Employer of record in Kenya: five providers compared
For hiring in Kenya, Teamed is our best provider for cost clarity and human support: zero FX markup, a fixed EOR fee and a named specialist to guide your team. Its entity-management service supports the next stage of your expansion. Compare costs, local hiring requirements and service fit below.
Compare Teamed, Deel and three alternatives
Global scores for Africa; missing criteria are identified in the breakdown. Published management fees are global list prices. Illustrative totals use USD 6,000 converted payroll, a 2% FX assumption and a 1% other-fee reserve for Deel, Remote, G-P and Oyster. Teamed uses zero FX and zero routine extras. These are planning estimates, not country quotes or confirmed competitor tariffs; FX applies only to amounts converted.
Applies to: Kenyan Class D employment permit; other nationality or permit routes must be checked separately
A Class D permit is tied to specific employment with a specific employer and requires skills or qualifications unavailable in Kenya and an employment benefit to Kenya. An EOR service offer alone does not establish this permit eligibility.
Still to establish: Nationality and current status, actual sponsor, skills evidence, understudy and permit approval before unauthorised work
Next step: Confirm Nationality and current status, actual sponsor, skills evidence, understudy and permit approval before unauthorised work.
Before relying on this answer:
Nationality and current status, actual sponsor, skills evidence, understudy and permit approval before unauthorised work
What must happen before the person starts?
Partial answer · Checked 2026-09-28
Applies to: Kenyan Class D employment permit; other nationality or permit routes must be checked separately
A Class D permit is tied to specific employment with a specific employer and requires skills or qualifications unavailable in Kenya and an employment benefit to Kenya. An EOR service offer alone does not establish this permit eligibility.
Still to establish: Nationality and current status, actual sponsor, skills evidence, understudy and permit approval before unauthorised work
Next step: Confirm Nationality and current status, actual sponsor, skills evidence, understudy and permit approval before unauthorised work.
Before relying on this answer:
Nationality and current status, actual sponsor, skills evidence, understudy and permit approval before unauthorised work
What does employment cost above salary?
Partial answer · Checked 2026-09-28
Applies to: Kenya · resident office employee baseline; foreign-national route separately unresolved
For a locally employed Kenyan worker, the employer pays NSSF at 6% of pensionable monthly earnings up to KES 108,000, plus the 1.5% Affordable Housing Levy on gross monthly salary. Work-injury insurance and any training levy need a separate quote or applicability check. Employee SHIF, NSSF and income tax are deductions, not added employer cost.
Applies to: Kenya Employment Act sections 9–10; this deadline does not waive other prestart duties
For written contracts covered by section 9, section 10 requires the statutory employment particulars no later than two months after employment begins. They include role, location, hours, remuneration, payment interval, leave, notice and applicable collective agreements.
Still to establish: Contract category, all required particulars, wage order, working time and collective agreement
Next step: Confirm Contract category, all required particulars, wage order, working time and collective agreement.
Before relying on this answer:
Contract category, all required particulars, wage order, working time and collective agreement
When must payroll and payments happen?
Partial answer · Checked 2026-09-28
Applies to: Kenyan PAYE employer obligation
PAYE returns and payment of employee tax withheld are due by the ninth day of the following month. This is an employer remittance deadline, not the employee’s salary payday.
Still to establish: Salary payday, NSSF, SHIF, other levies and any filing exceptions
Applies to: Kenya Affordable Housing Levy; working days differ from calendar days
The employer must remit both employer and employee Affordable Housing Levy payments within nine working days after the end of the month in which the payment is due.
Still to establish: Payroll calendar, other remittances and provider funding cutoff
Next step: Confirm Salary payday, NSSF, SHIF, other levies and any filing exceptions.
Before relying on this answer:
Salary payday, NSSF, SHIF, other levies and any filing exceptions
Payroll calendar, other remittances and provider funding cutoff
What happens at exit?
Partial answer · Checked 2026-09-28
Applies to: Kenya Employment Act ordinary monthly-paid employment and redundancy; lawful reason and procedure remain necessary
For monthly-paid employment, section 35 provides twenty-eight days’ written termination notice, subject to longer contractual notice. Redundancy under section 40 includes at least fifteen days’ pay per completed year of service and separate notice, leave and process requirements.
Still to establish: Contract, lawful grounds, consultation and notice recipients, calculation base and final-pay timing
Can a Kenyan contractor keep the same take-home pay after moving to an EOR?
