Kenya Work Permits Explained: Which Class Does Your Employee Actually Need?
A practical guide for employers bringing foreign staff into Kenya — the permit classes that actually apply to hiring, and how the eFNS application process works.
Why the Class You Apply Under Matters
Kenya issues work permits under a specific class system set out in the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, and each class covers a different reason for being in the country — employment, trade, investment, or a prescribed profession. Applying under the wrong class is one of the most common reasons an application stalls or gets rejected, because each class has its own supporting documents and eligibility test.
The Classes Most Employers Actually Use
Most businesses bringing in foreign staff, or setting up in Kenya themselves, will deal with one of a handful of classes:
- Class D (Employment) — for a foreign national taking up a specific role with a specific employer, where the employer can show the skills required are not readily available locally.
- Class G (Trade, Business & Consultancy) — for foreign investors, business owners, or consultants operating in a trade, business, or profession not otherwise covered by a prescribed-profession class.
- Class K (Ordinary Resident) — for applicants aged 35 or older with an assured income from a source outside employment, commonly used by retirees and independent investors rather than staff.
- Class N (Digital Nomad) — a newer class for remote workers employed by, and paid from, a company registered outside Kenya.
- Class R (East African Community Nationals) — a simplified route for citizens of other EAC member states.
How the Application Actually Works
Work permit applications are submitted online through the Foreign Nationals Service (eFNS) portal, with the employer sponsoring the application on the employee’s behalf. Beyond the basic identity and company documents, the key requirement for a Class D application is evidence that the role’s skills are not readily available in the local labour market — typically a record of having advertised the position locally first. Once approved, the permit is printed and presented to an immigration office for formal endorsement.
A work permit is tied to the specific employer and role named in the application. Change either one, and the permit does not simply transfer — a fresh application is required.
Mistakes We See Most Often
- Applying under Class G for what is genuinely an employment relationship (or vice versa), which invites scrutiny rather than approval.
- Missing or thin evidence that the role was advertised locally before looking abroad.
- Leaving renewal until after the permit has already expired, which can affect the employee’s legal status in the interim.
- Assuming a permit carries over when an employee changes roles or employers within the same group of companies.
How MJM Advocates Can Help
Work permit applications are unforgiving of small mistakes, and a rejected or delayed application can cost an employer weeks of lost productivity and a foreign hire who cannot yet start work. MJM Advocates manages the immigration process end-to-end for employers across Nairobi and Kenya: confirming the correct permit class before you apply, assembling the supporting evidence that gets applications approved on the first submission, and tracking renewals so a permit never lapses without warning.
Whether you are applying for your first Class D permit, bringing in a founder or investor under Class G, or need an existing application rescued after a rejection, our immigration team deals directly with the relevant government offices so you can focus on the hire, not the paperwork. Request a free consultation and describe your situation in a few lines — we will tell you which class applies and what to expect next. Prefer to talk it through first? Get in touch and we will call you back.