Tanzania
TZATanzania, on East Africa's Indian Ocean coast, is one of the continent's most visited nations, home to Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and the spice island of Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam is the commercial hub, while Dodoma serves as the official capital. Swahili and English are both official languages, reflecting the country's colonial and trade history.
The economy relies on tourism, agriculture, and growing gold and natural gas exports. Tanzania does not permit dual citizenship, and naturalisation requires ten years of continuous legal residence. Foreign property ownership is heavily restricted, with land held under government leasehold. Cost of living remains low outside tourist zones.
- Naturalisation
- 10 years
- Tax system
- Residence Based
- Currency
- Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
- Dual citizenship
- Not allowed
- Capital
- Dodoma
- Region
- africa
- Population
- 63,298,550
- Cost-of-living
- 28 /100
Passport Rank
#90
Visa-Free
65
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Tanzania passport has visa-free access to 65 destinations. See the full Tanzania passport breakdown →
Passports that enter Tanzania without a prior visa (171)
Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.
Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.
Immigrating to Canada from Tanzania
Current IRCC processing times for Tanzania nationals, by application type.
| Visitor visa (outside Canada) | 47 days |
| Super visa | No processing time available |
| Study permit | 6 weeks |
| Work permit | No processing time available |
| Sponsor a dependent child | No processing time available |
| Adopted child (citizenship) | Not enough data |
| Government-assisted refugees | 60 months |
| Privately sponsored refugees | sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data |
Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.
As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.
Sources & last verified
Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)
Country Details
- Capital
- Dodoma
- Currency
- Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
- Languages
- Swahili, English
- Population
- 63,298,550
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
- Naturalisation
- 10 years
- Schengen / EU
- No
- Climate
- Tropical along the coast and Zanzibar; semi-arid on the central plateau; highland temperate around Kilimanjaro and the Southern Highlands
- English Proficiency Rank
- #71
- GDP per capita
- $1,319
- Life expectancy
- 67.21 yrs
- Population growth
- 2.86%/yr
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
28
Safety
54
Healthcare
38
Quality of Life
40
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Territorial Taxation
- No — worldwide income taxed for residents
- Naturalisation
- 10 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
Cost of Living by City
← scroll the table →
| City | Rent 1BR centre | Rent outside | Groceries | Utilities | Transit pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam | $600 | $205 | $120 | $58 | $15 |
| Arusha | $290 | $170 | $85 | $29 | $12 |
| Dodoma | $380 | $184 | $95 | $47 | $15 |
Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.
Climate
Dar es Salaam
Rainfall range: 23–229 mm/month · Daylight 11.5h (winter) to 12.5h (summer)
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Tourist eVisa
- Business
- Multiple Entry
- Resident Class A
- Resident Class B
- Resident Class C
- Investor (TIC)
- Student
- Family
- Authority
- Tanzania Immigration Services Department
- Official Portal
- www.immigration.go.tz
- Phone
- +255 22 211 6990
- dg@immigration.go.tz
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- 10
- Language Test
- Yes (Swahili)
- Civic Test
- No
- Oath Required
- Yes
- Dual Allowed
- No
- Fee
- $1,500
- Processing
- ~24 months
Safety
GPI Rank
#65
Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)
Common Risks
- ⚠Overcharging taxi scams at Julius Nyerere International Airport and city centre — agree fare before boarding or use Uber/Bolt
- ⚠Fake police or authority impersonators demanding fines or confiscating IDs in tourist areas
- ⚠Street currency exchange shortchanging near ATMs and markets in Kariakoo and Posta areas
Examples of areas to avoid: Kariakoo market district at night — dense crowds and opportunistic bag-snatching, Temeke and Buguruni outer suburbs after dark — limited lighting and higher petty crime rates, Msimbazi Valley informal settlements — limited infrastructure and elevated robbery risk
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Tanzania, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
Tanganyika Law Society
TLSProfessional body of advocates in Tanzania. There is no dedicated immigration-adviser regulator; representation is by licensed advocates.
Related Guides
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Visa routes
Official visa and residence routes for Tanzania, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.
Residence
Long-tenure Residence (high-value investors, discretionary)
ResidenceFor investors whose contribution to Tanzania is of great economic value: there is no standard permanent-residence category, but the Commissioner General of Immigration can, at discretion, grant much longer-tenure residence than the usual short renewable permits.
Residence Permit Class C (students, retirees, researchers, missionaries)
ResidenceFor foreigners living in Tanzania for a reason other than local employment or running a business - students, retirees, researchers, missionaries, volunteers and similar - the Class C residence permit is the catch-all residence route for your situation.
Work (sponsored)
Residence Permit Class B (employment)
Work (sponsored)For expatriates taking up a job with a Tanzanian company or institution: the Class B residence permit lets you live in Tanzania for your employment, but it sits on top of a work permit, which the Prime Minister's Office (Labour) must grant first.
Work Permit (Prime Minister's Office - Labour)
Work (sponsored)For foreigners taking up employment in Tanzania: the work permit is the labour-side authorisation that the Prime Minister's Office (Labour) must grant before the Immigration Department can issue your Class B residence permit.
Investor
Residence Permit Class A (self-employed and investors)
InvestorFor self-employed foreigners and investors running their own venture in Tanzania: the Class A residence permit lets you live in the country on the basis of your business or investment, and for registered investors it is usually arranged through the Tanzania Investment Centre.
Sources & last verified
Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.
Sources & last verified
- Last verified