Importing Into 🇰🇪 Kenya
Kenya Revenue Authority — Customs & Border Control
16%
US$50
De Minimis Threshold
US$50
USD 50
Shipments below this value may enter without customs duty. VAT may still apply depending on local rules.
KRA applies a USD 50 de minimis on personal postal imports; consignments above this value attract duty plus VAT. Commercial imports require formal entry regardless of value.
As of: 2023-07-01
VAT / GST on Imports
16%
Applied on the customs value (CIF — cost, insurance, freight) plus any applicable duties.
Required Documentation
| # | Document |
|---|---|
| 01 | Customs declaration form on arrival |
| 02 | Import Declaration Form (IDF) for commercial consignments |
| 03 | Commercial Invoice and Packing List |
| 04 | Bill of Lading / Airway Bill |
| 05 | Certificate of Conformity (PVoC for regulated products) |
| 06 | KEPHIS permit for plant products |
| 07 | PPB permit for pharmaceuticals |
Requirements vary by shipment value, HS chapter, and origin country. Learn about each document type →
Restricted Import Categories
- ⚠Firearms and ammunition (National Police firearm licensing authority permit)
- ⚠Pharmaceuticals (Pharmacy and Poisons Board registration; personal prescription exception)
- ⚠Agricultural produce (KEPHIS inspection)
- ⚠Wildlife products (Kenya Wildlife Service + CITES)
- ⚠Used vehicles (8-year age cap from year of first registration)
Prohibited Import Categories
- ✗Narcotics and psychotropic substances (NACADA / police)
- ✗Ivory and rhino horn (complete ban, CITES + domestic)
- ✗Plastic bags (Environmental Management and Coordination Act 2017)
- ✗Counterfeit goods (Anti-Counterfeit Authority enforcement)
- ✗Obscene material
Special Notes
- 01Kenya enforces a nationwide ban on the import, manufacture and use of single-use plastic bags. Travelers should remove any plastic shopping bags from luggage before arrival — bags at the airport are confiscated.
- 02Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) applies to transit consignments through Kenya.
- 03iTax and KRA's TIMS system now integrate customs with VAT; commercial consignees must have a PIN.
- 04Plastic-bag ban: Kenya enforces a nationwide ban on the import, manufacture and use of single-use plastic carrier bags under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) Cap 387. Travelers should remove any single-use plastic shopping bags from luggage before arrival; bags found at JKIA are confiscated and a fine up to KES 4 million is theoretically possible (rarely enforced on tourists).
- 05Used-electronics restriction: imports of used / second-hand mobile phones, laptops, and other electronics are restricted under the Communications Authority of Kenya rules; type-approval certification (CA mark) is required for sale; personal-use single-unit travelers are unaffected.
- 06Alcohol excise stamps: locally-distributed alcohol must bear the EGMS (Excisable Goods Management System) stamp; tourist-import duty-free allowances (1 L spirits + 250 g tobacco) clear without stamps.
Estimate duties and VAT for a specific shipment into Kenya.
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