Money and transfers

Blocked account, M-Pesa and bank transfers, sending money home, basic account.

Blocked account and proof of money

• Study: a blocked account of €992 a month (€11,904 a year; 2026 value, check for 2027); training-place search: €1,091 a month (§ 2 (3) S. 6); Opportunity Card: €1,091 in practice (Opportunity Card). See Costs.
• You usually pay in by international transfer from a Kenyan bank. Kenyan transfer rules (Central Bank of Kenya limits, forex documentation, bank fees) and the processing time were not verified; ask your bank early. Authority page: Central Bank of Kenya.
• Which blocked-account providers the Embassy accepts: check the Embassy pages. We name no provider.

M-Pesa and money transfers

• M-Pesa is the mobile-money service of Safaricom (safaricom.co.ke). Whether M-Pesa can send money to a German account, which fees and limits apply, and whether a transfer counts as proof of funds: not verified. Compare the cost on the provider's own page.
• Money for visa, document checks and fees goes only to the official payee: Avoiding scams. The Embassy accepts the visa fee in Kenyan shillings (Visa and Embassy).

In Germany

Everyone legally resident in the EU can ask for a basic account (§ 31 ZKG). Sending money to Kenya is possible through banks and licensed providers. Check the exchange rate and total fee before each transfer; we compare no providers.

Taxes on money you send or receive: not covered. A Germany-Kenya tax treaty exists, but we did not check it; ask a tax adviser.