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Kenya

Nationality · visas, permits and migration

Moved to OECD countries, 2023
12,278
Top destination, 2023
United States
U.S. non-immigrant visas, FY2025
20,004
UK visas issued, 2025
21,538
Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
28.5%
NationalityKEISO 3166
Year by year
Data as at 2025
NA<KEKENYA<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
KE2<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<4

Visa requirements for a short visit

Whether citizens of Kenya need a visa for a short tourist or business visit, according to the legal lists. Rules change; check the official source before travelling.

DestinationShort visitLegal basis
Schengen areaVisa requiredRegulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30.12.2025)
United KingdomVisa requiredImmigration Rules, Appendix Visitor / ETA National List
CanadaTemporary resident visa requiredIRPR s. 190, Schedule 1.1
Hong KongNo visa for visits of up to 90 daysImmigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements, 31.12.2025
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30 Dec 2025); UK Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor and ETA National List; Canada IRPR s. 190 and Schedule 1.1; Immigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements as at 31 Dec 2025Data as at Oct 2026

Where people from Kenya move

Inflows of foreign nationals by country of nationality, as recorded by each destination (OECD).

Inflows to OECD countries, 2023
  1. United States4,840
  2. Germany1,786
  3. Canada1,230
  4. Australia938
  5. Japan520
  6. Netherlands361
  7. Finland359
  8. Türkiye342
  9. Italy238
  10. Hungary227
  11. Sweden207
  12. Switzerland165
  13. South Korea161
  14. Austria159
  15. New Zealand156

Inflows to all OECD countries by year

6,21712k200020032006200920122015201820212023
6,21712k2000200420082012201620202023
Data table
20004,760
20015,103
20026,079
20036,024
20048,346
20058,525
200612,434
200710,632
20089,374
200911,506
201010,803
201110,359
20129,595
20139,118
20148,610
201510,788
20168,957
20179,283
20189,144
201910,034
20206,615
20218,669
202211,286
202312,278
Share going to the top destination
39.4%
Destinations recording arrivals
15
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023

Living abroad

People born in Kenya who live in another country: mid-year estimates of the international migrant stock (UN DESA). Where a destination records citizenship rather than country of birth, its foreign citizens are counted.

Largest destinations, 2024
  1. United States210,991
  2. United Kingdom137,817
  3. Australia30,123
  4. Canada29,988
  5. Tanzania26,345
  6. Mozambique25,824
  7. Uganda23,416
  8. South Sudan10,153
  9. South Africa6,208
  10. Sudan6,189
  11. Ethiopia5,564
  12. Italy4,755

Living abroad by year

270k540k19901995200020052010201520202024
270k540k19902000201020202024
Data table
1990238,008
1995249,228
2000296,430
2005346,666
2010390,142
2015452,369
2020483,045
2024540,466
Living abroad, 2024
540,466
Change since 2000
+82.3%
Share living in the largest destination, 2024
39.0%
Source: United Nations, DESA Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024 (CC BY 3.0 IGO)Data as at 2024

United States

Visas issued to citizens of Kenya by U.S. consulates (fiscal years, October–September) and certified PERM labor certifications.

Non-immigrant visas by class, FY2025
  1. B1/B210,895
  2. C1/D1,794
  3. F11,571
  4. C31,019
  5. J1641
  6. A2528
  7. J2417
  8. H4404
  9. B2397
  10. K1394

Non-immigrant visas by fiscal year

14k28k201720182019202020212022202320242025
14k28k20172019202120232025
Data table
201715,568
201822,480
201921,395
20208,343
20216,140
202216,248
202328,448
202424,311
202520,004
Immigrant visas by class, FY2025
  1. DV1,386
  2. IR21,242
  3. IR11,125
  4. IR5999
  5. E3658
  6. FX223
  7. F1200
  8. F4127
Immigrant visas, FY2025
6,331
Certified PERM labor certifications, FY2024 (latest year with citizenship)
343
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, monthly visa issuances (public domain); U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC PERM disclosure data (public domain)Data as at FY2025

Green cards and U.S. citizenship

People born in Kenya who became U.S. lawful permanent residents (green cards) or U.S. citizens, and admissions of citizens of Kenya with an I-94 record (DHS, fiscal years).

