Kenya residence and citizenship
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in Kenya is $100,000, for the Class G work permit (investor). Ordinary naturalisation in Kenya needs 7 years of legal residence.
Partly checked — So far the automated review covers Class D employment permit only (sources read 10 November 2026). Everything else on this page is provisional.
Residence routes in Kenya
Investment, own-income, remote-work and permanent routes. Scroll across the table to see every column.
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class G work permit (investor)* | Investor | $100,000 | — | 7 years |
| Class K permit (ordinary resident / retiree)* | Retirement or own income | income $24,000/yr | — | 7 years |
| Class N digital nomad permit* | Remote work | income $55,000/yr | — | — |
"Minimum" is a cited investment threshold in its stated currency. A USD figure appears only when a supported conversion is on file; "—" means no supported amount is on file, not that it is free. "To citizenship" counts the years of residence before a naturalisation application. A zero-year entry states no residence wait; citizenship still needs a separate decision.
Work, family, study and other routes (1)
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class D employment permit | Work | — | — | — |
* Provisional — not yet verified by the automated source check. Class G work permit (investor): from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026. Proof of at least USD 100,000 of capital to invest in a Kenyan company. Issuance fee KES 250,000 a year. Class K permit (ordinary resident / retiree): from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026. Age 35+ with assured income of at least USD 24,000 a year from a pension, annuity or similar. No paid work in Kenya. Class N digital nomad permit: from CMS, read 10 November 2026 (a summary, not the official text). Assured income of USD 55,000 from outside Kenya. Remote work only. Introduced 1 October 2024. Years to naturalisation: from Kenya Law Reform Commission, read 10 November 2026. Constitution Art. 15(2): registration after at least 7 continuous years of lawful residence. Spouses of citizens: 7 years of marriage. Years to permanent residence: from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026. Work permit holders for at least 7 years, with 3 years of continuous residence before applying. Spouses: 3 years of marriage. Dual citizenship: from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026. Dual citizenship is allowed under the 2010 Constitution and the 2011 Act; the other citizenship must be declared within 3 months. Citizenship by investment: from Kenya Law Reform Commission, read 10 November 2026. No citizenship-by-investment programme; registration requires residence.
Each route's conditions and sources
Class D employment permit
The annual issuance charge is separate from the application-processing charge. Alien registration and entry requirements may add costs.
Sources: Class D employment permit and charges (Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services), eFNS work-permit submission and collection (Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services)
Citizenship in Kenya
- Years of residence before naturalisation: 7 years*
- Years before permanent residence: 7 years*
- Dual citizenship allowed: Yes*
- Citizenship by investment: No programme*
What is the cheapest residence visa in Kenya?
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in Kenya is $100,000, for the Class G work permit (investor). Provisional — from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Proof of at least USD 100,000 of capital to invest in a Kenyan company. Issuance fee KES 250,000 a year. Routes for people living on their own income or working remotely (Class K permit (ordinary resident / retiree); Class N digital nomad permit) ask for proof of income, not an investment.
How many years to citizenship in Kenya?
Ordinary naturalisation in Kenya needs 7 years of legal residence. Provisional — from Kenya Law Reform Commission, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Constitution Art. 15(2): registration after at least 7 continuous years of lawful residence. Spouses of citizens: 7 years of marriage. Permanent residence is possible after 7 years. Provisional — from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Work permit holders for at least 7 years, with 3 years of continuous residence before applying. Spouses: 3 years of marriage.
Does Kenya allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Kenya lets a new citizen keep another nationality, subject to the other country's rules. Provisional — from Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya), read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Dual citizenship is allowed under the 2010 Constitution and the 2011 Act; the other citizenship must be declared within 3 months.
Can you get citizenship by investment in Kenya?
No. Kenya has no citizenship-by-investment programme on file; residence by investment, where it exists, leads to citizenship only through the ordinary residence years. Provisional — from Kenya Law Reform Commission, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. No citizenship-by-investment programme; registration requires residence.
Tax and residence days
A residence permit and tax residence are different tests. See the Kenya tax rates, count your days with the Kenya day test and see what changed in the data, day by day.
Sources
The Kenya profile cites 2 sources, 2 of them from a government or a statute. Data as of 2026-Q4.
- Class D employment permit and charges · Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services, official, read 10 November 2026
- eFNS work-permit submission and collection · Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services, official, read 10 November 2026
Rules, fees and minimums change, and many routes have conditions not shown here. Did you find an error? Tell us, with the source.
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