Before you start

An employment contract or offer from a Kenyan-registered organisation
Skills or qualifications demonstrably not readily available locally
A valid Tax Compliance Certificate from KRA — the organisation's for a new application, and both the organisation's and yours on renewal
Passport with adequate validity

Step-by-step

1
Employer prepares the application
The Kenyan employer justifies the hire, showing the role could not be filled domestically, and assembles company registration and tax-compliance documents.
Via employerWho: Your employer
2
Submit through the eFNS portal
Kenya's Foreign Nationals Services portal handles the application. It can be initiated from outside Kenya, which is useful for planning your arrival.
OnlineWho: You and your employer
3
Post the security bond
A security bond is a standard condition of a Class D permit, executed through a licensed Kenyan insurer or bank and covering the permit period. Don't confuse the two numbers involved: the bond is a guarantee for a substantial sum, but what you actually pay is the insurer's premium to issue it, which is a small fraction of that. Get both figures in writing from the insurer, and confirm the permit's own processing and issuance fees on your eFNS invoice — issuance is charged per year and is the largest cost by far.
Via employerWho: Your employerPremium to issue the bond, plus the permit's separate processing and annual issuance fees
4
Enter Kenya and have the permit endorsed
Approval from abroad is not the end — the permit must be endorsed in your passport inside Kenya.
In personWho: You
5
Register for the alien card
Registration as a foreign national is compulsory for anyone residing in Kenya beyond 90 days; holders of a visitor's pass for three months or less are exempt, as are diplomats, serving military and registered refugees. Apply through the eFNS portal with Form 50, your passport bio-data page, proof of status and photos, then attend in person for biometrics. Don't wait out the 90 days first — start once your permit or pass is in hand.
In personWho: YouWeeks; apply as soon as you hold valid statusSet by the Directorate of Immigration Services per year or part year — confirm on your eFNS invoice
6
Obtain your KRA PIN
Requires either the alien card, or a work permit endorsed in your passport naming the employer, plus a signed employer letter confirming your employment.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport
Employment contract or offer letter from a Kenyan-registered entity
Employer's Tax Compliance Certificate
Academic and professional certificates
Curriculum vitae
Passport photographs
Security bond documentation

Things most newcomers don’t know

The 90-day rule is an obligation, not a queue.

Plenty of relocation guides tell you the alien card only becomes available after three unbroken months in Kenya, so people postpone applying and plan their travel around a clock that isn't running. The Directorate of Immigration Services frames it the other way round: registration is compulsory once you reside here beyond 90 days, and short-stay pass holders are simply exempt. Apply as soon as you hold valid status.

Source: Directorate of Immigration Services — Issuance of Foreign Nationals Certificate

The passport-endorsed permit is the alternative route to a KRA PIN.

If waiting three months is impractical, a work permit endorsed in your passport naming your employer, plus an employer letter, can satisfy KRA instead. Knowing both routes exist means you aren't stuck if travel is unavoidable.

Source: KRA PIN registration requirements for foreigners

Your own tax compliance certificate becomes a renewal requirement.

A first application needs the organisation's certificate; renewal needs yours as well. If you haven't filed Kenyan returns properly, the problem surfaces at permit renewal — when it is urgent — rather than at tax time.

Source: Immigration Class D renewal requirements

You can start the application before you arrive.

The eFNS portal accepts applications initiated from abroad, so the paperwork can run in parallel with your notice period. Only the endorsement and registration must happen in Kenya.

Source: eFNS portal procedure

Common mistakes to avoid

Postponing the alien card application because you believe you must first complete 90 unbroken days here — you don't, and the delay pushes back the KRA PIN and everything behind it.
Assuming approval from abroad is complete — the passport endorsement must happen in-country.
Neglecting personal tax filings and being blocked at permit renewal.
Accepting a role without written confirmation of who pays permit costs and the bond.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.