🇰🇪 Kenya— Cash & Currency
Kenya Revenue Authority — Customs & Border Control
2026-04-25
Declaration Threshold
US$10,000
USD
You must declare to customs if you are carrying cash, traveler's cheques, money orders, or negotiable bearer instruments totaling above this amount when entering or leaving Kenya.
What Must Be Declared
| Instrument | Declaration Required |
|---|---|
| Physical currency (any currency) | Yes, if above threshold |
| Traveler's cheques | Yes, if above threshold |
| Bank drafts / money orders | Yes, if above threshold |
| Bearer bonds / negotiable instruments | Yes, if above threshold |
| Credit cards / debit cards | Generally no |
| Electronic payment apps | Generally no |
Failure to declare
Carrying undeclared cash above the threshold can result in seizure of funds, fines, and in some jurisdictions criminal prosecution. When in doubt, declare.
Additional Country 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.