Kenya Guide for Chinese Residents: Visas, Business, Safety and Community

Kenya is East Africa’s transport and trading hub. About 20,000 to 50,000 Chinese people live there, mainly in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, working in trade, construction, catering, tourism and real estate. Chinese ordinary passport holders must get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) online before travelling, and need a separate work permit to work or do business.

Security is generally poor, with frequent robbery and theft, and areas bordering Somalia carry a terrorism risk. At the same time, Nairobi’s business environment, banking and e-government are among the most developed in East Africa. Below is a short overview of each topic with links to the detailed pages.

Key facts

Besides Nairobi, the main economic centres are Mombasa (East Africa’s largest port), Kisumu on Lake Victoria, Nakuru (an agricultural and industrial centre) and Eldoret, Kenya’s “breadbasket” [1].

What Chinese people do in Kenya

The MOFCOM guide says there are no exact statistics and conservatively estimates over 50,000 Chinese in Kenya. This site uses a range of about 20,000 to 50,000; there were 3,091 Chinese contract workers at the end of 2024 [1]. See Chinese population in Africa. Chinese residents mainly work in trade, tourism, catering, healthcare and real estate [1].

Chinese companies are mostly contractors. The Mombasa–Nairobi standard gauge railway built by China Communications Construction opened in May 2017, and China Road and Bridge’s Nairobi Expressway, an investment of about USD 670 million, opened for trial operation in May 2022, the largest recent Chinese investment in Kenya [1]. China–Kenya trade reached USD 8.82 billion in 2024, of which Chinese exports were USD 8.58 billion [1]. Chinese manufacturers make ceramics, transformers and building materials, and some operate in SEZs and export processing zones [1].

Visas and work permits

Kenya introduced the eTA on 1 January 2024 [2]. In January 2026 the Chinese Embassy reminded citizens that everyone except diplomatic and official passport holders must obtain an eTA before arriving [3]. The eTA is for entry only; it does not allow work or business [1].

Work permits are applied for through the immigration eFNS portal. As of October 2026 the immigration website lists an issuance fee of KES 500,000 a year for Class D (employment) and KES 250,000 a year for Class G (business/investment), which also requires proof of at least USD 100,000 of investment [4][5]. See Kenya visas and work permits.

Doing business

A private limited company is registered with the Business Registration Service (BRS) via eCitizen for KES 10,650, in about 3 to 5 days [6]. Next come a tax PIN, social and health insurance registration and a county business permit [1]. Corporate tax is 30% and VAT 16% [1].

Note that the Trade Licensing Act restricts foreigners from dealing in certain goods and trading outside designated areas, and retail by foreigners is politically sensitive [1]. SEZs and EPZs offer income tax incentives [1]. See registering a company in Kenya.

Safety

Armed robbery and theft are common, and Chinese projects and citizens have been robbed; counties on the Somali border such as Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Lamu face al-Shabaab attacks [1]. Protests against tax rises in June 2024 turned into nationwide unrest that killed dozens [1]. In July 2026 police raided a telecom-fraud den in Nairobi and deported Chinese suspects, and the embassy urged Chinese residents to stay away from fraud and gambling rings [7]. See the Kenya safety guide for precautions and emergency numbers.

Chinese community

The main groups are the Kenya China Economic and Trade Association (founded 2001, 105 members) and the Kenya Overseas Chinese Association [1]. China Radio International launched a Chinese FM station in Kenya in 2006, and Xinhua’s Africa regional bureau is in Nairobi [1]. For association contacts and Chinese shops, see the Chinese community in Kenya.

Cost of living

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics prices for 2024, compiled by the embassy’s commercial office [1]:

The MOFCOM guide says Nairobi ranks among the world’s 100 most expensive cities [1]. The 2024 minimum monthly wage for a general worker in Nairobi and other large towns was KES 16,114 [1]. Kenya has no exchange controls, and UnionPay cards work at Equity Bank and Standard Bank terminals [1].

Embassy and emergencies

• Chinese Embassy in Kenya: Woodlands Road, Nairobi; switchboard +254-20-2726851; website ke.china-embassy.gov.cn [1][8]
• Embassy 24-hour consular protection: +254-20-2711222 [1][3]
• MFA Global Consular Protection and Service Hotline: +86-10-12308 [1][3]
• Kenya police, fire and ambulance: 999 / 112 [1]

For what consular protection covers, see consular protection in Africa. For a neighbouring country, see the Tanzania guide, and for the wider region, East Africa.

References

1. Country Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Kenya (2025 edition) (PRC Ministry of Commerce, 2025)
2. ETA entry system in force since 1 January 2024 (Embassy of the Czech Republic in Nairobi, 2024)
3. Chinese Embassy in Kenya reminds Chinese citizens to travel safely during the Spring Festival holiday (China News Service, reproducing the embassy notice, 8 January 2026)
4. Class D: Employment (Directorate of Immigration Services, accessed October 2026)
5. Class G: Specific Trade, Business or Consultancy (Directorate of Immigration Services, accessed October 2026)
6. Fee Schedule – Companies Registry (Business Registration Service (BRS), accessed October 2026)
7. Chinese Embassy: Kenya raids telecom-fraud den and deports Chinese suspects (The Paper, 24 July 2026)
8. Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Kenya (Chinese Embassy in Kenya, accessed October 2026)