Work and residence permits in Tanzania

Last reviewed: September 2026. Fees are as published by the immigration department and the investment board; confirm before paying.

Tanzania issues two permits, not one, and the distinction matters because they are granted by two different authorities under two different laws. A work permit allows a person to work and is issued by the labour authority under the law governing employment of non-citizens. A residence permit allows the same person to live in Tanzania for more than 90 days and is issued by the immigration department. They use similar-sounding class letters but they are not the same classes, which causes much of the confusion.

You need both, and in that order: for almost every category, the work permit must be granted before the residence permit can be issued. A single online permit system, run centrally and integrated with the immigration department’s own system, handles both applications. What you receive at the end is a single smart card carrying both permits’ details.

Which class applies to your person

Work permit classes and fees:

Note the pattern that surprises employers: a Class B permit for a prescribed profession costs half what a Class C permit costs for an ordinary professional. Where a role genuinely falls within a prescribed profession, classifying it correctly saves money as well as time. If your project is registered with the investment board, a facilitation fee of USD 100 is also payable, and the receipt must be uploaded with the application.

Residence permit classes and fees, from the immigration department’s published matrix:

For an investor joining or changing into a company, the matrix states a capital figure of USD 100,000, halved for EAC citizens. Add the two together before you budget: a foreign investor entering a new sector pays USD 1,000 for the work permit and USD 3,000 for the residence permit — around USD 4,100 per person. An employed expatriate on Class C work and Class B-1 residence pays USD 1,000 plus USD 2,000. The same expatriate holding EAC citizenship pays USD 1,000 plus USD 500.

How the application actually runs

1. Create the accountThe applicant registers on the online permit system with an email address, then creates an account giving their own details and those of the employing company, which must already be registered in Tanzania.
2. Prepare and scan documentsEvery copy must be certified. File format matters and causes real rejections: attachments must be PDF, under 500 KB each; the passport photo must be jpeg, jpg or png. Compress scans before uploading.
3. Submit and paySubmission generates a control number. Pay into the designated government account, or by card. If registered with the investment board, upload the facilitation fee receipt too.
4. Labour decisionOnce payment is confirmed, the labour authority scrutinises the application and decides on the work permit.
5. Immigration decisionThe system forwards a granted application to the immigration department, who decide on the residence permit. If granted, a second control number is generated for its fee — you have 60 days to pay, or the application is deleted automatically.
6. EnrolmentAfter payment, report to the nearest immigration office for fingerprints and photograph.
7. CollectionThe permit card is issued within about a week of enrolment, collected at the immigration office where the company is located, at headquarters, or through the investment board’s window if registered.

If documents are insufficient you are notified online to correct them, which keeps the application alive rather than killing it.

The core document list:

Practical matters employers ask about

Timing. Work permits are normally granted for up to two years and renewed before expiry. Where an investment is of significant value, the law allows an investor’s permit to run for up to ten years. Apply for renewals early; a lapsed permit is a legal problem, not an administrative one.

Your people must apply from outside Tanzania. Residence permits Class B and C must be obtained before entry, and work permit applications are lodged online before the applicant travels. Class A is the exception. Attending meetings on a business visa while an application is pending is acceptable; starting work is not.

Changing employer mid-permit. A special pass may cover the gap while a new application is processed; you will also need a letter of no objection from the previous employer.

Dependants. Spouses and children under 18 apply under Class C, which allows residence, not work. A spouse who wants to work needs their own work permit.

EAC citizens. Nationals of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the DRC are treated differently under the Common Market Protocol, and residence fees are roughly half. Where the skills exist in the region, hiring from within the EAC is materially cheaper and simpler.

The penalty is real. Working without a valid permit, or employing someone who lacks one, is a criminal offence carrying a fine of not less than TZS 10 million or up to two years’ imprisonment, or both. The employer is liable alongside the employee.

Refusals. An applicant who is dissatisfied may appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs, but must do so from outside the country.

Professional registration. For Class B applicants, the relevant Tanzanian professional board must register the individual before the permit is granted: the engineering board for engineers, the medical council for doctors, the accountancy board for accountants, the nursing and midwifery council for nurses, the courts and the law society for lawyers, the civil aviation authority for pilots, the universities commission for lecturers, and a teaching licence for teachers. Start that registration early; it routinely takes longer than the permit itself.

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