Remote Work Visa Opportunities in East Africa

Willys Mac'Olale discusses remote work visas in East Africa amid the rise of the digital nomad. 

A remote work visa enables employees from all over the world to live and work remotely from a foreign country for a defined period, even if their companies are based outside of the host jurisdiction. In East Africa and across the African continent, work permits are issued to foreign nationals whose employers have a presence in the host country. Remote working visas enable both employees and entrepreneurs to work remotely without the need to set up entities in the specific foreign countries.

Traveling the world while working online from your laptop has been a dream for millions of self-proclaimed digital nomads. However, this can be challenging as working from foreign countries while traveling on a tourist visa is illegal in most countries. Tourist visas also typically expire after 30-90 days, and it is not always easy to renew them.

Immigration laws in many countries, East Africa included, are not set up to deal with this new class of digital nomads who are living and working remotely around the world--but that is starting to change, as some countries have recognised the need for new visa types, including digital nomad visas, remote work visas or freelancer visas specifically to entice foreigners to come work and  contribute to the tourism sector.

East Africa already has an East African Tourist Visa (EATV) in place for tourism purposes, and the current EATV can have a second option for remote workers. A visa option of this nature would be unique in providing travellers with an opportunity to spend time in multiple countries in Africa. The suitability of East Africa for this visa option is unquestionable, as the region has a world-class hospitality sector and telecommunication infrastructure to support remote working.

In order to establish a successful remote visa regime and respond to this new way of working, the East African Community (EAC) member states must consider their specific immigration laws, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the multiple journey visa in Kenya may be able to be transitioned into a remote work visa, renewable annually. Revenue generated from issuing remote work visas can be shared equally among member states’ tourism bodies to promote this visa option around the world.

When an expat travels to a new country and spends a few months there, he or she is likely to buy local products and support the tourism industry, and may even make business investments—and governments have learned how valuable these types of travellers are. By adding remote work visas, authorities will be contributing towards sustainable tourism growth spending, revenue and much needed job creation in supporting sectors. It is truly a win-win for everyone. No country in the world would want to be left out in this new development.

Contact us

For further assistance on this subject in the Sub-Saharan Africa region or immigration compliance, please contact [email protected] or your Fragomen immigration professional. This blog was published on 7 October 2021, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please visit our dedicated COVID-19 site, subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.