of persons, workers, establishment and residence · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Working in East Africa · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Harmonized classification, fees and procedures for entry, work and residence permits · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Visa-free entry within the EAC · East African Community Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- Permit Class R (East African Community nationals) · Directorate of Immigration Services, Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
- Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012 (as amended to 2025) · Government of Kenya · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-11. 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.