Before you start

KRA PIN
Passport and work permit or alien card
Proof of Nairobi address
Employer letter

Step-by-step

1
Register a SIM and activate M-Pesa first
M-Pesa is tied to your mobile number, not a bank account. It works from your first week and covers rent, shopping, transport and person-to-person payments.
Mobile appWho: You
2
Obtain your KRA PIN
The hard prerequisite for any bank account. See the tax guide for the two eligibility routes.
OnlineWho: You
3
Choose a bank
Equity Bank and KCB have the widest reach; Standard Chartered, Absa and NCBA are common among expatriates and better for international transfers.
In personWho: You
4
Open the account in branch
Bring your passport, permit or alien card, KRA PIN certificate, employer letter and proof of address. Originals, plus photocopies.
In personWho: You
5
Link the bank account to M-Pesa
Moving money between the two is instant and is how most residents manage day-to-day cash flow.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

KRA PIN certificate
Passport and visa
Work permit or alien card
Proof of Nairobi address
Employer letter
Passport photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

M-Pesa arrives long before the bank account, and that's fine.

It only needs a registered SIM, so it works in your first week while the KRA PIN chain is still resolving. Landlords, shops and colleagues all accept it. This is the single biggest practical reason Nairobi feels easier to settle into than its paperwork suggests.

Source: Safaricom M-Pesa registration requirements

The bank account sits at the end of a three-link chain.

Alien card or endorsed permit, then KRA PIN, then bank. Each link has its own wait. Understanding the order lets you sequence deliberately instead of discovering the dependency at a bank counter.

Source: Kenyan banking KYC requirements

Choose your bank for international transfers, not branch count.

If you send money home or receive foreign currency, the international banks handle it far better than the domestic retail networks. Ask specifically about SWIFT fees and foreign-currency accounts before opening.

Source: community-reported, consistently

M-Pesa transaction fees are tiered and worth knowing.

Charges step up by amount band, so splitting a large payment can cost more than sending it once — or occasionally less. Regular users learn the bands; newcomers pay without noticing.

Source: Safaricom published tariff structure