This is the order things happen in. Each step links to a longer guide.

Before you fly

The eTA, or no eTA

Kenya replaced visas with an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) in January 2024. Most visitors apply online at etakenya.go.ke before travelling and pay a processing fee. Apply at least a few days ahead; approval is usually quick but not guaranteed to be.

Since mid-2025, most African nationals no longer need an eTA at all, and citizens of the East African Community can simply travel. The list changes, so check the official site for your own passport rather than a blog post.

You will also want:

  • A passport valid for at least six months, with blank pages.
  • A yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from, or transiting through, a country with yellow fever risk. Airlines check this before you board.
  • Proof of where you are staying and a return or onward ticket, which immigration may ask for.

If you are coming to work

An eTA lets you visit, not work. Working in Kenya needs a work permit, applied for through the Directorate of Immigration Services, normally by your employer before you start. The common classes are:

Permit For
Class D Employment with a specific employer
Class G Investors and people running a business or consultancy
Class I Approved religious and charitable work
Class K People of independent means, including retirees

Spouses and children come in on dependant passes. Once you have a permit you must also register as a foreign national, which gets you a foreigner certificate (the “alien ID”). You will need that card, or the permit, to get a KRA PIN, a bank account and a long-term lease.

Permit fees are high and processing can take months, so start early and keep copies of everything you submit.

Arriving

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is in Embakasi, south-east of the city. Getting to Westlands or Kilimani takes 30 minutes on a clear Expressway and well over an hour at rush hour on Mombasa Road.

  • Ride-hailing - Uber, Bolt and Little all work at JKIA and quote a price up front.
  • Airport taxis - agree the price before you get in.
  • A hotel pickup is worth it if you land late at night.

Nairobi sits at around 1,700 metres, so it is cooler than people expect, especially from June to August. The long rains are roughly March to May and the short rains October to December.

The first fortnight

In roughly this order:

  1. A SIM card. Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom all sell SIMs in malls and at the airport. SIM registration is compulsory, so bring your passport. Choose Safaricom if you want M-Pesa, which you will.
  2. M-Pesa. It is registered on the same SIM. Rent, bills, shops and matatu fares all run on it. See M-Pesa and mobile money.
  3. Somewhere short-term. A serviced apartment or short let for the first month lets you view flats before signing anything. See Finding housing.
  4. Your paperwork. An eCitizen account, a KRA PIN and your foreigner certificate. See eCitizen, KRA PIN and IDs.
  5. A bank account. See Opening a bank account.
  6. Health cover. Employees are enrolled in SHA; most expatriates also buy private insurance. See Healthcare in Nairobi.

Money on day one

The currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES). Cards work in malls, supermarkets and restaurants in the better-off areas. Everywhere else it is M-Pesa or cash. ATMs are everywhere; withdraw inside a mall or bank hall rather than at a street machine at night.

Fitting in

See Culture and etiquette in Kenya and Setting up your home.

Common mistakes

  • Starting work on a visitor’s entry. It is illegal, and it can end in deportation.
  • Paying a deposit for a flat you have not seen. Fake listings are common. See Finding housing.
  • Underestimating the traffic. Choose where you live by where you will be at 8am. See Nairobi’s neighbourhoods.