How to register for eTIMS in Kenya: step-by-step
To register for eTIMS in Kenya, log in to the eTIMS portal at etims.kra.go.ke with your KRA PIN, choose your eTIMS channel (Lite, Client, VSCU or OSCU), upload the required documents, and wait for KRA to approve and issue your control unit credentials. The process takes a few hours to a few days depending on the channel and the accuracy of the details you submit.
The single most important decision is the channel: changing later is workable but inconvenient, so it is worth getting right at registration.
Before you start: what you need
You cannot register for eTIMS without an active KRA PIN and a valid iTax account. If you are a sole proprietor, your individual PIN is what you register under. If you are a company or partnership, you register under the entity's PIN, not the directors'.
You also need: your business registration documents (Certificate of Incorporation or Business Name Certificate), the National ID of the principal contact, the business postal and physical address, and the phone number and email associated with your iTax account. The registration form pulls some of this through from iTax automatically, but mismatches between what you submit and what KRA has on file are the most common reason registrations stall.
Choosing the right eTIMS channel
eTIMS Lite is the KRA mobile app, available on Android and iOS. It is free and simple: you log in with your PIN, create invoices manually and they transmit to KRA. It works for service businesses and small traders that issue a handful of invoices a month and never anything complex.
eTIMS Client is the KRA Windows desktop app. Same idea as Lite but with more capacity. You install it on a single PC at the counter, log in with your credentials, and enter each sale manually. It is appropriate for a small business with a stationary point of sale but no real volume.
VSCU (Virtual Sales Control Unit) is the integration channel for businesses that already have their own invoicing or accounting software. Your software talks to KRA through a virtualised control unit. You typically need a developer or your software vendor's support to set this up.
OSCU (Online Sales Control Unit) is the integration channel for point-of-sale systems and certified integrators like Veira. The POS signs each sale and transmits it to KRA over the internet automatically. For shops, restaurants, supermarkets, salons with multiple terminals, hardware shops with B2B credit sales, this is the channel that scales. You do not interact with KRA directly: the certified integrator handles the technical side.
The step-by-step on the eTIMS portal
Open etims.kra.go.ke and sign up using your KRA PIN. KRA sends a one-time password (OTP) to the phone number or email on your iTax record. Confirm the OTP, then set your eTIMS password. This is a separate password from your iTax password.
Log in, select the eTIMS channel that matches your business (Lite for mobile, Client for desktop, VSCU for your own software, OSCU for a certified POS). Upload the required documents. Submit and wait for KRA to review.
If you chose Lite or Client, KRA emails you instructions to download the app and your activation key. If you chose VSCU or OSCU, KRA issues the credentials your integrator (or your developer) needs to begin signing invoices on your behalf.
Common registration errors and how to fix them
The most common stall is a name or address mismatch between iTax and the documents you upload. KRA flags it and the application sits in review. The fix is to update iTax first (using the eCitizen / KRA process to amend taxpayer details), then re-submit.
The second is choosing the wrong channel. A small services business that registered on OSCU but has no certified integrator will find the registration approved but no invoices flowing. The fix is to switch to Lite, which you can do through the portal.
The third is an inactive PIN. Long-dormant PINs sometimes need reactivation on iTax before eTIMS recognises them. The portal returns a vague error in this case; the actual fix happens on iTax, not on eTIMS.
Why timing matters
Every day a business operates without an active eTIMS registration adds to the population of sales it issued without compliant invoices. Under the Tax Procedures (Electronic Tax Invoice) Regulations issued as Legal Notice No. 64 of 2024, each such sale exposes the business to a penalty of up to KES 1 million or 10% of the tax involved, whichever is higher.
From January 2026, KRA validates declared income and expenses against eTIMS data when reviewing returns, so the historical pre-registration sales are visible during any subsequent audit. Registering today is the cheapest version of the problem; registering after a query has been raised is the most expensive.
Registration in five steps
If you are going through eTIMS registration this week, this is the shortest path.
- Make sure iTax is current. Log in to iTax, confirm your PIN is active, your address and contact details are right, and your tax obligations are correctly listed. Fix any mismatches before you start eTIMS.
- Pick your channel honestly. Be realistic about volume. If you ring up dozens of sales a day, do not register on Lite. Pick OSCU and work with a certified integrator.
- Sign up on the eTIMS portal. Go to etims.kra.go.ke, sign up with your PIN, verify the OTP, set your eTIMS password.
- Submit documents and wait. Upload your business registration documents, ID of the principal contact, and any supporting paperwork. KRA reviews and either approves or asks for clarifications.
- Issue a test invoice. Before relying on eTIMS for real sales, issue a small test invoice through your chosen channel and confirm it shows up on iTax with a control number and QR code.
How Veira handles this
Veira registers your business on OSCU as part of onboarding, so you do not deal with the eTIMS portal yourself. We confirm your iTax details are correct, file the registration, supply the certified-integrator credentials, and ring up a verified test invoice before your first real sale. From there, every sale on the Veira terminal is signed and transmitted automatically.
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The full definition: what KRA's electronic Tax Invoice Management System is, why it exists, and what it replaced.
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