Guide · NEMA environmental licences · Updated 2026-10-19
Transfer or vary a NEMA EIA licence in Nairobi
An EIA licence belongs to a project and its holder. When the project is sold — a site with a licence, a development bought part-built — the licence is transferred: the seller and the buyer notify NEMA together, in writing, within thirty days. When the project changes — more floors, a different use, a bigger site — the holder applies to vary the licence, and NEMA may ask for a fresh assessment.
When you need it
- You are buying land or a part-built development that already has an EIA licence.
- You are selling a licensed project.
- The design has changed since the licence was issued: more floors or homes, a new use, a larger footprint.
Who prepares it and applies
For a transfer, the holder and the new owner notify NEMA jointly, through ENVIS. For a variation, the holder applies, usually through a registered expert who explains the change. Applications are made online on ENVIS, NEMA’s licensing system.
Check the site before you apply
Most of what a NEMA report describes is already on the map. Check these first:
| Check | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| The plot and its number | Search the map by LR, block or FR number | Every report and licence names the plot. Make sure the parcel on the map is the land the project is on. |
| Whether the site already has a licence | The NEMA layers on the map, then the seller’s papers | A licence on the site carries its number, its holder and its conditions. Buying the project means transferring it. |
| What the zone allows | Its zone page, or tap the plot on the map | A report describes the project against the county’s planning rules: floors, plot ratio, ground coverage and use. |
| The right to the land | An official search on Ardhisasa | The proponent must own the land or have the owner’s consent. Reports usually include a copy of the title. |
| The county’s approval | Building and planning approval | NEMA’s licence and Nairobi City County’s approval are separate. A project needs each one that applies to it before work starts. |
How the application moves
- Find the licence. Ask the seller for the licence, its conditions and any variation. The NEMA layers on the map show the licences recorded at the site.
- Check it covers what you are buying. A licence is for the project it was issued for. A different project on the same land needs its own assessment.
- Transfer: notify NEMA together. The holder and the buyer notify NEMA jointly, in writing, within thirty days of the transfer. It takes effect when NEMA is told.
- Variation: apply with the change. The holder describes the change on ENVIS. NEMA decides whether to vary the licence, or to ask for a fresh assessment.
How long it takes
A transfer takes effect when NEMA is notified. A variation waits on NEMA’s decision, and longer if NEMA asks for a fresh assessment. Follow the application on ENVIS.
After the licence
Keep the licence and every transfer and variation with the title documents: a buyer, a bank or the county will ask for them.
On the map: the NEMA layers
Licence transfer and variation records are in the map’s Licences and permits layer, one of three NEMA layers. Each record carries its licence and application numbers, the proponent it was issued to, the kind of licence, and the plot or LR number where the report gave one. It sits where NEMA’s licensing system drew the site — a point, a boundary or a line. A record whose report states a position far from that site is flagged, as a prompt to confirm the plot. Applications with no drawn site are not on the map.
The NEMA layers are add-on layers: each is bought once, on any plan, and kept — see plans and pricing.
Why start on Nairobi Maps
Every NEMA report starts from the site: where it is, what may be built there, and what is around it. Nairobi Maps holds those facts for every parcel in Nairobi on one map — the plot by its LR, block or FR number, its zone worked out for the plot, survey plans, rivers and roads, airport height limits, census population, and what NEMA has already licensed nearby. The owner, the architect and the expert start from the same facts. The whole checklist is in built-environment due diligence in Nairobi.
Questions
How long does a NEMA licence transfer or variation take?
A transfer takes effect when NEMA is notified. A variation waits on NEMA’s decision, and longer if NEMA asks for a fresh assessment. Follow the application on ENVIS.
What happens if a NEMA licence is not transferred?
Until NEMA is told of the transfer, the law treats the registered holder as the person responsible for the project. The seller stays answerable, and the buyer holds a project without its own licence.
Can an EIA licence be moved to a different project?
No. A licence is for the project it was issued for. A different project on the same land needs its own assessment.
Do I need a new EIA if my building plans change?
Apply to vary the licence. NEMA decides whether the change can be dealt with by a variation, or needs a fresh assessment.
Is Nairobi Maps part of NEMA?
No. Nairobi Maps is an independent map of Nairobi’s land, its planning rules and the records around them, for checking a site before you apply. NEMA decides every licence, on ENVIS.
Nairobi Maps is not part of NEMA. This guide explains the usual route under EMCA and NEMA’s regulations; requirements, fees and steps change, so confirm them with NEMA on ENVIS and with a registered expert.
Keep going
- All NEMA licencesWhich report your project needs, and how each one works
- NEMA Summary Project Report (SPR)The shortest EIA report, for low-risk projects.
- NEMA Comprehensive Project Report (CPR)The fuller EIA report, for medium-risk projects.
- EIA study report and terms of referenceThe full EIA study, for high-risk projects.
- NEMA environmental auditThe check on a project that is already running.
- Building and planning approvalThe county’s half of the permission, on NPDMS