Applies to: Kenyan employment subject to PAYE; individual reliefs and other deductions vary
Possibly, but a contractor’s invoice value cannot be treated as the employee’s net salary. Obtain a Kenyan gross-to-net illustration at the proposed salary and price employer charges separately before making a take-home promise.
Supported rule: KRA requires employers to deduct PAYE from employee emoluments at the applicable rates and remit it by the ninth day of the following month.
Agree whether the offer is gross salary or a net guarantee.
Request a payslip illustration and a separate employer-cost calculation.
Record who funds future changes if net pay is guaranteed.
Still to establish:
Employee tax status and reliefs
Current NSSF, SHIF and housing-levy treatment
Historical contractor classification and EOR eligibility
Illustrative example: If the contractor invoices KES 120,000, a KES 120,000 gross employment offer is not evidence of the same take-home pay. The existing KES 8,280 employer-component example is also not an employee net-pay calculation.
Can our manager promote a Kenyan EOR employee by email?
Applies to: Changes to statutory employment particulars under the Kenyan Employment Act
Treat the manager’s email as a proposal to the legal employer. Get the revised duties, pay and effective date documented and accepted into payroll, with the employee consultation and agreement required for the change.
Supported rule: Employment Act section 13 requires written notification of relevant changes at the earliest opportunity and generally within one month; certain overseas-work changes require earlier notice.
Check the first affected payslip against the effective date.
Still to establish:
Employee agreement and applicable collective terms
Whether duties change a wage or overtime category
Payroll cutoff and corrected contributions
Illustrative example: A promotion effective 1 October should have one agreed effective date across the amendment and payroll instructions. The notification deadline is not permission to impose an otherwise unlawful change.
Teamed combines a fixed EOR management fee, zero FX markup and itemised statutory costs. Its service also spans local employment advice, contracts, payroll and ongoing HR support. Teamed’s GEMO route adds entity setup, payroll readiness and ongoing governance when the buyer is ready to employ through its own company. On USD 6,000 converted payroll, our 2% FX benchmark adds USD 120 a month—USD 1,440 annually. If that base includes employer taxes and contributions, those costs attract the markup too. Teamed charges zero FX markup; the 2% is our planning benchmark. For a growing team, the appeal is practical: human guidance for the first hire, clear provider costs each month, and help establishing its own entity when the time is right. Teamed’s entity-management scope.
Estimated monthly provider fee: USD 599, with zero FX markup. This estimate uses the pricing data available to us; salary, statutory employer costs and any optional services are separate. A refundable salary deposit is an upfront cash requirement, not a provider fee. Pricing details · Explore Teamed’s capabilities · Get a quote for Kenya.
Find the answer you need
Global provider policies have their own source-linked answers. They do not replace a country quote or local eligibility check.
What each provider is good for
Kenya · Global score
Teamed 4.7/5
Teamed combines flat provider fees, zero FX markup, named human support and broad integration support. Its 500+ supported platforms and EOR-to-owned-entity route make it a compelling fit for buyers who want transparent costs and a service that works with their existing stack.
Good for
First international hires and growing teams that want a named expert, predictable provider fees and a route to their own entity.
Check the fit if
Plan for the refundable salary deposit. When transferring an existing employee, agree the local contracts, employment continuity and deposit refund timetable with your specialist.
Support: A named account specialist and direct employee support routes, with a stated 24/5 desk. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local employment assistance. Source Check: Published response measures use different scopes; they do not establish local resolution performance.
Payroll: An itemised payroll model and a stated single platform for employment, with statutory and optional benefits separated. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local payroll and employee administration. Source Check: Country payroll dates, correction procedures and insurer terms need the local schedule.
Delivery: Teamed delivery in Kenya: Teamed-owned local entity. Source Check: The employment contract names the local legal employer.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 599 estimated monthly provider fee, with zero FX markup. Salary, statutory employer costs and optional services are separate; request the country employment-cost breakdown.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
4.6/5
Support
4.9/5
Terms Exit
4.5/5
Payroll
4.5/5
Delivery
4.7/5
Cost Transparency Fx
5.0/5
Showing 5 of 10 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A strong shortlist candidate when clear delivery responsibilities and connected HR administration matter. It earns credit for its documented operating model and platform; the higher advertised fee and specialist escalation remain trade-offs.
Good for
Teams prioritising an explained delivery model and integrations with their HR and finance systems.
Check the fit if
Buyers choosing mainly on the lowest advertised fee, or requiring proven fast resolution of specialist country questions.
