People and a minibus at the Namanga border area between Tanzania and Kenya.

Photo: Peter Titus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What the EAC Common Market allows

The East African Community Common Market includes the free movement of labour and workers, the right of establishment and the right of residence. Each country still runs its own immigration system, so a Tanzanian who takes a job in Kenya needs a Kenyan permit.

The Class R permit

Kenya's Class R permit is for citizens of East African Community member states who intend to live, work or run a business in Kenya. Kenya's Directorate of Immigration Services lists the processing fee and the final fee as KES 0. You apply online through the eFNS system after creating a Government of Kenya single sign-on account.

Documents to prepare

The official requirements include the online Form 25, two recent passport photos, a copy of your passport's bio-data page, a cover letter from the employer addressed to the Director General of Immigration Services, the employer's certificate of registration, and your academic or professional certificates. Members of regulated professions also need clearance or a licence from the relevant body in Kenya.

Find a checked vacancy first

Work.ke lists vacancies across Kenya, each with the official application link, and it is free for job seekers. Start with entry-level jobs in Kenya or jobs in Nairobi. Many Kenyan agency adverts do not name the employer, so ask for the company name before you share documents. Work.ke also has a guide to spotting a job scam before you pay.

Check the pay in Kenyan terms

Kenya sets minimum wages by occupation and town. See the Kenyan minimum wage tables and estimate your take-home pay with the Kenya take-home pay calculator before you accept an offer.

Sources and checks

Checked . Follow the original source for amendments.

General guidance. Confirm the employer’s current requirements and your own pay arrangements before making an application or accepting an offer. Report a correction