Green cards by fiscal year

4,4508,9002015201620172018201920202021202220232024
4,4508,900201520172019202120232024
Data table
20155,600
20166,270
20176,960
20187,190
20197,050
20204,030
20213,090
20225,010
20235,080
20248,900
Green cards by class of admission, FY2024
  1. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens3,520
  2. Employment-based preferences2,310
  3. Diversity visa lottery2,290
  4. Family-sponsored preferences460
  5. Refugees and asylees300
  6. Other classes20
Temporary worker admissions (I-94), FY2024
  1. Specialty occupations (H-1B)1,010
  2. Spouses and children440
  3. Other temporary workers200
  4. Intracompany transferees (L-1)170
  5. Extraordinary ability (O-1, O-2)110
  6. Athletes, artists and entertainers (P)90
Green cards, FY2024 (born in Kenya)
8,900
Naturalizations, FY2024 (born in Kenya)
4,610
I-94 admissions, FY2024 (citizenship)
44,480
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics 2024 (public domain)Data as at FY2024

United Kingdom

Entry clearance visas issued to nationals of Kenya (Home Office) and students with a permanent address in Kenya (HESA).

Visas issued by group, 2025
  1. Visitor13,850
  2. Work4,079
  3. Study2,741
  4. Other491
  5. Family377

Visas issued by year

12k24k201020122014201620182020202220242025
12k24k201020132016201920222025
Data table
201013,990
201114,199
201213,706
201313,991
201415,188
201515,185
201614,498
201716,410
201816,778
201915,935
20204,965
20215,965
202220,138
202324,071
202422,300
202521,538
Students at UK universities, 2024/25
4,370
Source: Home Office, Immigration system statistics (year ending June 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0Data as at 2025

Canada

Permits and invitations for citizens of Kenya, by year the permit took effect (IRCC).

YearTFWP workIMP workStudyPermanent residentsExpress Entry invitations
20251257401,8851,040125
20241658601,8401,090180
2023708402,1701,220190
2022205401,35098555
2021104651,225825175
202010345875295145
2019103501,085515120
2018152901,055465110
20175220805470125
2016022570546520
2015013544037520
Source: IRCC, monthly open data (rounded to the nearest 5). Open Government Licence – CanadaData as at 2025

Australia

Temporary skilled visas (subclass 457 to 2018, then 482) granted to primary applicants who are citizens of Kenya, by financial year ending 30 June (Home Affairs).

Primary visas granted by financial year

1432852005–062007–082009–102011–122013–142015–162017–182019–202021–222023–242025–26
1432852005–062009–102013–142017–182021–222025–26
Data table
2005–0653
2006–0757
2007–0859
2008–0973
2009–1051
2010–1146
2011–1258
2012–1372
2013–1446
2014–1551
2015–1638
2016–1739
2017–1843
2018–1943
2019–2041
2020–2130
2021–2265
2022–23162
2023–24156
2024–25188
2025–26285
By stream, 2025–26
  1. Core Skills189
  2. Labour Agreement78
  3. Specialist Skills15
  4. Short-term3
Granted, 2025–26
285
Share of all Australian grants, 2025–26
0.4%
Source: Department of Home Affairs (Australia), BP0014 Temporary Resident (skilled) visas granted, data locked at 30 Sep 2026 (data.gov.au, CC BY)Data as at 2025–26

Japan

Citizens of Kenya living in Japan at the end of each December, by status of residence (Immigration Services Agency of Japan). 2020 and 2021 were published only as database tables.

Foreign residents in Japan

5871,1732012201420162018202220242025
5871,1732012201420162018202220242025
Data table
2012503
2013517
2014609
2015695
2016761
2017778
2018763
2019789
2022973
20231,043
20241,138
20251,173
By status of residence, December 2025
  1. Student294
  2. Permanent Resident221
  3. Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services146
  4. Dependent137
  5. Designated Activities133
  6. Instructor79
  7. Spouse or Child of Japanese National59
  8. Long-Term Resident32
  9. Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident20
  10. Professor16
Residents, December 2025
1,173
In work-related statuses
272
Share in work-related statuses
23.2%
Students
294
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Statistics on Foreign Residents (在留外国人統計), Table 1, end of December (e-Stat; Government of Japan Standard Terms of Use 2.0)Data as at Dec 2025

Schengen visas in Kenya

Short-stay (C) visa applications at Schengen consulates located in Kenya, 2024. Applicants are mostly, but not only, its citizens.

Schengen stateApplicationsIssuedNot issuedRefusal rate
Sweden14,3819,1824,55631.7%
Germany10,0116,9242,87328.7%
Italy7,3705,9311,40219.0%
Netherlands5,1133,5811,24924.4%
Spain4,7703,5051,01521.3%
Denmark4,5902,0632,31950.5%
Switzerland3,9303,07560015.3%
France3,3822,53177022.8%
Norway2,6221,68993335.6%
Greece2,5892,20635713.8%
Belgium2,1171,16192343.6%
Austria1,8961,15373838.9%
Finland1,21653063452.1%
Hungary68348020329.7%
Poland59948811118.5%

Applications by year

33k66k2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
33k66k200920122015201820212024
Data table
200925,132
201026,974
201128,016
201226,636
201326,443
201429,311
201531,749
201632,284
201733,474
201838,503
201941,053
20207,961
202111,308
202248,892
202356,187
202466,329
Refusal rate, 2024
28.5%
Refusal rate, 2019
13.3%
Source: European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs, visa statistics for consulates (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2024

Residence permits in Europe

First residence permits issued to citizens of Kenya in EU and EFTA countries, 2025 (Eurostat).

