Moving from Italy to Kenya
This is a long ocean move from the Mediterranean down to the East African coast. Your container sails from an Italian port through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the Port of Mombasa, then travels by road or the standard gauge railway up to Nairobi. Kenya can be generous on used household goods, but the relief is tied to your permit and to a strict timing window, so getting the order right matters. Here is the honest brief for this corridor.
The container leaves Italy from a Ligurian or Tyrrhenian port, usually Genoa, La Spezia, or Livorno, and sails east through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, then down the Indian Ocean coast to the Port of Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa. From the port your goods travel inland to Nairobi by road or on the standard gauge railway. The door to door figure of five to seven weeks reflects the Suez routing, the Mombasa clearance, and the long inland leg up country.
The detail that shapes this corridor is the Kenyan duty relief and its timing. The Kenya Revenue Authority grants duty exemption on used household goods and personal effects to people arriving on a new work permit, provided the goods have been owned and used for at least one year and are imported within ninety days of the permit being issued. Returning Kenyan residents who have lived abroad for at least two years enjoy a similar relief. Miss the window or arrive without the permit and the same goods attract import duty, value added tax, and other levies. So align the shipment with your permit, and keep an exemption application ready for clearance.
What it costs to move from Italy to Kenya.
What it really costs to move a household from Italy to Kenya in 2026, shown as indicative ranges by home size and shipping method. The Suez routing and the inland leg to Nairobi drive the freight, while the work permit relief can remove the duty if the timing is right.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in euros for the freight, before full packing, premium insurance, storage, and any Kenyan duty and value added tax, which the work permit relief can remove inside the timing window. These are not binding figures, so get a survey.
Four levers move the number. Volume drives the freight, so a real declutter before leaving Italy is the surest saving. Shared against sole use is the next choice, with a part container cheaper but slower than a sole use box on your own dates. The inland leg from Mombasa to Nairobi adds cost that a port to port quote can hide, so confirm the price covers the run up country by road or rail. And your permit timing changes the tax, because the duty relief depends on importing within ninety days of the work permit, so a late shipment can turn a free clearance into a taxed one.
A realistic schedule, working back from the sailing.
Work back from your move date, and treat the work permit and its ninety day window as the critical path, because the duty relief depends on importing soon after the permit is issued.
Confirm your permit and customs position
Settle your Kenyan work permit, usually a Class D employment permit sponsored by your employer, and note the issue date, since the duty relief requires importing your goods within ninety days of it. Get your KRA PIN arranged.
Get surveyed and quoted
Have movers run an in home or video survey, then compare shared and sole use quotes that include the Suez leg to Mombasa and the inland delivery to Nairobi. Confirm the agent will file the exemption documents with the Kenya Revenue Authority.
Prepare the paperwork
Build a detailed valued inventory, gather your passport, your work permit, your KRA PIN, and the original bill of lading. Register in the anagrafe degli italiani residenti all'estero at your Italian consulate and notify your comune of the move.
Pack, load and sail
The crew packs and loads in Italy and the container sails through Suez for Mombasa. Hand your mover the inventory and your permit so the Kenyan import entry and the exemption claim can be prepared in your name.
Clear and deliver
The shipment reaches Mombasa, clears through the Kenya Revenue Authority under the work permit relief where the timing holds, and travels inland to Nairobi by road or rail to be unpacked. Sort your residence registration and local services for daily life.
Clearing your goods into Kenya.
Kenya controls imports through the Kenya Revenue Authority, and a relocating household can clear with the duty removed under the right conditions. People arriving on a new work permit can import used household goods and personal effects free of import duty, value added tax, and the import declaration fee, provided the goods have been owned and used for at least one year and are imported within ninety days of the permit being issued. Returning Kenyan residents who lived abroad for at least two years enjoy a comparable relief.
For clearance you will typically need your passport, your work permit, your KRA personal identification number, the original bill of lading, and a detailed valued inventory, with an exemption application filed for the relief. A licensed local agent handles the entry at Mombasa. Outside the relief, or once the ninety day window has passed, the same goods attract import duty, value added tax, and other levies, so the timing is not a formality.
Kenya restricts and prohibits a range of goods. Narcotics, weapons, and certain plant and animal products are tightly controlled, and used vehicles face their own rules, since a car must generally be under eight years old, must be right hand drive because Kenya drives on the left while Italy drives on the right, and must pass a roadworthiness inspection before export. Most movers leave the car behind. Keep your documents together for the port and the inland leg.
How people leaving Italy actually move to Kenya.
Most people moving from Italy to Kenya go on a work permit or a dependant pass rather than a visitor entry, and the permit also unlocks the customs relief. These are the realistic routes, in summary. The detail changes, so confirm the current rules before you rely on any of them.
The standard route for someone with a Kenyan job offer, sponsored by the employer and tied to a specific role. It is the usual basis for a settled stay and for clearing your household goods under the duty relief.
- Type
- Class D employment permit
- Good for
- Employees with a Kenyan job offer
- Note
- Sponsored by the employer
For people investing in or running a business in Kenya, this permit grants residence tied to the enterprise and a minimum investment. It suits founders and investors relocating to operate their own venture.
- Type
- Class G investor permit
- Good for
- Business owners and investors
- Note
- Requires a qualifying investment
The spouse and children of a permit holder can apply for a dependant pass tied to the main applicant, giving a basis to live in Kenya as a family rather than through separate employment.
- Type
- Dependant pass
- Good for
- Spouses and children of permit holders
- Note
- Linked to the main permit holder
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one. Apply it to every quote you receive.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Italy to Kenya?
As an indicative 2026 guide, the freight for a two to three bedroom home runs about 4,600 euros for a shared container up to roughly 9,800 euros for sole use, before packing, insurance, storage, and any duty. The work permit relief can remove the duty if you import inside the timing window. Get a survey.
How long does shipping take from Italy to Kenya?
Plan on roughly five to seven weeks door to door. The container sails from an Italian port such as Genoa through the Suez Canal to the Port of Mombasa, clears customs, and then travels inland to Nairobi by road or on the standard gauge railway.
Do I pay duty on my used furniture moving to Kenya?
Often not, if the timing is right. The Kenya Revenue Authority exempts used household goods owned and used for at least a year when you arrive on a new work permit and import within ninety days. Outside that window the goods attract import duty and value added tax.
What is the 90 day window for moving to Kenya?
It is the rule that the duty relief on a new work permit applies only if your household goods are imported within ninety days of the permit being issued. Ship too late and the exemption is lost, so align the container with your permit date.
Which visa do I need to live in Kenya?
Most movers hold a Class D work permit sponsored by an employer, a Class G investor permit tied to a business, or a dependant pass as the family member of a permit holder. You also need a KRA personal identification number for daily life.
Can I bring my car from Italy to Kenya?
It is rarely practical. A car imported into Kenya must generally be under eight years old, must be right hand drive while Italy drives on the right, and must pass a pre export inspection. Most people sell the car in Italy and buy locally.