Health insurance in Kenya.
Kenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
The rules
What Kenya asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Foreign residents can join SHA
The Social Health Insurance Act 2023 says a non-Kenyan who is ordinarily resident in Kenya is eligible to register with the Social Health Insurance Fund.
Source: new.kenyalaw.org - More than 12 months: you must contribute
The Act lists a non-Kenyan resident living in Kenya for more than 12 months among the people who must pay into the fund.
Source: new.kenyalaw.org - Less than 12 months: travel health insurance
A non-Kenyan who plans to stay less than 12 months must hold travel health insurance of a type set by the Cabinet Secretary for Health.
Source: new.kenyalaw.org - You need an Alien card first
A non-citizen registers with SHA using a Foreign Resident Certificate, also called an Alien ID. Refugees use a Refugee ID.
Source: sha.go.ke - Alien card after 90 days
The Directorate of Immigration says every foreigner living in Kenya for more than 90 days must be registered. The card costs KSh 1,000 a year and takes several weeks to produce.
Source: immigration.go.ke - No salary: a means test sets the premium
If you are not on a payroll, SHA works out your income through a self-assessment form on afyayangu.go.ke. It then gives you a yearly premium.
Source: sha.go.ke - No cover while you are behind
Under the Act you can only use SHA services when your contributions are up to date. You must clear arrears and penalties before your cover comes back.
Source: new.kenyalaw.org - No waiting period
SHA says registered members can use benefits from the date they register.
Source: sha.go.ke
SHA runs 3 funds: the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund. A foreign resident with an Alien ID registers like a citizen and pays 2.75% of income, with a floor of KSh 300 a month.
Source: sha.go.keLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
SHA pays only while your contributions are up to date, and only for care in Kenya. A private plan from a Kenyan or international insurer is how you get cover abroad or a wider choice of hospitals.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Kenya. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Kenya.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Kenya and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in Kenya.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- SHA: 2.75% of income
Salaried members pay 2.75% of gross monthly pay. Non-salaried members pay 2.75% of household income as set by the means test. There is no upper limit.
Source: sha.go.ke - Minimum: KSh 300 a month
Whatever your income, the lowest SHA contribution is KSh 300 a month.
Source: sha.go.ke - Late payment: 2% penalty
If you pay late, the Act adds a penalty of 2% of the amount due for each period it stays unpaid.
Source: new.kenyalaw.org
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Kenya.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- SHA contracted facilities
SHA publishes its contracted hospitals and clinics county by county. Check the ones near you, then check a private plan covers any hospital you want that is not on it.
- Care outside Kenya
SHA’s funds pay Kenyan facilities. If you may need treatment at home, check the private plan names that country.
- A licensed insurer
The UK government points expats to Kenya’s Insurance Regulatory Authority for private insurance. Check the insurer there before you pay.
- Evacuation
SHA’s emergency fund pays for ambulance transport to the nearest facility in Kenya. Check if your plan pays for a flight out for serious care.
Step by step
Getting covered in Kenya.
- 01Get your Alien card. Apply on the Foreign Nationals Service portal (fns.immigration.go.ke) with your permit or pass, then book a biometrics appointment. Allow several weeks for the card.
- 02Register with SHA. Use your Alien ID on the SHA website, dial *147#, or go to a Huduma Centre or SHA agent. Add your spouse and children as dependants.
- 03Set your contribution. If you have a salary, your employer deducts 2.75% each month. If not, you fill in the means test on afyayangu.go.ke and get a yearly premium.
- 04Pay before you need care. The Act says contributions are paid at registration, and non-salaried members pay once a year. Late payment adds a 2% penalty.
- 05Decide on private cover. The UK government notes you can take part in SHA or take out private insurance from Kenyan or international providers. Some expats do both.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Trying to register with SHA on a passport. A foreign resident needs an Alien ID first, and it takes weeks.
- 02Letting SHA payments lapse. Cover stops until you pay all arrears and the 2% penalties.
- 03Staying under 12 months with no travel health insurance. The Act requires it for short stays.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Questions
People also ask.
Can expats join SHA in Kenya?+
Yes. The Act makes a non-Kenyan who is ordinarily resident eligible, and one who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months must contribute. You register with your Alien ID.
How much does SHA cost for a foreigner?+
The same as for a citizen: 2.75% of income, with a minimum of KSh 300 a month and no maximum.
Is there a waiting period for SHA benefits?+
SHA says no. Registered members can use benefits from the date they register, as long as contributions are up to date.
Do short-term visitors need insurance in Kenya?+
Yes. A non-Kenyan staying less than 12 months must hold travel health insurance of a type set by the Cabinet Secretary for Health.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.