Foreign Bank Representative Office Licence — Fees and Charges in Kenya

A Foreign Bank Representative Office is a presence established in Kenya by a bank incorporated outside Kenya, authorised by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to undertake promotional, liaison, and market research activities — but not to accept deposits, extend credit, or carry out any banking transactions in Kenya. It is a low-risk, market-access vehicle that enables foreign banks to build relationships and assess the Kenyan market ahead of any full branch or subsidiary application.

Fees and Charges

Fee Item	Amount (KES)
Application fee	Specified in CBK Representative Office procedures
Annual authority fee	Specified in CBK Representative Office procedures

The CBK publishes the specific fee schedule in its "Procedures for Grant of Authority for Representative Offices in Kenya" document, available on the CBK website (centralbank.go.ke). Fees are paid by banker's cheque or RTGS to the Central Bank.

Permitted and Prohibited Activities

Permitted	Prohibited
Market research and feasibility studies	Accepting deposits from the public
Liaison and information exchange with the parent bank	Extending loans or credit facilities
Promotion of parent bank products and services	Executing banking transactions
Facilitating referrals to the parent bank	Earning income from Kenyan-based activities

Key Application Requirements

Applications must include information about the parent bank's regulatory status and standing in its home jurisdiction, audited financial statements of the parent bank, fit and proper declarations for the proposed representative office chief officer, a description of the proposed activities of the representative office in Kenya, and evidence of the parent bank's authorisation to establish the representative office. Regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) under the Banking Act, Cap. 488, Laws of Kenya.

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