Apply for permanent residence in Kenya

What you need

• Printed application form (Form 23), signed and stamped by a Magistrate or Commissioner for Oaths
• Cover letter to the Director General of Immigration Services asking for permanent residence
• 2 current passport-size photos
• Copy of your valid passport
• Copies of all permits (or dependant passes) issued to you in Kenya
• Certificate of good conduct
• Copy of a valid KRA tax compliance certificate
• Copy of your valid foreigner certificate (alien card)
• Spouses: copy of the marriage certificate
• Spouses who married outside Kenya: copy of a joint affidavit of marriage

Steps

1. Log in to the eFNS portal (fns.immigration.go.ke) and fill in the permanent residence application for your category.
2. Upload your supporting documents and pay the processing fee.
3. Download and print Form 23, the questionnaire and your payment receipt. Get Form 23 signed and stamped by a Magistrate or Commissioner for Oaths.
4. Take the printed form and all the documents on the checklist to Nyayo House, 17th floor, North Wing, Nairobi.
5. Be ready to attend an interview. Once approved, pay the issuance fee for your category.

Who can apply

• Spouses of Kenyan citizens, married for at least 3 years.
• Work permit holders of at least 7 years who have lived in Kenya continuously for the last 3 years.
• Former Kenyan citizens by birth who gave up citizenship because their new country doesn't allow dual citizenship.
• Children of Kenyan citizens born outside Kenya who took the citizenship of that country.
• The spouses and children of these applicants can also apply.