Kenya's Class N Digital Nomad Permit: Requirements and Cost
In October 2024 Kenya introduced a residence permit dedicated to remote workers, the Class N permit, known as the Digital Nomad Permit. It allows a foreign national to live in Kenya for one or two renewable years, provided they work exclusively for an employer or clients located outside the country and can prove a guaranteed annual income of at least USD 24,000 from foreign sources. Applications are filed online on the eFNS platform of the Directorate of Immigration Services, using Form 25, with a non-refundable USD 200 processing fee and USD 1,000 per year of validity. Here is where the scheme stands in September 2026.
Who can apply for a Class N permit
The permit targets three profiles, as defined by the Kenya Directorate of Immigration Services: an employee bound by an employment contract with a company registered outside Kenya, a shareholder or director conducting business on behalf of a foreign company, and a self-employed person providing services to clients based abroad. In all three cases, no service may be provided to a Kenyan entity or to clients located in Kenya: the permit does not open the local labour market.
The required documents are:
a passport valid for at least six months on the filing date;
proof of a guaranteed annual income of at least USD 24,000 from sources outside Kenya, supported by bank statements or pay slips for the last three months;
the employment contract, the foreign company's incorporation documents, or the service contracts with foreign clients;
proof of accommodation in Kenya, either a hotel booking or a lease;
a clean police clearance certificate issued by the country of habitual residence;
a letter of no objection from the applicant's embassy or consulate in Kenya;
a passport photograph and a copy of the passport's biodata page.
The letter of no objection is the document that most surprises European applicants. It must be requested from one's own diplomatic mission in Nairobi, and some posts only issue it after an appointment. Allow two to four weeks to obtain it, and build that into the timeline before filing.
The real cost of the permit
The official fee schedule published on eFNS sets two amounts. The processing fee is USD 200, payable at filing and non-refundable if the application is refused. The issuance fee is USD 1,000 per year of validity, so USD 1,000 for a one-year permit and USD 2,000 for a two-year permit, paid once the application is approved. A two-year stay therefore costs USD 2,200 in administrative fees, excluding document translation, the police certificate and any assistance from a local firm.
Fragomen and the lawyers at Njaga Advocates point out that the permit does not replace entry clearance. Since January 2024, every traveller, whatever their nationality, must obtain an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before departure on the official portal. The eTA costs around USD 30, is valid for 90 days from issuance and allows a stay whose length is set on arrival. Most applicants enter Kenya on this eTA and then file their Class N application in country.
The eFNS procedure, step by step
The eFNS platform (Electronic Foreign Nationals Services) centralises all Kenyan residence permits. The process is the same as for standard work permits:
create a personal eFNS account with your passport number;
select Form 25, "Application for a Class N permit", and enter identity, activity and income details;
upload the documents as PDFs, each within the size limit, with certified translations for anything not in English or Swahili;
pay the USD 200 processing fee by card or through the eCitizen public payment system;
wait for the Directorate of Immigration to review the file, which may request additional documents;
if approved, pay the issuance fee and collect the residence card in Nairobi, at Nyayo House, or at a regional office.
Local practitioners report processing times of one to three months depending on the Directorate's workload and the completeness of the file. An application filed with insufficient proof of income or a missing letter of no objection goes back to the end of the queue. During processing the applicant may remain in Kenya on their eTA, as long as they do not exceed the stay granted on entry; an extension can be requested online before expiry.
The Class N permit is the first Kenyan status designed for remote work. Before October 2024, a remote worker had to choose between a tourist visa, which prohibits any professional activity, and a Class D work permit, reserved for employees of a Kenyan employer. Kenya thus joins South Africa, Mauritius, Cape Verde and Namibia among African countries with a dedicated status.
Tax: the 183-day threshold
The permit settles residence, not tax. According to PwC's tax summary and the tax residency note Kenya filed with the OECD, an individual becomes Kenyan tax resident if they have a permanent home in Kenya and spend even a single day there in the year, or, without a permanent home, if they spend at least 183 days there in the calendar year, or an average of 122 days a year over the current year and the two preceding ones.
A Class N holder who settles for a year therefore crosses the threshold automatically. The Kenya Revenue Authority then treats their employment income as taxable in Kenya, even when it is paid by a foreign employer, because the work is physically performed on Kenyan territory. The progressive income tax scale peaks at 35%. France and Kenya are bound by a tax treaty signed in 2007 that allocates taxing rights and prevents double taxation, but it only works if income is correctly declared on both sides. A French employee must also check their social security coverage: with no bilateral social security agreement between France and Kenya, posting is not possible, and local affiliation or private insurance becomes necessary.
What it means for your situation
For an employee working remotely, the Class N permit can only be used with the employer's written consent: the employment contract is part of the file, and the employer must accept that one of its staff performs their work from Kenya with the tax and social security consequences described above. Without that consent, the only option is a short stay on an eTA with no declared activity, which exposes the company to permanent establishment risk and the employee to refusal of entry if checked.
For a freelancer, the permit is the simplest route provided they can demonstrate USD 24,000 of regular annual income, backed by contracts. Income received through platforms must be documented with the platform's statements and the receiving bank account. A freelancer who also wants to invoice Kenyan clients must switch status and apply for a Class G permit, reserved for investors and local business activities.
For an employer authorising an extended stay of an employee in Kenya, the Class N permit secures the employee's presence but settles neither Kenyan withholding tax nor a possible permanent establishment if the employee negotiates or signs contracts locally. Beyond a few months, using a local employer of record or a Kenyan entity becomes necessary. This is the kind of case Nomamundi handles with its legal partners in Nairobi, from the letter of no objection through to renewal.