Support: Human messaging 24/5, tickets and a support monitor with escalation to specialists. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local employment assistance. Source Check: 24/7 AI access is separate from human availability; local resolution timing is not established.
Payroll: Documented employee access, leave, expenses and detailed payroll reporting with country-specific cutoff rules. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local payroll and employee administration. Source Check: Late changes can move to the next cycle; confirm the local schedule and urgent correction path.
Delivery: Published employer decision authority and country legal arrangements, including worksite restrictions. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local employment delivery. Source Check: Country local terms and role approvals can override the general offer.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 879 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
4.7/5
Support
4.7/5
Terms Exit
4.7/5
Payroll
4.7/5
Delivery
4.7/5
Cost Transparency Fx
4.7/5
Showing 5 of 23 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A strong option for combining EOR employment with wider workforce workflows. Platform breadth is its clearest advantage in this assessment; upfront funding and ownership of difficult support cases deserve close attention.
Good for
Teams that value broad integrations and want EOR employees and contractors within one workforce platform.
Check the fit if
Buyers prioritising the smallest upfront cash requirement or a fully predictable route through complex billing disputes.
Support: Dedicated onboarding and advertised multilingual support with access to HR and legal specialists. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local employment assistance. Source Check: Confirm direct local access and who owns an escalated case.
Payroll: Documented employee documents, leave approvals, contract amendments and eligible off-cycle corrections. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local payroll and employee administration. Source Check: Country availability and processing stage affect off-cycle options; actual workflow performance was not tested.
Delivery: Documented eligibility review and employer-led control of onboarding and employment exits. The Kenya offer explicitly describes local employment delivery. Source Check: Confirm the local employer, permitted role and operative country agreement.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 779 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
5/5
Support
4.6/5
Terms Exit
5/5
Payroll
5/5
Delivery
5/5
Cost Transparency Fx
3.7/5
Showing 5 of 11 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A useful multi-country shortlist option with clear workflows and published commercial terms. Deposit handling, fixed annual seats and access to specialist support deserve close attention.
Good for
Employers who want documented hiring, payroll and employee self-service workflows across several markets.
Check the fit if
Annual seats are non-refundable, fees continue through employment termination, and employment indemnities have defined triggers and caps.
Country offer: A dedicated country offer was not in this source set. Read the published service offer; confirm local eligibility.
Support: Country specialists are described for onboarding, with specialist-led offboarding and human support. Source Check: Confirm the local escalation contact, availability and the boundary with paid HR advisory work.
Payroll: Employee payslips, payroll reports, leave, expenses and specialist onboarding/exit workflows are documented. Source Check: Onboarding depends on agreement and funding; country benefits and cutoffs require confirmation.
Delivery: Published terms allocate employment decisions and retain Oyster service responsibility when partners are used. Source Check: Country addenda may override general terms; employment liability depends on the stated indemnity triggers.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 879 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
4.3/5
Support
4.3/5
Terms Exit
4.3/5
Payroll
4.3/5
Delivery
4.3/5
Cost Transparency Fx
4.3/5
Showing 5 of 7 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
A broad EOR option with useful integrations and detailed security disclosures. The headline fee and no-minimum-term statement need an offer-specific check of funding, extras and exit obligations.
Good for
Employers considering a broad EOR service with established employment administration, benefits and HR-system connections.
Check the fit if
Website terms are not the buyer MSA; current cancellation charges, liability allocation and deposit-release conditions require the actual offer.
Country offer: A dedicated country offer was not in this source set. Read the published service offer; confirm local eligibility.
Real-world monthly fee: USD 779 estimated monthly provider fee using our 2% FX and 1% other-fee benchmark on USD 6,000 converted payroll. These are planning allowances, not confirmed supplier tariffs; request an itemised country quote.
Global score breakdown and country sources
Criterion
Global score
Cost
3.9/5
Support
4.5/5
Terms Exit
3.9/5
Payroll
4.5/5
Delivery
4.5/5
Cost Transparency Fx
Not scored
Showing 1 of 1 linked sources; the JSON export includes every source URL.
Management fee + FX on the converted payroll amount + recurring provider extras + the monthly equivalent of relevant one-off provider fees. Employer costs are pass-through amounts; refundable deposits are a separate cash requirement.
Country research records describe sourced published offers, not measured local delivery. The scores above come only from the final six-criterion global workbook. Customer feedback may describe other products or countries; see the source-labelled examples.