Kenya Work Permit Classes Explained: Which One Your Business Actually Needs

Kenya’s work permit system runs from A through R, and most guidance online covers only the two classes that come up most often, Class G and Class D. That leaves a real gap for anyone whose situation does not fit neatly into “investor” or “employee.” This guide sets out the full spectrum of permit classes, what each one is actually for, and which of our other guides covers a given class in depth.

The Two Classes Most Businesses Actually Need

Class D covers employment with a specific Kenyan employer, and requires the employer to show the role could not be filled from the local labour market, backed by a named Kenyan understudy. Its current issuance fee is KES 500,000 per year, plus a KES 20,000 processing fee. Class G covers trade, business, or consultancy, typically for investors and business owners rather than ordinary employees, and requires proof of at least USD 100,000 in capital, evidenced by a bank transfer rather than a business plan alone. Its issuance fee is KES 250,000 per year, also with a KES 20,000 processing fee. We cover the practical differences between these two classes, including which one fits a given role, in our dedicated guide.

The Other Established Classes

Beyond D and G, a smaller set of classes cover more specific situations. Class A applies to prospecting and mining activity, with an issuance fee of KES 500,000 per year, and mining-sector employers should note that separate localization regulations apply on top of the ordinary permit rules, restricting expatriate use in junior and unskilled roles. Class C and Class F each carry a KES 250,000 annual issuance fee and cover narrower categories of specified professional and consultancy activity. Class I covers religious or charitable work and carries a substantially lower issuance fee of KES 50,000 per year, reflecting its non-commercial nature. Class K, also issued at KES 250,000 per year, covers persons of independent means. Class M, for recognised refugees, is issued free of charge. Anyone considering one of these less common classes should confirm the current criteria directly, since the specific qualifying activity for each is narrower than the class description alone suggests.

The New Classes: N, P, Q, and R

In 2024, Kenya added four new permit classes to the existing framework. Class N, the Digital Nomad permit, is aimed at remote workers, business representatives, and self-employed professionals serving clients or employers outside Kenya, and does not require proof of Kenyan employment or a Kenyan understudy, since the underlying work itself is not based in the Kenyan economy. Its issuance fee is USD 1,000 per year. We cover Class N, including an important open question about how it interacts with Kenya’s residency-based tax rules, in a dedicated guide. Classes P, Q, and R were introduced in the same reform, covering diplomatic and United Nations-affiliated personnel, non-preaching professionals affiliated with faith-based organisations, and East African Community citizens respectively. These three classes are newer and less thoroughly tested in practice than the established classes above, so if your situation may fall under one of them, treat this summary as a starting point for a direct conversation with counsel rather than a complete guide to their specific requirements.

Passes Are Not Permits, and the Distinction Matters

Two other categories are easy to confuse with work permits but function differently. A Special Pass allows short-term entry to conduct business, trade, or a profession for up to six months, and is commonly used to let staff begin work while a full permit application is still pending. It cannot be renewed beyond six months under any circumstances, so it works as a genuine bridge only if the underlying permit application is realistically going to clear within that window. A Dependant’s Pass, separately, allows a spouse or child, or in narrower cases another dependant relying on the applicant for support, to accompany a permit holder to Kenya. It does not authorise employment or study for the dependant, who needs their own permit or pupil’s pass for either. We cover both of these in more depth, including their specific fees and eligibility rules, in dedicated guides.

Choosing the Right Starting Point

The practical question for most businesses is not which class exists in theory, but which one actually fits the person and the role. An investor putting capital into a Kenyan business is a Class G question. An employee filling a specific role for a Kenyan employer is a Class D question, and the employer needs to be ready to document the labour market test from the outset. A remote worker whose employer and income sit entirely outside Kenya is increasingly a Class N question, not a Class G or D one. Getting this initial classification right matters, because applying under the wrong class wastes the processing fee and the time, and can create a harder path if you need to switch mid-application.