Can tourists use M-Pesa in Kenya? Yes, with a Safaricom line
M-Pesa needs a Safaricom SIM registered with your passport, usually at a Safaricom shop. A data-only travel eSIM does not give you M-Pesa. How to set both up for a Kenya trip.
Yes, but you need a Safaricom line registered with your passport. M-Pesa lives on a Safaricom SIM, not on the internet connection. A foreigner does not need a Kenyan ID, a bank account or a work permit, but several guides say a foreign passport has to be processed at a Safaricom shop rather than at a roadside agent. A data-only travel eSIM, ours included, does not give you M-Pesa: it carries data, not a Safaricom line.
The setup most visitors use
- Travel eSIM for data, installed at home, so you land in Nairobi online. Ours connects to Safaricom's network.
- A Safaricom SIM for M-Pesa, registered with your passport at a Safaricom shop, if you want to pay like the locals do: matatus, markets, small shops.
- Your usual line for bank codes, if your phone takes three lines, or swapped in when you need it.
Plenty of visitors skip M-Pesa entirely and pay by card in hotels, lodges and larger shops. It matters most off the tourist track.
Registering a SIM in Kenya
Kenya's SIM registration rules changed on 30 May 2025: operators must check original documents against government databases. Foreigners register with a passport. The Communications Authority says no biometric data is required.
What M-Pesa GlobalPay is not
M-Pesa GlobalPay is a virtual Visa card linked to an existing M-Pesa wallet, used to pay foreign websites. It is not a way for tourists to pay in Kenya without a Safaricom line.
Quick answers
Can a tourist use M-Pesa?
Yes, with a Safaricom SIM registered with a passport, usually at a Safaricom shop.
Does a travel eSIM work with M-Pesa?
No. M-Pesa needs a Safaricom line. A data-only eSIM gives you internet, not M-Pesa.
What do I need to register a SIM in Kenya as a foreigner?
Your original passport. Under the 2025 rules, operators check it against government databases; no biometric data is required.
Sources: Capital FM (19 November 2025), CM Advocates (2025), The Kenya Times (2026), mobilemoney.co.ke (2026), Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (2022, on GlobalPay). Checked 21 September 2026.