Kenya

Kenya is one of the few African countries with a permit built for remote workers. The choice comes down to the length of the stay.

Choosing a route

• Short stays: most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before travel, which allows a stay of up to 90 days depending on nationality. Citizens of East African Community states can stay up to 180 days, and some other nationalities are exempt from the eTA for shorter periods (Directorate of Immigration Services). A visitor stay does not cover living in Kenya long term.
• Remote work for a year or more: the Class N digital nomad permit covers people working from Kenya for a company registered abroad, shareholders of foreign companies and freelancers with clients outside Kenya. It runs for one or two years at a time and can be renewed.
• Families: spouses and children of permit holders apply for a Dependant Pass, which does not allow trade or employment (eFNS Dependant Pass).
• Other plans: Kenya's other permit classes, such as Class K for people with assured income from abroad and Class G for investors, are listed on the eFNS permits page.

The Class N page sets out the documents, fees and application steps in full.

Kenya uses the shilling (KES). Nairobi costs the most, mainly because of rent, and the coast is cheaper in Numbeo's data.

Each total adds the average one-bedroom rent, outside the center and in it, to Numbeo's estimate of a single person's other monthly costs. The figures are averages of user reports, not official statistics. Furnished short lets in popular areas usually cost more.

At the Oct. 2, 2026 exchange rate, a remote worker renting a one-bedroom apartment should budget about US$800 to US$1,030 a month in Nairobi and US$650 to US$730 in Mombasa. The Class N fees come on top: $200 to apply and $1,000 a year.

• Nairobi: the capital and East Africa's main tech hub, with the most coworking spaces, the busiest social scene and the main international airport. It suits remote workers who want city life and networking. It is also the most expensive base.
• Mombasa: the port city on the Indian Ocean, with beaches to the north and south and lower rents than Nairobi in Numbeo's data. It suits people who want the coast without leaving a big city.
• Diani Beach: a beach town south of Mombasa with a small community of long-stay visitors. It suits those who put lifestyle first and can work with fewer coworking options.
• Kisumu: Kenya's main city on Lake Victoria, quieter and slower paced than Nairobi. It suits remote workers who want a calm base in the west.
• Nakuru: a fast-growing city in the Rift Valley, a short drive from Lake Nakuru National Park. It suits people who want nature close by and an easy road trip to Nairobi.

In the Speedtest Global Index for August 2026, Kenya's median fixed broadband download speed was 50 Mbps. The index published no mobile median for Kenya that month.

Fiber is easiest to find in Nairobi and Mombasa, so checking the connection before signing a lease pays off. A local SIM with a data bundle makes a useful backup.

Nairobi has the widest choice of coworking spaces, mostly in business districts such as Westlands and Kilimani, with day passes and monthly desks. Mombasa and the coast have fewer, and in smaller towns cafes and hotels fill the gap.

Kenya's Income Tax Act makes a person resident after 183 days or more in a year of income, after presence in the year and each of the two years before it averaging more than 122 days a year, or with a permanent home in Kenya and any presence in the year (Income Tax Act, section 2).

A Class N permit lasts one or two years, so many holders pass the day test. The Class N page sets out no tax concession for permit holders, and no official special regime for remote workers exists.

Points to check:

• Residence: whether the stay makes a person resident in Kenya, and whether the home country keeps treating them as resident.
• Foreign income: how Kenya and the home country treat salary or fees paid from abroad, and whether a tax treaty applies.
• Filing: registration and returns with the Kenya Revenue Authority once resident.

• Arrival: check eTA rules for the passport held and apply before flying where one is needed (Directorate of Immigration Services).
• Money: mobile money is part of daily life, and M-Pesa is widely accepted for bills, shops and transport. Cards work in larger shops and hotels in the cities.
• Phone: SIM cards are registered with a passport. Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom sell SIMs and data bundles at the airport and in town.
• Health: private hospitals in Nairobi and Mombasa are the best equipped. International health insurance is a sensible purchase, and permit holders arrange their own cover.
• Safety: petty crime is a risk in busy parts of the cities, so ride-hailing apps after dark and current government travel advice for the regions visited help.
• Family: dependants on a Dependant Pass cannot work in Kenya (eFNS Dependant Pass).