Duty Free Importation into Kenya for Returning Residents
Below are requirements for people living in the Diaspora and looking forward to return and permanently settle in Kenya.
The regulations for exporting cars/personal effects to Kenya still apply hence;
- Motor vehicles must meet the age limit of 8 years set by the government.
- Motor vehicles must be inspected and PASSED by a KEBS agent(in this case QISJ) and the vehicle should not be LHD.
- The importer must have attained the age of 18 years
- The vehicle must have been registered in his/her(importer) name for a period of at least 365 days excluding the shipment period.
- The vehicle must have been used for atleast 365 days. The owner must prove that he was in the foreign country where the motor vehicle was registered for atleast 365 days from the time the vehicle was registered in his or her name.
- Personal effects and vehicle should arrive within 90 days of the owners arrival
- The owner must have stayed in the foreign country for more than two years.
- Household and personal effects must have been used by the owner in the foreign country and proof of usage evident.
- Within the two years that one has been away, he/she ought not to have made a visit and stayed in Kenya for a period exceeding in aggregate of 90 days. Hence if you travelled in 2014 for 60 days and then travelled in 2015 for another 60 days – in total those are 120 days and hence if this was within the past two years from when you were returning you would not meet the requirements.
- One should not have been exempted from customs taxes before
Documentation required for duty free clearance for returning residents:
- Original passports to confirm the above(valid or otherwise)
- Vehicle Log book/certificate of registration to confirm the above
- Bill of Lading/ Airway bill
- KEBS Preshipment Inspection Certificate of motor vehicle roadworthiness
- KRA Pin Card 6. Packing list