What the eTIMS API documentation covers
For anyone building an eTIMS integration, KRA's official API documentation is the single most important resource. It is where the actual technical contract lives: the control unit approaches, the operations and endpoints, the request and response formats, authentication, and the requirements an integration must meet to be compliant.
The practical points are how to get it and how to use it. Access is through KRA's official channels, and the documentation is versioned and updated as the system evolves, so you build against the current version and re-check when KRA updates. Treating a third-party copy or an old PDF as the truth is a common cause of integration failures. Confirm the current access process and contents directly with KRA.
The cheapest eTIMS integration is often the one you do not have to build, certify and maintain yourself.
How to approach it
A practical path. Confirm exact technical details against KRA's official documentation.
- 1
Request access through KRA
Obtain the eTIMS API documentation through KRA's official channels, confirming the current process at kra.go.ke or with KRA.
- 2
Read the control unit and auth sections first
Understand the control unit approach and authentication before the invoice payloads, since they underpin everything else.
- 3
Build against the current version
Implement to the documentation's current version, and note its version so you can track changes.
- 4
Re-check on updates
When KRA updates the documentation, review the changes and adjust your integration so it keeps validating.
What to check before you build
Using an old or third-party copy
The documentation evolves. An old PDF or a third-party copy causes failures. Use KRA's current official version.
Reading payloads before authentication
Authentication and the control unit underpin the invoice calls. Understand them first or the rest will not work.
Not tracking the version
Note which version you built against so you can identify what changed when KRA updates.
A team builds a resilient integration
A development team in Mombasa building for a retail client obtained KRA's official eTIMS API documentation rather than working from forum posts.
They read the control unit and authentication sections first, built against the current version, recorded which version they used, and tested in the sandbox.
When KRA later updated the documentation, they reviewed the diff and adjusted quickly, because they had built against the official source and tracked the version.
Trading without eTIMS-compliant tax invoices risks KRA penalties, blocked VAT input claims for your customers, and receipts a business buyer cannot expense.
Veira signs every sale to KRA eTIMS automatically, so each receipt is compliant the moment it prints, with no separate device to reconcile.
When you can skip the integration
The biggest decision here is whether you need to build an integration at all. Veira is already a compliant eTIMS system: it issues compliant KRA invoices automatically, applies the right tax treatment, captures the buyer PIN, transmits to KRA, and works offline. For many businesses that removes the need to build, certify and maintain a custom integration yourself.
If you do run an ERP or a custom stack, weigh the cost of building and maintaining an integration against running point of sale and invoicing on Veira and reconciling. Veira runs from KES 2,999 a month with a free terminal and a 30-day money-back guarantee. See how Veira works, or book a free demo to talk through your setup.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find KRA eTIMS API documentation?
What does the eTIMS API documentation cover?
How do I keep my integration current?
Do I need the documentation if I use compliant software?
Do I have to build my own eTIMS integration?
Where is the authoritative eTIMS technical spec?
eTIMS API documentation comes down to the concepts above plus KRA's official documentation for the exact details, and for many businesses the simplest path is compliant software that handles it for you. See how Veira works, or book a free demo. Always build against KRA's current official eTIMS documentation.