Need advise on the type of visa to apply

Hi everyone,

I am a Singaporean married to a Kenyan. We have been staying overseas since we were married and we are thinking of moving to Kenya. We are unsure of the type of visa to apply and the documents needed for the processing of the visa. From what I know there is dependent pass and permanent residence but I'm unsure if I'm eligible for either.  Could someone advise? Thanks.

Hello,

The Dependent Pass could only be applied for if your spouse gets a job in Kenya.  If you have an income in your own right of $24,000 and above, not derived from work in Kenya, then you may be eligible to apply for a Class K Permit.

Marriage to a Kenyan for over 3 years would make you eligible for an application for Permanent Residence (PR), BUT you must hold one of the permits mentioned above, or maybe a work permit (if you can get employment), first.  This is because you cannot apply for PR without a Police Certificate of Good Conduct and to obtain one of these, you must have been in Kenya for a period exceeding 6 months (therefore anyone on an extended Single Entry (tourist) Visa is locked out of this process).

Thank you for the info. Do I need the certicate of good conduct (from my country) to apply for either the dependent pass or work permit? Thanks in advance.

Dear Islmyra,

Let me add on what Longonot has said above.  you have the following options.
1. Class D.- this is only of you can successfully get a job in Kenya. Please note that the government is very strict on issuing this permits as it believes that if a local workforce can fill the position then there is no need to employ a foreigner.

2. Class G permit- This means you form a company and come to the country as an investor. The downside of this is that you will need lots of capital ie 100,000 USD as investment capital to get the permit.

3. Class k- You can get this if you have constant income from other sources not derived from Kenya (as aLongonot said above $ 24,000 ) this can be from business abroad, trust fund or even a retirement package.

NB: there are other options such as coming as a student (you have to have proof of admission), dependant(your wife will have to be employed)  religious purposes, mining etc. You can research more to see which one suits you best.

All the best

"Class k- You can get this if you have constant income from other sources not derived from Kenya"

It is my understanding that you can get obtain a Class K if you have a Kenyan derived income stream, provided this isnt generated by working.  For example;  income from investments/pension.  It clearly states this on the Dept of Immigration website.

The government, of course, prefer income derived from outside Kenya, as it boosts the GDP.