Welcome to Nairobi!

Moving to Nairobi is discovering a city that breaks all prejudices. The capital of Kenya, nicknamed the "City under the Sun" (Nairobi means "place of cool waters" in Maasai), is a vibrant metropolis of over 5 million inhabitants that combines a top-notch tech and business ecosystem —known as Silicon Savannah— with the unique possibility in the world of seeing lions, giraffes, and rhinoceroses from the city's outskirts in the Nairobi National Park.

Why do expatriates choose Nairobi?

Nairobi is the most important hub in East and Sub-Saharan Africa for international organizations (home to UNEP and UN-Habitat), multinational companies, NGOs, media, and the flourishing African tech ecosystem. The city also has excellent international schools, a quality private healthcare infrastructure, and a huge and well-organized expatriate community. For professionals looking to build a career in Africa, Nairobi is the inevitable starting point.

First steps upon arrival

• Obtain your work or residence permit through the Department of Immigration Services of Kenya.
• Open a bank account: Equity Bank, KCB (Kenya Commercial Bank), and Standard Chartered Kenya are the most accessible for expatriates.
• Register your mobile number and obtain an M-Pesa account (the most used mobile payment platform in Africa): it is essential for daily life in Nairobi.
• Get international private health insurance: hospitals like Aga Khan University Hospital and Nairobi Hospital are of excellent standard.
• Explore the neighborhoods: Westlands, Kilimani, Karen, Lavington, and Gigiri (home to the United Nations) are the most popular among foreign residents.

Daily life in Nairobi

Living in Nairobi means living in a city of exciting contrasts. Safaris in Nairobi National Park at dawn, Maasai craft markets at City Market, the rising culinary scene in Westlands and Karen, rooftop bars overlooking the savannah, weekends at Lake Naivasha or at the Masai Mara reserves just a few hours from the city... Nairobi offers a combination of sophisticated urban life and wild nature that exists nowhere else in the world.

Expat community

The expatriate community in Nairobi is one of the largest and most active on the African continent. With dozens of international organizations, embassies, and multinationals based in the city, you will find InterNations Nairobi groups, social clubs, top-tier international schools, and a genuinely supportive and efficient expatriate support network.

Final tip: Nairobi's traffic can be intense during rush hours. Organize your life to avoid the worst traffic jams and consider living close to your workplace. With that sorted out, you will discover why so many expatriates who came for a year end up staying a decade. Welcome to Nairobi!