Kenya's Class N permit: live in Nairobi, keep your U.S. paycheck
A one- or two-year permit for remote employees, freelancers and owners of foreign businesses. It costs $200 to apply and $1,000 a year once approved, and it rules out work for Kenyan clients.
Written for the rules Kenya finalized in December 2024, with the official document checklist and the tax trap most remote workers miss.
Your income has to come from outside Kenya
Class N is for people whose money already comes from abroad. Kenya's permit portal lists three ways to qualify.
You also promise not to take a job or earn income from any Kenyan employer or company. If you want Kenyan clients, look at another permit.
- An employment contract with a company registered outside Kenya
- Owning shares in, or doing business for, a foreign company
- Freelancing for clients located outside Kenya
Class N Permit (Digital Nomad)
For people who live in Kenya while working remotely for a company registered outside Kenya, running a foreign business, or freelancing for clients abroad. It is issued for one or two years and can be renewed. It does not allow working for Kenyan employers or clients.
- Government cost
- $1,200
- Timeline
- 1 or 2 years, renewable
- Difficulty
- Easy
About that data card
Our data lists "Assured annual income of at least USD 55,000 from outside Kenya." That was the October 2024 figure. Law firms citing the December 2024 regulations, including Bowmans and Manwa Advocates, put the floor at $24,000 a year from outside Kenya, or $2,000 a month. Kenya's own online checklist doesn't name a number; it asks for three months of bank statements or payslips.
What Class N costs, and how long it takes
$200
Processing fee
not refundable
$1,000
Issuance fee, per year
$2,200 all-in for two years
$24,000
Yearly income from abroad
first announced at $55,000
4 to 6 weeks
Typical processing
one Nairobi law firm's estimate
KES 10,000
Each dependant's pass
set in shillings
KES 1,000
Alien card, per year
required after 90 days
Applying, in order
Everything runs through eFNS, Kenya's online permit portal.
- Get an eTA to enter Kenya. It usually takes three working days.
- Gather the checklist: Form 25, a passport copy, two photos, three months of bank statements or payslips, proof of where you'll stay, signed cover letters from you and your employer to the Director General, and a letter of no objection from your home country's embassy.
- Pay the $200 processing fee and submit.
- Once approved, pay $1,000 for each year of the permit.
- Register for an alien card, which every foreigner living in Kenya more than 90 days needs.
Several law firms also list a clean criminal record, so have a police clearance ready even though the portal's checklist doesn't name one.
Here's the catch: the embassy letter
The checklist asks for a letter of no objection from your home country's embassy, and we found no public guidance on how the U.S. Embassy handles that request for Americans. Ask a Kenyan immigration lawyer what they file for U.S. clients, and whether you can apply from inside Kenya, before you pay the fee.
Taxes, family and staying longer
Kenyan tax starts at 183 days
Class N comes with no tax break. Spend 183 days in Kenya in a year, or average 122 days a year over three years, and you're a tax resident. Kenya taxes resident employees on pay for work done anywhere, at rates from 10% up to 35% on income over KES 9,600,000. There's no U.S.-Kenya tax treaty. The IRS foreign earned income exclusion ($132,900 for 2026) can shrink your U.S. bill if you're abroad 330 full days in 12 months. Kenya's filing deadline is June 30.
Bringing family
Your spouse and kids each need a dependant's pass, KES 10,000 apiece, and your permit needs at least six months left when they apply. The official page doesn't say whether they can work.
Healthcare
Kenyan hospitals and doctors generally want payment before treatment, and the State Department warns that evacuation to the U.S. is very expensive. Budget for international coverage from day one.
The long game
Permanent residence opens after seven years on work permits, with three years of continuous residence. The rules don't say whether Class N years count. Kenya allows dual citizenship.
People who can help with a Kenya move
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who helps you work out the level of care you'll need abroad and how to get it.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Expatsi's international health insurance partner. They match you with a global plan that works where you live.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Tax software and support for Americans filing U.S. returns from abroad, including the foreign earned income exclusion.
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
Currency exchange and international payments, for moving dollars to a foreign account at better-than-bank rates.
Class N questions Americans ask
Will I pay Kenyan tax on my U.S. salary?
Possibly. You become a Kenyan tax resident by spending 183 days there in a year, or averaging 122 days a year over three years. Kenya taxes resident employees on pay for work done anywhere, at up to 35%. There's no U.S.-Kenya tax treaty, so talk to a tax professional before you move.
How much does Kenya's Class N permit cost?
The processing fee is $200 and isn't refundable. Once you're approved, you pay $1,000 for each year of the permit, so a one-year permit costs $1,200 and a two-year permit $2,200. Each family member's dependant's pass is KES 10,000, and the alien card every resident needs is KES 1,000 a year.
Do I need an eTA once I have a Class N permit?
You need an eTA for your first trip in, which usually takes three working days. Kenya's embassy in Washington lists holders of valid work permits among the people who don't need one, so once your permit is issued you may be able to skip it. Check before each trip.
Does Kenya's Class N permit lead to permanent residence?
Maybe. Kenya offers permanent residence to people who've held work permits for at least seven years and lived there continuously for three, but the rules don't say whether Class N years count. Kenya does allow dual citizenship.
How much income do I need for Kenya's digital nomad permit?
Law firms citing Kenya's December 2024 regulations put the floor at $24,000 a year from sources outside Kenya, about $2,000 a month. That replaced the $55,000 figure announced in October 2024. Kenya's online checklist doesn't state a number; it asks for three months of bank statements or payslips proving your monthly income.
How long does the Kenya digital nomad permit take?
There's no official timeline. One Nairobi law firm says applications take about 4 to 6 weeks on average, while a 2026 guide gives up to about six months. Incomplete documents are the usual cause of delays, so check every item on the eFNS checklist before you submit.
Can my spouse and children come with me on a Class N permit?
Yes, but not automatically. Each applies for a dependant's pass at KES 10,000, and your permit needs at least six months left when they apply. Kenya's official page doesn't say whether dependants can work, so confirm that with a lawyer first.
Can I work for Kenyan clients on a Class N permit?
No. Applicants promise not to take a job or earn income from any Kenyan employer or company. Class N only covers work for a company registered outside Kenya, a foreign business you own or represent, or freelance clients located outside Kenya.
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