Moving from Switzerland to Kenya
This is a sea move from landlocked Switzerland to East Africa, so your goods first travel by road to a European port, then sail through the Suez Canal to Mombasa and run up to Nairobi. The planning that matters is your work permit and your tax number, because Kenyan customs ties the relief on your used goods to a genuine change of residence and a registered KRA PIN. Here is the honest brief for this corridor.
Because Switzerland is landlocked, your goods first travel by road to a North Sea port such as Rotterdam or Antwerp, then sail through the Suez Canal to the Port of Mombasa, Kenya main seaport. From there your shipment travels by road or by the standard gauge railway up to Nairobi or your final town. The door to door figure of six to nine weeks reflects packing, the road leg to the port, the ocean haul, clearance at Mombasa, and the inland run. Customs can inspect the container before it is released.
The piece that surprises people leaving Switzerland is how closely Kenyan customs ties the relief to your paperwork. Used household goods come in free of duty only for a genuine change of residence, where you have owned and used the goods for at least a year, and for a first arrival on a work permit customs expects the shipment within three months of the permit being issued. You also need a KRA PIN, the taxpayer identification number, activated on the KenTrade system before clearance. So the work permit and the tax number, not the freight, are the true critical path.
What it costs to move from Switzerland to Kenya.
What it really costs to move a household from Switzerland to Kenya in 2026, shown as indicative ranges by home size and shipping method. The road leg to a European port plus the Suez lane to Mombasa mean volume and your choice of shared versus sole use freight drive the number most.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in Swiss francs, before full packing, premium marine insurance, and any storage. A shared container splits the box and the cost with other shipments, while a sole use twenty or forty foot container carries only your goods. These are not binding figures, so get a survey.
Four levers move the number. Volume dominates, because a shared load is priced by the space you fill, so a real declutter before the survey pays off most. The road leg from Switzerland to a North Sea port adds a fixed cost before the goods even sail. Clearance and inspection at Mombasa add handling fees, and the manifest must reach the port before the vessel so your agent can lodge the entry in good time. And the inland leg to Nairobi by road or rail adds cost and a few days, so factor it into both the price and the timeline.
A realistic schedule, working back from the sailing.
Work back from your move date, but treat the work permit and the KRA PIN as the true critical path, because the relief on your goods ties to a genuine change of residence and a registered tax number.
Confirm your permit and KRA PIN
Make sure your Kenyan work or residence permit is in progress and apply for your KRA PIN activated on KenTrade, because the duty relief ties to a genuine change of residence and customs expects a first shipment within three months of the permit.
Get surveyed and quoted
Have movers run an in home or video survey, then compare shared and sole use container quotes on a like for like basis. Confirm the road leg to the European port, the clearance plan at Mombasa, and what the run to Nairobi will add.
Prepare the customs paperwork
Build a detailed valued inventory, gather your passport, your permit, evidence of your change of residence, and the original bill of lading, and confirm your KRA PIN is active. Deregister at your commune or Gemeinde with an Abmeldung and close your lease and utilities at the same time.
Pack, load and sail
The crew packs and loads in Switzerland and the goods are trucked to a European port to sail via Suez. Hand your mover the inventory, your passport, and your permit so the import entry can be lodged in your name against your KRA PIN and the goods treated as a change of residence.
Clear, deliver and settle
Your clearing agent lodges the entry at Mombasa against your permit and KRA PIN, and after any inspection the goods are trucked or railed up to Nairobi and unpacked. Finalise your permit formalities, open a local bank account, and sort your utilities so daily life can begin.
Clearing your goods into Kenya.
Kenya controls imports through the Kenya Revenue Authority and its Customs and Border Control department. Used household goods and personal effects are admitted free of duty for a person who is genuinely changing residence from outside Kenya, provided the goods have been owned and used for at least a year. For a first arrival on a work permit, customs expects the shipment to be imported within three months of the permit being issued, and the goods must be for personal and household use.
You support the entry with your passport, your work or residence permit, evidence of your change of residence, a detailed valued inventory, and the original bill of lading. A KRA PIN, the taxpayer identification number, is required and must be activated on the KenTrade system before clearance. The shipment manifest needs to reach the Port of Mombasa a few days before the vessel arrives so your licensed clearing agent can lodge the entry in good time. New items and goods for resale sit outside the relief and can be taxed.
Kenya restricts and prohibits a range of goods. Firearms and certain weapons need permits, narcotics carry severe penalties, and some agricultural, plant, and food items are controlled on health grounds. Used vehicles face age limits and high taxes, so most people leave the car behind. Keep the inventory honest and the shipment to genuine used effects, because customs can inspect the container at Mombasa before it is released for the road or rail run to Nairobi.
How people leaving Switzerland actually move to Kenya.
Most people moving from Switzerland to Kenya live there on a permit tied to work, business, or independent means. These are the realistic routes, in summary. The detail changes, so confirm the current rules before you rely on any of them.
The employment permit for a foreign national offered a specific job in Kenya, sponsored by the employer. It is the usual basis for working residence and aligns with the customs window for importing your goods.
- Type
- Employer sponsored work permit
- Good for
- People with a Kenyan job offer
- Note
- The employer applies as the sponsor
For people investing in or running a business in Kenya. It grants residence linked to the enterprise and suits entrepreneurs and company founders settling in the country.
- Type
- Investor and business permit
- Good for
- Investors and company founders
- Note
- Tied to a qualifying Kenyan business
For people with an assured private income from sources outside Kenya who will not take employment, including many retirees. It gives residence to financially independent movers.
- Type
- Self sufficiency residence permit
- Good for
- Retirees and the financially independent
- Note
- Requires proof of assured income
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.
Get Moving Quotes for Switzerland to Kenya.
One short form reaches vetted international movers who run this exact route. No obligation, and no moving company is shown or ranked on this page. You receive quotes to compare on your own terms.
Plan the move with a clear head.
Subscribe to The Relocation Brief for practical, country specific relocation guidance, sent when it is genuinely useful. No spam, and you can leave any time.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Switzerland to Kenya?
As an indicative 2026 guide, a two to three bedroom home runs about CHF 4,400 for a shared container up to CHF 9,000 for sole use of a container, before full packing, premium insurance, and storage. Volume and your choice of shared versus sole use freight move the number most, so get a binding survey for a real figure.
How long does shipping take from Switzerland to Kenya?
Plan on roughly 6 to 9 weeks door to door by sea. That covers packing, the road leg to a European port, the ocean haul through the Suez Canal to Mombasa, clearance, and the road or rail run up to Nairobi.
Do I pay duty on my used furniture moving to Kenya?
Used household goods are admitted free of duty for a genuine change of residence if you have owned and used them for at least a year, and for a first arrival customs expects the shipment within three months of your work permit. You also need a KRA PIN activated on KenTrade. New items can be taxed. Verify the current rules before you ship.
Do I need a work permit before my shipment arrives?
In practice yes for the duty relief. The exemption ties to a genuine change of residence, and for a first arrival customs expects the goods within three months of the work permit being issued. Confirm your permit timing against the sailing so the container does not land too early.
What is a KRA PIN and do I need one?
The KRA PIN is the Kenyan taxpayer identification number from the Kenya Revenue Authority. It must be activated on the KenTrade system before your clearing agent can lodge the import entry, so arrange it early as part of your move.
Which port does my shipment arrive at in Kenya?
Household shipments arrive at the Port of Mombasa. From there your goods travel by road or by the standard gauge railway up to Nairobi or your final town for delivery, which adds a few days to the door to door time.