Review of charges and fees with respect to immigration application in Kenya
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Market Insight 17 November 2023 17 November 2023
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Africa
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Employment, Pensions & Immigration
With increased foreign investment into Kenya, immigration and work permits for expatriates continue to be a key consideration for investors.
The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 provides that a person who is not a citizen of Kenya shall not enter or remain in Kenya unless he or she has obtained a permit or pass.
Foreigners who intend to work and reside in Kenya for employment, business, investment or other acceptable purposes need to apply for and obtain a permit or pass from the Department of Immigration.
The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration (the Cabinet Secretary) pursuant to Gazette Notice No. 15493 dated 14 November 2023 has published its intention to revise fees on various services offered by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services effective from 1 January 2024 as follows:
| No. | Item | Current charges | New charges |
| A: Visa fees | |||
| 1 | Single Entry Visa | USD 50 | USD 100 |
| 2 | Multiple Entry Visa | USD 100 | USD 500 |
| 3 | 5 Year Multiple Entry Visa | USD 160 | USD 160 |
| 4 | Extension of Visa after 6 months | 0 | USD 200 |
| 5 | Sanction Fee for overstaying | 0 | USD 100 |
| 6 | Referral/Multiple Entry Visa Processing Fees | USD 10 | USD 100 |
| 7 | Transit Visa | USD 20 | USD 50 |
| B: Work permit fees | |||
| 1 | Work permit processing fees for all classes save for Class I | KES 10,000 | KES 20,000 |
| 2 | Work permit processing fees for Class I – Religious activity | KES 1,000 | KES 5,000 |
| 3 | Work Permit Class A – Mining (issuance fees per year) | KES 250,000 | KES 500,000 |
| 4 | Work Permit Class B - Agriculture (issuance fees per year) | KES 100,000 | KES 250,000 |
| 5 | Work Permit Class C – Professional (issuance fees per year) | KES 100,000 | KES 250,000 |
| 6 | Work Permit Class D – Employment (issuance fees per year) | KES 200,000 | KES 500,000 |
| 7 | Work Permit Class F – Manufacturing (issuance fees per year) | KES 100,000 | KES 250,000 |
| 8 | Work Permit Class G – Investor (issuance fees per year) | KES 100,000 | KES 250,000 |
| 9 | Work Permit Class I – Religious activity (issuance fees per year) | KES 5,000 | KES 50,000 |
| 10 | Work Permit Class K – Retiree (issuance fees per year) | KES 100,000 | KES 250,000 |
| 11 | Express Work Permits | 0 | USD 10,000 |
| 12 | Reprocessing fees for Work Permit Appeals | 0 | KES 20,000 |
| 13 | Special Pass (issuance fees) | KES 15,000 per month | USD 200 |
| 14 | Dependant Pass for spouses and children of a Kenyan citizen (issuance fees) | KES 5,000 | KES 20,000 |
| 15 | Dependant Pass for a work permit and permanent resident holder (issuance fees) | KES 5,000 | KES 10,000 |
| 16 | Student Pass (Issuance fees per year) | KES 5,000 | USD 100 |
| C: Citizenship fees | |||
| 1 | Citizenship Processing fee | 0 | KES 20,000 |
| 2 | Regaining Kenyan Citizenship | KES 5,000 | KES 50,000 |
| 3 | Declaration of Dual Citizenship | 0 | KES 10,000 |
| 4 | Endorsement on Non-Kenyan Passports | KES 500 | KES 10,000 |
| 5 | Renunciation | KES 20,000 | KES 50,000 |
| 6 | Citizenship by Marriage |
KES 30,000 EAC KES 5,000 |
KES 100,000 KES 50,000 |
| 7 | Citizenship by Registration for Widows and Widowers of Kenyan Citizens |
KES 20,000 EAC KES 5,000 |
KES 50,000 KES 50,000 |
| 8 | Citizenship by Registration for Lawful Residence | KES 200,000 | KES 1,000,000 |
| 9 | Registration of Citizenship for Children and Dependants of Kenyan Citizens | KES 20,000 | KES 100,000 |
| D: Permanent residence fees | |||
| 1 | Ex-Citizens of Kenya (processing fees) | KES 10,000 | KES 50,000 |
| 2 | Ex-Citizens of Kenya (issuance fees) | KES 15,000 | KES 100,000 |
| 3 | Lawful Residents with Spouses and Children (processing fees) | KES 10,000 | KES 50,000 |
| 4 | Lawful Residence with Spouses and Children (issuance fees) | KES 500,000 | KES 750,000 |
| 5 | Spouses to Kenyan Citizens (processing fees) | KES 5,000 | KES 50,000 |
| 6 | Spouses to Kenyan Citizens (issuance fees) | KES 50,000 | KES 150,000 |
| 7 | Children to Kenya Citizens (processing fees) | KES 10,000 | KES 20,000 |
| 8 | Children to Kenya Citizens (processing fees) | KES 500,000 | KES 750,000 |
| E: Foreign national management fees | |||
| 1 | Registration for foreigner national certificate (Alien card) | KES 1,000 per year | KES 5,000 per year |
| 2 | Penalty for failure to register | KES 1,000 per year | KES 10,000 per year |
| 3 | Replacement of a lost foreigner national certificate | 0 | KES 2,000 |
| 4 | Processing of re-entry passes | KES 1,000 | KES 5,000 |
Recent development
On 6 November 2023, the Cabinet Secretary sought to increase fees on services offered by the Department of Immigration via Gazette Notice No. 15240. However, the High Court issued conservatory orders on 9 November 2023 suspending such Gazette Notice pending the hearing of the case.
The Cabinet Secretary has now published a new Gazette Notice with the above fees to allow for public participation on the matter and for the new fees to take effect on 1 January 2024.
Immigration expertise
Clyde & Co in Kenya have experienced immigration lawyers, who advise on issues of compliance with immigration laws in Kenya and offer full array of assistance with immigration applications.
The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011 and Regulations provide for the following permits and passes:
- Class D work permit, which is issued to a person who is offered specific employment by a specific employer and who is in possession of skills or qualifications that are not available in Kenya and whose engagement in that employment will be of benefit to Kenya.
- Class G investor permit, which is issued to a person who intends to engage, whether alone or in partnership, in a specific trade, business, consultancy or profession (other than a prescribed profession) in Kenya and has sufficient capital of at least USD 100,000.
- Special Pass, which is issued to a foreigner who wishes to work in Kenya for a short duration of time not exceeding a maximum of six (6) months.
- Dependant’s Pass, which is issued to dependents of Kenya citizens, permit holders, exempted persons and permanent residents.
- Student Pass, which is issued to applicants (foreign students) who wish to purse their education in Kenya. The applicant (foreign student) must be accepted as a student by an approved educational or training establishment.
The Department of Immigration has an electronic Foreign National Service (eFNS) system through which applicants may apply for permits and passes.
For any further information on the new fees or any other queries on immigration law and procedure, please contact our team.
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