Get a hides and skins buyer's licence or register a tannery
Directorate of Veterinary Services, State Department for Livestock Development · sources read 2 Oct 2026
To buy hides, skins or leather as a trader, apply for a buyer's licence to the veterinary licensing officer in your area. To run a tannery, ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services to inspect your premises, then apply for a registration certificate and pay KSh 10,000 plus KSh 50 on eCitizen.
- Fee
- KSh 10,000Tannery registration of premises certificateKSh 50eCitizen convenience fee
- How long
- Tannery: about 2 to 10 days of waiting between steps, according to the Kenya Trade Portal
- Where
- Tannery: Directorate of Veterinary Services (inspection request via the Kenya Trade Portal, payment on eCitizen). Buyer's licence: the veterinary licensing officer for your area.
What you need
- Tannery: application form for registration of premises (tanneries)
- Tannery: the pre-registration inspection report
- Tannery: NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence
- Tannery: occupational health and safety certificate
- Tannery: leather training certificate
- Tannery: valid county business permit, certificate of incorporation, lease agreement and ID card
- Buyer's licence: passport-size head-and-shoulders photos, one signed on the back
Steps
- Tannery: submit a request for the Directorate of Veterinary Services to inspect your tannery, and get the pre-registration inspection report.
- Tannery: apply for registration of the premises with the form and documents listed.
- Tannery: pay for the registration certificate on eCitizen, then collect the certificate.
- Buying hides and skins: fill in the buyer's licence application (in English or Kiswahili) and take it to the licensing officer for the area where your premises are.
Watch out
- To buy green (fresh, untreated) hides or skins you must first hold a registration of premises certificate.
- Display a copy of your buyer's licence where customers can see it on the licensed premises.
- Exporting or importing hides, skins or leather needs a separate exporter's or importer's licence from the Director of Veterinary Services.
Who can apply
- Traders who buy hides, skins or leather need a buyer's licence for their premises.
- Tanneries need a registration of premises certificate from the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
Official sources (2)
- Register a tannery with the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) infotradekenya.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Hide, Skin and Leather Trade Rules, 1990 (Cap 359, Rev. 2012) infotradekenya.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026