Before you start
- Valid foreign driving licence
- KRA PIN
- Alien card or work permit
- International Driving Permit, recommended for the interim period
Step-by-step
- 1
Drive on your foreign licence initially
Accepted for a limited window after arrival, best carried with an International Driving Permit as translation and corroboration.
In personWho: You - 2
Register on the NTSA portal
Kenya's transport authority handles licensing through its online Transport Integrated Management System, which requires a KRA PIN to register.
OnlineWho: You - 3
Submit your conversion application
Upload your foreign licence, identification and permit documents, and pay the fees through the portal.
OnlineWho: You - 4
Attend for biometrics and collection
Smart driving licences require in-person biometric capture at an NTSA office.
In personWho: You - 5
Adjust to Kenyan road conditions
Driving is on the left. Matatus drive assertively, boda boda motorcycles appear from everywhere, and unmarked speed bumps are common on main roads.
In personWho: You
Documents you’ll need
- Foreign driving licence
- KRA PIN
- Alien card or work permit
- Passport
- Passport photographs
Things most newcomers don’t know
The KRA PIN gates driving too.
NTSA's portal requires it, which puts the licence behind the same alien-card chain as banking. It's one more reason the three-month continuous-presence rule shapes your whole first quarter here.
Source: NTSA portal registration requirements
Many expatriates in Nairobi employ a driver rather than drive.
It's affordable by international standards, removes the parking and traffic burden, and means someone who knows the roads handles the harder parts. This is a normal arrangement here rather than an extravagance.
Source: community-reported, standard practice
An International Driving Permit is worth obtaining before you leave.
It smooths the interim period and roadside interactions, and it cannot be issued once you've left your home country. Five minutes at home, impossible from Nairobi.
Source: community-reported
Unmarked speed bumps are a genuine hazard.
They appear on main roads without warning or paint, and hitting one at speed damages vehicles. Locals know where they are; newcomers learn expensively.
Source: community-reported
Common mistakes to avoid
- Attempting NTSA registration before you have a KRA PIN.
- Arriving without an International Driving Permit for the interim period.
- Underestimating boda boda and matatu behaviour in traffic.
- Driving upcountry at night, which locals broadly avoid.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
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Sources
- National Transport and Safety Authority — official, Verified July 2026
- NTSA — Transport Integrated Management System — official, Verified July 2026
Last verified July 2026. Government processes change — always confirm critical details against the official source before acting.