Regulations for trade in goods
Every shipment coming to Kenya is subject to a pre-shipment inspection requirement (pre-shipment verification of conformity to Kenya standards). This verification aims to ensure conformity of imported goods to the Kenyan’s regulations and standards. Some goods are exempted from certificate of conformity.
The customs clearance process can be done only through a clearing agent. For declarations above 5,000 Kenyan Shillings, the Kenya Revenue Authority charges a 2.25% import declaration fee.
In addition to the basic documentation required (import/export declaration form, pro forma invoice, bill of lading etc), supplementary documentation/requirements are sometimes necessary to get the release of goods. Tables presented below present the main import/export requirements and documentation applicable in Kenya.
Import requirements and documentation
Import |
Registration |
Required permit |
Required certificate/report |
Required license |
| Every import (except if exemption) | Pre-export verification of conformity (from the PSI company-prior to shipment-PVoC) | |||
| Every import (except if exemption) | Local certificate of compliance (if missing PVoC) | |||
| Products with an impact on health and safety, environment (food, foodstuffs, electrical fittings, electrical appliances, accessories, infant ware, toys etc) | Import Standards Mark-prior to shipment | |||
| Products for human consumption | Import health certificate | |||
| Animal semen and embryos | With Kenya Veterinary Board | Import permit (only for bull semen, embryos) | Veterinary paraprofessional practice licence Veterinary surgeons practice licence |
|
| Animal feeds | Import permit | |||
| Eggs and eggs products | Import permit | |||
| Fruits and vegetable | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Plant import permit | ||
| Hides, skins, leather and leather products | Of a tannery | Import permit | ||
| Meat and meat products | Import permit | |||
| Medical products | Import permit for licit drugs | Certificate of analysis | Wholesale dealer’s licence | |
| Product registration certificate | ||||
| Pesticides | Import permit | Product registration certificate | Agency licence Premise licence |
|
| Seeds | With KEPHIS-company and product, if needed |
Data source: InfotradeKenya.org
Export requirements and documentation
Export |
Registration |
Required permit |
Required certificate/report |
Required license |
| Every export | OPTIONAL: EAC/COMESA/EU/AGOA/GSP certificate of origin | |||
| Fruits and vegetables | with AFA Horticultural Crops Directorate | Farm inspection report | Food hygiene licence | |
| Export certificate | ||||
| with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Export health certificate | |||
| Phytosanitary certificate | ||||
| Packhouse inspection report | ||||
| Flowers | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Phytosanitary certificate | ||
| Farm inspection report | Pulping station licence | |||
| Packhouse inspection report | ||||
| Coffee | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Clean coffee movement permit | Phytosanitary certificate | Grower marketer licence and/or coffee dealer’s licence |
| International Coffee Organization (ICO) certificate of origin | ||||
| Certificate of radioanalysis | ||||
| Export health certificate | ||||
| Tea | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Phytosanitary certificate | Tea buyer/exporter and importer licence/manufacturing/broker/warehouseman/packer licence | |
| Export health certificate | Food hygiene licence | |||
| Certificate of radioanalysis | ||||
| Animal feeds | Export permit | |||
| Animal semen and embryos | With Kenya Veterinary Board | International veterinary certificate for bull semen | Veterinary paraprofessional practice licence | |
| International veterinary certificate for embryos | Veterinary surgeons practice licence | |||
| Cotton | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Seed cotton buying registration certificate | Ginning licence | |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Cotton lint quality report | |||
| Cotton lint export licence | ||||
| Fish | Export health certificate | Food hygiene licence | ||
| Hides, skins, leather and leather products | Of a tannery | Export permit | ||
| Honey and other apiary products | International veterinary certificate | |||
| Maize (unmilled) | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Phytosanitary certificate | ||
| Genetically modified organism (GMO) free certificate | ||||
| Meat and meat products | as an export slaughterhouse | Export permit | ||
| Medical products | with Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) | Export permit for pharmaceutical products | Certificate of analysis | Wholesale dealer’s licence |
| Export permit for licit drugs | Product registration/retention certificate (might be optional) | |||
| Pesticides | Export permit | |||
| Sisal | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Sisal export permit | Marketing agency licence | |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Sisal factory/spinning licence | |||
| Seeds | with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) testing report | ||
| Seed certification | ||||
| Phytosanitary certificate | ||||
| Wool | Export permit |
Data source: InfotradeKenya.org
Regulations for trade in services 
Under the General Agreement on Trade Services (GATS), Kenya has made commitments in many services sectors, such as communication, financial services, tourism and travel-related services, transport services, and other services (meteorological data information).
As part of the nascent East African Common Market —formed by Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda—, the Government of Kenya committed to liberalize sixty-three sub-sectors services in the East African Community. The following liberalization agenda was announced
List of service sectors for which Kenya committed to liberalise and the date by which they should be liberalised
Sector/sub-sector |
Date of liberalisation |
| Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public | 2010 |
| Accounting and auditing services (with limitations) | 2010 |
| Adult education services | 2010 |
| Advisory and consultative engineering services | 2010 |
| Advisory and other auxiliary financial services-including credit reference and analysis, investment and portfolio research and advice on acquisitions and corporate restructuring and strategy | 2010 |
| Aircraft repair and maintenance | 2015 |
| All payment and money transmission services | 2010 |
| Architectural services | 2010 |
| Asset management such as cash or portfolio management, all forms of collective investment management, pension fund management, custodial depository and trust services | 2010 |
| Auxiliary services, assessors, intermediaries and loss adjusters | 2010 |
| Commission agents’ services | 2010 |
| Computer reservation system services | 2010 |
| Consultancy services related to the installation of computer hardware | 2010 |
| Courier services | 2015 |
| Franchising | 2010 |
| Freight transportation | 2015 |
| Guarantees and commitments | 2010 |
| Higher education services | 2015 |
| Hotels and restaurants (including catering) | 2010 |
| Installation and maintenance of telecommunications terminal equipment | 2010 |
| Insurance agency services | 2015 |
| Insurance brokering services | 2015 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning agricultural machinery and equipment | 2015 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning agricultural machinery and equipment without operator | 2015 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning aircraft | 2015 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning construction machinery and equipment without operator | 2015 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning office machinery and equipment (including computers) without operator | 2010 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning other land transport equipment | 2015 |
| Leasing or rental services concerning other machinery and equipment without operator | 2015 |
| Legal advisory and representation services in judicial procedures concerning other fields of law | 2010 |
| Lending of all types including inter alia consumer credit, factoring and financing | 2010 |
| Life insurance services | 2015 |
| Maintenance and repair of road transport equipment | 2010 |
| Maintenance and repair of vessels | 2010 |
| Metrological data information services | 2010 |
| Motion picture and video tape production services (excluding distribution services) | 2010 |
| Motion picture project services | 2010 |
| Non-life insurance (except aviation, marine and engineering) | 2015 |
| Passenger transportation | 2010 |
| Primary education services | 2015 |
| Reinsurance and retrocession | 2010 |
| Rental of aircraft with crew | 2015 |
| Rental of commercial vehicles with operator | 2015 |
| Research and development services on natural sciences | 2010 |
| Secondary education services | 2015 |
| Selling and marketing of air transport services | 2010 |
| Supporting services for air transport | 2010 |
| Supporting services for road transport services | 2010 |
| Telecommunication services | 2015 |
| Tourist guide services | 2010 |
| Travel agencies and tour operator services | 2010 |
| Vending of telecommunications terminal equipment | 2010 |
| Wholesale trade services | 2010 |
Data source: Brief on trade in services under the East African Community Common Market