Living in Kenya as a French National: Cities, Residence Permits, Schooling, Safety and Climate

Kenya appeals to French nationals through the ease of daily life in English, the presence of an establishment of the French education network in Nairobi, digitised public services for immigration and tax, and a health system that welcomes foreign residents. The Constitution makes Kiswahili and English the official languages of the Republic (Article 7), and the immigration portal lets you apply online for the entry authorisation as well as for residence permits.

The points of caution, as France Diplomatie describes them, concern safety, the roads and the climate. Crime is described as “one of the highest in Africa”: bag snatching, car assaults and burglaries are frequent. A significant terrorist threat exists across the whole country, above all in the regions bordering Somalia. More than 15,000 people lose their lives every year in road accidents, with a warning about the behaviour of buses and minibuses (matatus). Kenya is also in a pre-election situation ahead of the general elections of 10 August 2027: France Diplomatie recommends avoiding public gatherings, which can lead to blockades and violence.

These findings do not prevent living there with peace of mind once you adopt local habits: a secure residence, organised travel and health insurance in order. The page on health insurance in Kenya presents the whole framework, and the country’s guides complement each other: working, healthcare system, reimbursement of care and retirement.

Nairobi, the capital, is home to the French embassy, the French lycée, the headquarters of the Social Health Authority and the national referral hospital. For outings, France Diplomatie advises favouring places with an effective and dissuasive security system. Several districts (Eastleigh, Pangani, Kibera and Mathare) are classed among the areas advised against, where the greatest caution is recommended. The malaria risk there is described as low, against a significantly high risk around Lake Victoria and on the coast.

The official minimum wage scale distinguishes five large cities, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret, which form the urban and economic core of the country, peripheral municipalities such as Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru, and the rest of the territory. On the Indian Ocean coast, Malindi serves as a reference point for France Diplomatie: the coastal region north of the town is advised against except for compelling reasons, and the islands of Lamu and Manda, reached by air, are placed under heightened vigilance, unlike the mainland part of Lamu county, which is formally advised against.

The border regions call for the greatest restraint: France Diplomatie formally advises against staying on the border with Somalia, to a depth of 100 kilometres (Mandera, Garissa and Dadaab in particular), and on the borders with South Sudan and Ethiopia; it advises against, except for compelling reasons, the remote areas of the counties of West Pokot, Turkana, Marsabit and Isiolo. The rest of the territory is under heightened vigilance. A future resident therefore chooses a city and district with the help of these maps before signing a lease.

The conversions on this page use the rate published by the Central Bank of Kenya on 5 October 2026: 146.20 Kenyan shillings (KES) to €1. The central bank reports annual inflation of 6.8% in September; the updated price, growth and employment indicators appear in the economic reference block of this page.

The authorities consulted do not publish a typical budget for an expatriate; the most reliable approach is to build the budget item by item. For household staff, the official minimum wage scale sets, for a domestic worker, a nanny (ayah), a gardener or a day guard in the large cities, a minimum of KES 18,047.40 a month (about €123), KES 16,650.95 (about €114) in the former municipalities of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru and KES 9,268.07 (about €63) elsewhere. For health, the contribution to the Social Health Authority is 2.75% of gross monthly income, with a minimum of KES 300 (about €2) a month.

On housing, the official sources consulted do not publish a rent scale: the future resident compares offers on site, district by district, relying on France Diplomatie’s safety maps. A written lease, an inventory of fixtures and a check of the residence’s security systems are among the useful precautions; the school and the employer serve as reference points for choosing a district. The guide to budgeting for health abroad helps you build health protection into the budget.

Entry: France Diplomatie indicates that entry into Kenya is subject to an electronic travel authorisation, requested at etakenya.go.ke before boarding. The portal asks for a passport valid for at least six months with a blank page, a portrait photo, an itinerary, an accommodation booking and a means of payment; processing generally takes three working days, with filing recommended at least two weeks before the trip. The service charter of the Directorate of Immigration sets the standard eTA at USD 30 (about €27).

Duration: the tourist visa covers three months at most, extendable by three months with the immigration service for USD 50 (about €44). Beyond six months, or for any professional activity, a resident permit is required (Work Permit, Dependant’s Pass), and France Diplomatie points out that the authorities strictly apply the rules on irregular stays.

