Updated 21 October 2026
Quick answer: Foreigners apply for a Kenyan work permit online at fns.immigration.go.ke (the eFNS portal). Most classes cost a KSh 20,000 non-refundable processing fee, then an issuance fee per year: KSh 500,000 for Class D (employment) and Class A (mining), and KSh 250,000 for Classes B, C, F, G and K. Citizens of East African Community countries pay no fee. The Directorate’s 2025 service charter targets 21 working days for a new permit and 10 working days for a renewal.
Everything here comes from the Directorate of Immigration Services: its Passes and Work Permits pages for each class and its Service Delivery Charter 2025. Dollar figures are converted at about KSh 129.8 to the US dollar (open.er-api.com, 19 October 2026).
In this guide
Kenya Work Permit Classes at a Glance
| Class | Who it’s for | Processing fee | Issuance fee (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Prospecting and mining | KSh 20,000 | KSh 500,000 |
| B | Agriculture and animal husbandry | KSh 20,000 | KSh 250,000 |
| C | Prescribed professions (doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants and others) | KSh 20,000 | KSh 250,000 |
| D | Employment with a specific employer | KSh 20,000 | KSh 500,000 |
| F | Specific manufacturing | KSh 20,000 | KSh 250,000 |
| G | Specific trade, business or consultancy | KSh 20,000 | KSh 250,000 |
| I | Approved religious and charitable work | KSh 5,000 | KSh 20,000 (2025 charter); the Class I page still shows KSh 50,000 |
| K | Ordinary residents with income from outside Kenya | KSh 20,000 | KSh 250,000 |
| M | Refugees | Free | Free |
The 2025 charter also lists Class N and Class P at USD 1,000 a year (about KSh 129,800), Class Q at KSh 100,000 a year and Class R as free, but the Directorate’s class pages don’t describe those classes yet. If you think one of them applies to you, confirm with the Directorate before applying.
Class D: Working for a Kenyan Employer
This is the permit most foreign employees need. The Directorate says it is for a person offered a specific job by a specific employer, who has skills or qualifications that are not available in Kenya, and whose employment will benefit Kenya. That last part matters: the employer has to show the role couldn’t be filled locally.
Requirements listed by the Directorate:
- Application Form 25, filled and signed, plus Form 27.
- A signed cover letter from the employer to the Director General of Immigration Services.
- A copy of the passport bio-data page, a recent colour passport photo and your current immigration status if you’re already in Kenya.
- A valid tax compliance certificate for the company (and for both the company and you when renewing). Our guide to the KRA tax compliance certificate explains how to get one.
- Certified academic and professional certificates and your CV.
- The name, ID, certified certificates, contacts and CV of a Kenyan understudy who will learn the role.
- The organisation’s certificate of registration and clearance letters from relevant bodies.
- Evidence that the employer tried and failed to fill the vacancy locally through competitive recruitment.
- English translations of any documents in another language, done by an embassy, notary or recognised institution.
Cost: KSh 20,000 to process plus KSh 500,000 per year, so a two-year Class D permit comes to KSh 1,020,000 in government fees alone.
Class G: Running a Business or Consultancy
Class G is for someone who wants to run a specific trade, business, consultancy or profession (other than a prescribed profession) in Kenya, alone or with partners. On top of the standard documents, you need:
- Documentary proof of capital to invest of at least USD 100,000 (about KSh 12.98 million).
- Company registration documents: certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles. If you haven’t set up yet, see how to register a limited company.
- The CR12 showing shareholders, and PIN certificates for both the company and you. Here’s how to get a KRA PIN for a company.
- Signed audited accounts for the previous two years when renewing.
Cost: KSh 20,000 processing plus KSh 250,000 per year.
Other Classes in Brief
Class C: Prescribed Professions
For members of a prescribed profession who will practise in Kenya and are registered with their professional body at home. The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012 list the professions: medicine, dentistry, law, surveying, estate agency, valuing and land agency, architecture and quantity surveying, pharmacy, veterinary surgery, engineering, nursing, physiotherapy, accounting, chartered secretaries, actuaries, scientists and ICT experts. You’ll need proof of membership and evidence that you have enough capital and resources.
Class B and Class F: Farming and Manufacturing
Both need proof of at least USD 100,000 (about KSh 12.98 million) for investment and licences from the relevant regulators. Class B also needs proof that you own or lease land.
Class I: Religious and Charitable Work
For members of an institution registered under the Societies Act working as missionaries or for a government-approved non-profit. A secondment letter is needed if you’re sent from a parent organisation abroad.
Class K: Retirees and People With Outside Income
For people aged at least 35 with an assured income of at least USD 24,000 a year (about KSh 3.11 million) from sources outside Kenya, such as a pension or annuity, and remitted to Kenya.
How to Apply on the eFNS Portal
- Collect and scan your documents. Large scans are a common reason uploads fail, so use our document upload size and compressor tool and passport photo resizer first.
- Create an account on fns.immigration.go.ke and choose the permit class.
- Fill in Form 25 online (and Form 27 where required), then upload your documents.
- Pay the processing fee online. It is non-refundable even if the permit is refused.
- Track the application on the portal. The charter target is 21 working days for new applications.
- Pay the issuance fee once approved, print the e-permit, then book an endorsement appointment on the portal. Endorsement is free and the charter target is one day.
Related Immigration Fees
| Service | Fee (2025 charter) | Target time |
|---|---|---|
| Dependant’s pass (family of a work permit holder) | KSh 10,000 | 15 working days |
| Special pass (short-term work) | USD 200 a month (about KSh 25,960) | 7 working days |
| Internship and research pass | KSh 10,000 a year | 15 working days |
| Student pass | USD 100 a year (about KSh 12,980) | 15 working days |
| Foreign nationals registration | KSh 5,000 a year | 6 weeks |
| Re-entry pass (dependant pass holders only) | KSh 5,000 a year | 1 day |
Kenyans dealing with the same Directorate for travel documents can follow our guide to check a Kenyan passport application.
Tips That Save Time and Money
- Check you’re in the right class. The processing fee is lost if you apply under the wrong one.
- Plan for the understudy. Class D applications without a named Kenyan understudy are incomplete.
- Renew early. Renewals have a 10-working-day target, so apply well before your permit expires and keep your tax compliance certificate current.
- Use only the official portal. Applications go through fns.immigration.go.ke; the Directorate can be reached at info@immigration.go.ke or 020 2222022, and its office is at Nyayo House, Nairobi.
Employers hiring locally first, as Class D expects, can advertise roles on JobinKenya.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a work permit in Kenya?
KSh 20,000 to process plus KSh 500,000 a year for Class D or A, or KSh 250,000 a year for Classes B, C, F, G and K. EAC citizens pay nothing.
How long does a Kenyan work permit take?
The Directorate’s 2025 charter targets 21 working days for a new permit and 10 working days for a renewal.
Do Ugandans, Tanzanians or Rwandans need to pay for a Kenyan work permit?
Citizens of East African Community member states still apply, but the fees are waived (listed as gratis).
How much capital do I need for a Class G permit?
Proof of at least USD 100,000 (about KSh 12.98 million) to invest.
Is the processing fee refunded if my permit is rejected?
No. The Directorate describes the KSh 20,000 processing fee as non-refundable.
Where do I apply?
Online on the eFNS portal, fns.immigration.go.ke.
Last checked 19 October 2026 against the Directorate of Immigration Services class pages (A, B, C, D, F, G, I, K) and its Service Delivery Charter 2025.
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