First permits by reason
  1. Education2,552
  2. Work1,971
  3. Family1,724
  4. Other reasons765
First permits by country
  1. Germany1,674
  2. Hungary518
  3. France477
  4. Italy442
  5. Netherlands376
  6. Malta363
  7. Ireland323
  8. Poland316
  9. Denmark288
  10. Finland273
  11. Spain271
  12. Sweden231
Work permits by type, 2025
  1. EU Blue Card95
  2. Highly skilled workers (national schemes)179
  3. Researchers69
  4. Other paid activities1,628
EU Blue Cards granted, 2024
158
Citizenships acquired in the EU, 2024
1,232
Students in EU/EFTA tertiary education, 2024
4,361
Refused entry at EU external borders, 2025
90
Valid residence permits, 31 Dec 2025
34,723
Long-term residence permits issued, 2025
1,354
Changed status into work, 2025
549
Intra-corporate transferee permits, 2025
22
Seasonal work authorisations, 2024
90
Source: Eurostat (migr_resfirst, migr_resbc11, migr_acq, educ_uoe_mobs02, migr_eirfs, migr_pop1ctz), CC BY 4.0Data as at 2024–2025

National statistics in Europe

Citizens of Kenya in the figures of national statistics offices: residence permits granted in Denmark, immigrations by grounds for settlement in Sweden and immigrants with a non-EU/EFTA nationality by migration motive in the Netherlands; Finland and Austria publish immigration and emigration by citizenship only.

CountryYearAllWorkStudyFamilyProtectionOther or unknown
Denmark20252974620237012
Sweden20252031438129139
CountryYearImmigrationEmigrationNet migration
Finland202520020180
Austria202525189162
Work-related, latest year
  1. Denmark46
  2. Sweden14
Source: Danmarks Statistik, Statistikbanken VAN66 and VAN77M (CC BY 4.0); SCB (Statistics Sweden), Statistikdatabasen TAB1614 and TAB6670 (CC0); CBS (Statistics Netherlands), StatLine 84809NED (CC BY 4.0); Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), StatFin 11a8 (CC BY 4.0); Statistik Austria, OGD_bevwan020_AUSSENWAND_100 (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2025

Foreign embassies and consulates in Kenya

Countries with an embassy or consulate in Kenya, as recorded in Wikidata.

CountryEmbassiesConsulates-generalConsulates
Algeria1——
Angola1——
Argentina1——
Austria1——
Belarus1——
Belgium1——
Brazil1——
Burkina Faso1——
Chile1——
China1——
Colombia1——
Costa Rica1——
Czechia1——
Djibouti1——
Finland1——
France1——
Germany1——
Greece1——
Hungary1——
Indonesia1——
Ireland1——
Israel1——
Italy1——
Japan1——
Malaysia1——
Mexico1——
Morocco1——
Netherlands1——
Norway1——
Philippines1——
Poland1——
Portugal1——
Romania1——
Russia1——
Saudi Arabia1——
Serbia1——
Slovakia1——
South Korea1——
South Sudan1——
Spain1——
Sweden1——
Switzerland1——
Tunisia1——
Türkiye1——
Ukraine1——
United Arab Emirates1——
Countries
46
Missions
46
Source: Wikidata (CC0)Data as at Oct 2026

Remittances

Money that migrants send home: personal remittances received by Kenya, in current US dollars (World Bank).

Remittances received by year, US$ million

2,5575,1142000200320062009201220152018202120242025
2,5575,114200020052010201520202025
Data table
2000538
200151
200257
200366
2004376
2005425
2006570
2007645
2008667
2009631
2010686
2011934
20121,211
20131,304
20141,441
20151,569
20161,745
20171,962
20182,720
20192,838
20203,108
20213,770
20224,060
20234,228
20245,000
20255,114
Remittances received, 2025
US$5,114 million
Share of GDP, 2025
3.8%
Average cost of sending US$200 to Kenya, 2023
3.9%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2025

All corridors from Kenya

Destinations with a dedicated page for citizens of this country.

  • Kenya → United States
  • Kenya → Sweden
  • Kenya → Germany
  • Kenya → Italy
  • Kenya → Canada
  • Kenya → Netherlands
  • Kenya → Australia
  • Kenya → Hungary
  • Kenya → United Kingdom
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023

Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more