• Work permit: applications go through the eFNS portal; a processing fee of KES 20,000 (about €137) for the common classes, then annual issuance fees, for example KES 250,000 a year (about €1,710) for classes B, C, F, G and K, with a stated processing time of 21 working days and 10 days for a renewal.
• Dependant’s Pass: KES 10,000 (about €68) for the family of a work permit or permanent resident holder, with a stated processing time of 15 working days.
• Registration of foreigners: KES 5,000 a year (about €34), with biometric capture by appointment.
• Health: the resident can register with the Social Health Authority using their foreign resident certificate (Alien ID), online or through the USSD code *147#.
• French embassy: registration on the register of French nationals living abroad is strongly recommended for a stay of more than six months.

The checklist for the first 90 days suggests an order for these steps.

The Lycée français international Denis Diderot, an establishment of the network of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) certified by the French Ministry of Education, takes pupils aged 2 to 18, from nursery school to the baccalauréat. It offers the French curriculum in a bilingual French-English education, an international British section and a pathway devoted to multilingualism. Its two-hectare campus is on Argwings Kodhek Road, in the Kilimani district, and the establishment has existed for more than sixty years.

Families settled outside Nairobi compare the local options: schools of the Kenyan system, international sections or distance learning, depending on the region and the children’s ages. The French embassy provides information on schooling aid for French children living abroad, notably school grants, whose filing periods it announces on its website. For children’s health, see the guide to children’s cover abroad and the page on expat family insurance.

France Diplomatie divides Kenya into three levels (updated on 25 September 2026). Formally advised against are the border with Somalia, because of troop movements, recurring threats and incursions by the Shabaab movement, the mainland part of Lamu county and the borders with South Sudan and Ethiopia. Advised against except for compelling reasons are the remote areas of West Pokot, Turkana, Marsabit and Isiolo, the west of the counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, the coast north of Malindi and several districts of Nairobi. The rest of the country is under heightened vigilance.

• Assault: the official instruction is not to resist; bag snatchings are accompanied by violence if the victim resists.
• Road: France Diplomatie considers it preferable to avoid the bus and to favour the train or plane for long journeys and the taxi in town; night driving outside built-up areas and motorbike taxis (boda-boda) are very strongly advised against.
• In the cities: stay alert to pickpockets, avoid isolated or reputedly dangerous districts, limit travel on foot from sunset, travel with windows closed and doors locked; increased vigilance applies in public places frequented by foreigners (shopping centres, bars, hotels) in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.
• Curfew: in certain areas of the counties of Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.; it is recommended to limit travel in these counties.
• Emergencies: police and rescue on 999 or 112; Kenya Red Cross (ambulance) on +254 700 395 395, +254 738 395 395 or 1199; Nairobi fire brigade on 020 222 2181, 2182 or 2183.
• Rains: from October to December, heavy rainfall made worse by El Niño can cause flash floods and landslides; limit non-essential travel during downpours and do not attempt to use a submerged road.

The situation changes: consulting the country page on the France Diplomatie website before each trip remains the habit to adopt.

France Diplomatie points to the rainy season from October to December and recommends regularly following weather bulletins and the instructions of the local authorities; the Kenya Meteorological Department publishes monthly and seasonal forecasts. The climate also affects health: malaria at low risk in Nairobi but high near Lake Victoria and on the coast, and mosquito protection to plan for during the rains. The guide to the healthcare system in Kenya details the recommended vaccinations.

On language, English and Kiswahili are the official languages (Constitution, Article 7), and the State undertakes to promote indigenous languages, Kenyan Sign Language and Braille. An English-speaking French national starts administrative procedures without an interpreter; a few notions of Kiswahili make daily life easier outside the capital.

France Diplomatie describes as imperative taking out an assistance contract or a policy covering all medical costs and repatriation: hospitalisation costs can be very high and the embassy never covers them. France has concluded no social security agreement with Kenya, which is absent from the list published by the CLEISS (the French liaison centre for international social security): the carte Vitale (the French health insurance card) does not apply, and the French national’s status (local employee, seconded employee, self-employed, retiree, student) determines who pays. The pages on reimbursement of care in Kenya and expat health insurance compare the options; Expavy helps you weigh them against your situation.