Gold Allowance for Travellers to Kenya (2026)
Kenya, under East African Community rules, lets passengers bring in new goods for personal or household use, including gold jewellery, worth up to US$2,000 free of customs duty, and since 1 July 2026 returning passengers also get US$2,000 free of VAT (up from US$300). Used personal effects, including jewellery you already own, are exempt. Above the allowance, import duty, VAT and other levies are charged on the price you paid. Currency of US$10,000 or more must be declared, unwrought gold is a restricted item, and exporting gold needs a dealer's licence and a mineral export permit.
Reviewed October 2026 from official sources (listed below). Rules change — check with customs before you travel.
Estimate
Amounts are in US dollars. KRA assesses duty on the price actually paid, which you declare on Form F88; this page cannot estimate the tax because KRA publishes no traveller rate for jewellery. An estimate, not a customs assessment.
Duty-Free Gold Allowance in Kenya
| Traveller | Duty-free allowance | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Any passenger | US$2,000 of new goods free of customs duty | Goods for personal or household use, under the Fifth Schedule of the EAC Customs Management Act (raised from US$500 on 1 July 2024). Not trade goods, fabrics in the piece, or alcohol, perfume and tobacco above their limits. |
| Returning passenger: VAT | US$2,000 free of VAT | The Finance Act 2026 raised the VAT-free allowance for returning passengers from US$300 to US$2,000 from 1 July 2026, announced as KSh 260,000. |
| Jewellery you already own | Exempt as used personal effects | Declare it when you leave if you will bring it back, and keep the record. |
| Tourists and visitors staying up to three months | Personal goods free | Non-consumable personal goods that you take back out with you. |
| Unwrought gold (bars, nuggets, dust) | Restricted | KRA lists unwrought precious metals as restricted goods that need a permit. |
Duty and VAT on gold above the allowance
Kenya applies the East African Community Customs Management Act. Since 1 July 2024 it has given passengers a concession of US$2,000 of goods for personal or household use free of customs duty, up from US$500. VAT was a separate limit: the Finance Act 2026 raised the VAT-free allowance for returning passengers from US$300 to US$2,000 from 1 July 2026, which the President announced as KSh 260,000. New gold jewellery bought abroad falls within these allowances like other personal goods.
Used personal effects, including jewellery you already own, are exempt. Above the allowance, KRA charges import duty, VAT, excise and other levies as they apply, assessed on the price actually paid. Trade goods do not qualify. Pay at the bank counters in the terminal or by mobile banking once the officer issues a payment slip.
Declaring gold in Kenya
Every passenger completes Form F88. Use the Green Channel only if you have nothing to declare or your goods are within the allowance; otherwise use the Red Channel. KRA says purchases worth more than US$500, gifts, inherited items and goods for sale must be declared. Giving false information is an offence under the EAC Customs Management Act and can lead to seizure of the goods, arrest and prosecution.
Currency and monetary instruments of US$10,000 or more, or the equivalent, must be declared on arrival and departure. That rule covers money, not gold. Unwrought precious metals are restricted goods that need a permit, so gold bars and nuggets cannot simply be declared and taxed like jewellery.
Taking gold out of Kenya
If you plan to bring jewellery back, declare it to Customs before you leave and keep the record, so it is not taxed as new on your return. Gold is one of the items KRA focuses on at departure. Exporting gold is a licensed activity: dealers need a licence under the Mining Act 2016, and each export needs a mineral export permit applied for through the Mining Cadastre portal. In September 2026 police arrested two women at JKIA over 658 g of gold allegedly being smuggled to Dubai. The same month, President Ruto said Kenya will make it illegal to export gold unless it has been processed locally and passed through government channels. No date or regulation for that ban had been published by October 2026.
Kenya to Dubai, India and the UK
Gold bought in Dubai counts towards your US$2,000 allowance when you fly back to Kenya; keep the invoice, because KRA assesses duty on the price paid. Taking raw gold from Kenya to the UAE needs an export permit. If you are travelling to India, the UK or the United States, their own allowances apply on arrival. Uganda, Tanzania and the other EAC states use the same US$2,000 customs allowance.
Practical tips
Keep receipts for gold bought abroad and fill in Form F88 truthfully. Declare jewellery you take out if you will bring it back. Never carry gold bars or nuggets for anyone else. Rules are changing, especially on gold exports, so check with KRA before you travel.
Gold price in Kenya today
Live rates →| 24K (999) | KES 16,173 / gram | KES 161,733 / 10 g |
|---|---|---|
| 22K (916) | KES 14,830 / gram | KES 148,295 / 10 g |
| 18K (750) | KES 12,142 / gram | KES 121,421 / 10 g |
Bringing Gold to Kenya: FAQ
How much is 10 grams of 22K gold worth in Kenya today?
About KES 148,295 at the international price converted to KES (Oct 30, 2026, 21:55 UTC). Customs use their own notified or assessed value, and shops charge more, so treat this as an estimate.
How much gold jewellery can I bring into Kenya duty-free?
New goods for personal use, including jewellery, worth up to US$2,000 are free of customs duty, and since 1 July 2026 returning passengers also get US$2,000 free of VAT. Jewellery you already own is exempt as used personal effects.
Is the Kenya allowance US$500 or US$2,000?
US$2,000. The EAC raised the customs allowance from US$500 on 1 July 2024, and the Finance Act 2026 raised the VAT-free allowance for returning passengers from US$300 to US$2,000 from 1 July 2026. KRA still asks you to declare purchases worth more than US$500 on Form F88.
Do I need to declare gold under Kenya's US$10,000 rule?
The US$10,000 rule covers currency and monetary instruments. Declare gold on Form F88 as goods; unwrought gold is restricted and needs a permit.
Can I take gold out of Kenya?
Jewellery you own can go with you; declare it on departure if you will bring it back. Exporting gold bars, nuggets or dust needs a dealer's licence and a mineral export permit, and the government has announced a planned ban on exports of unprocessed gold.
How much gold can I bring from Dubai to Kenya?
Up to US$2,000 of new jewellery for personal use without duty or VAT. Above that, KRA charges import duty, VAT and other levies on the price you paid.
Gold Travel Allowance in Other Countries
Sources: KRA: Passenger terminal clearance FAQs (US$2,000 concession, US$10,000 currency) · KRA: Passenger Terminals FAQs (Form F88, restricted items, departure checks) · KPMG Kenya: Finance Act 2026 analysis (VAT-free allowance US$300 to US$2,000) · Business Daily: EAC raises untaxed personal items limit to US$2,000 (July 2024) · Mining (Dealings in Minerals) (Amendment) Regulations 2023: mineral export permit · Nairametrics: Kenya to ban unprocessed gold exports (Sept 2026) · Kenyans.co.ke: two women arrested at JKIA over gold smuggling (Sept 2026). Information, not legal advice: customs officers decide on the spot, and rules change. See also: gold price in Kenya · gold price by weight.