Business Visa Tanzania: USD 250, 90 Days, What It Covers and When You Need a Permit

The business visa Tanzania issues is the right document for most short corporate trips, and the wrong one for anything that looks like a job. This guide sets out the law, the fees with register IDs, the activities covered, the eVisa process, visa on arrival, exempt and referral nationals, the new travel insurance, penalties, Zanzibar and a worked example in USD.

What the law says about the business visa in Tanzania

Immigration is a Union matter, so one statute governs visas for Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Four sources set the rules.

• Immigration Act, Cap. 54: section 3 of the consolidated Act defines a visa as "a permission granted to a foreigner who intends to enter into Tanzania for business, holiday, study or research". Section 2(1) extends the Act to Zanzibar as well as the Mainland.
• Fee power: the Minister prescribes visa and pass fees by regulation. In the R.E. 2023 text this power sits in section 50(1)(j), according to the Zatra fee register; the 2021 consolidation numbers it section 47(1)(h) and (j).
• Immigration Regulations, as amended: they create the passes, such as the special pass and the business pass, that sit alongside visas.
• Visa Guidelines: the Immigration Services Department publishes the eVisa guidelines, which state the visa types, fees, documents and processing time used in practice.

A visa permits entry for a stated purpose. It does not permit employment. Work on the Mainland is governed by the Non-Citizens (Employment Regulation) Act, Cap. 436, and residence by the permit classes under Cap. 54. We did not locate a separate Government Notice that lists the current visa fees, so this guide quotes the Immigration fee matrix as recorded in the Zatra fee register.

Who should read this

• Foreign companies sending engineers, auditors, trainers or consultants to Tanzania for short assignments.
• Tanzanian companies hosting foreign suppliers, group finance staff or technicians.
• Investors visiting to inspect sites, meet regulators or set up a company before they hold a residence permit.
• Non-resident directors who attend board meetings several times a year.
• HR and travel teams who book trips and must choose the right visa type before the ticket is bought.

Our older note on business visas, entry passes and residence status gives an overview. This guide is the definitive reference on the business visa itself.

What is a Tanzania business visa?

The eVisa guidelines state that a business visa "may be issued for a period not exceeding 90 days". Four features define it.

• Single entry. The guidelines say it "is issued on a single entry basis". Leaving Tanzania ends it.
• Fixed fee. USD 250, with no reduced rate for EAC citizens (F0394).
• No extension. The Tanzania High Commission in Malaysia's visa types page states that it cannot be extended or renewed in the country.
• Not a permit. The guidelines state it "should not be used in lieu of a Residence Permit". The same embassy page adds that work longer than three months requires a residence permit.

The immigration officer at the port grants entry. A visa holder may still be refused entry if the officer is not satisfied with the purpose.

Which visa fits which trip?

The choice turns on purpose, length and nationality. The fees below are from the Immigration fee matrix as recorded in the Zatra fee register at 26 September 2026. Each is paid online or at the mission, and the amount on the payment confirmation governs.

The East Africa Tourist Visa is not issued by Tanzania (F0402). The Washington embassy also charges USD 20 for three-day rush processing at the mission (F0401).

What activities does a business visa cover?

The Immigration guidelines on the e-Services portal list the purposes. They include:

• repair of machines or equipment;
• short-term training;
• audits;
• feasibility studies;
• establishing business contacts; and
• investment arrangements during start-up.

The list ends with any other short-term lawful business task approved by the issuing authority. The common thread is a defined task, a short period and a foreign principal. The US Commercial Service guide describes the same use: short-term training or equipment repair, for up to 90 days.

Attending meetings, conferences and workshops without doing paid work falls under the ordinary visa at USD 50 (F0393). Many travellers pay for the business visa when the ordinary visa would do. The reverse mistake is more costly: an engineer who repairs a plant on an ordinary visa is outside the purpose of the visa.

What does a business visa not cover?

• Employment. A post with a Tanzanian employer, or a role in which the person is managed and paid locally, needs a work permit under Cap. 436 and a residence permit under Cap. 54. See our Class B residence permit guide and the hiring sequence for foreign employees.
• Stays over 90 days. The visa cannot be extended. A longer assignment needs a permit route before the 90 days run out.
• Repeat entries. A second trip needs a new visa, or a multiple entry visa if the traveller is in an eligible category.
• Running the business. A shareholder who manages a Tanzanian company day to day needs a Class A permit. Our Class A guide covers investors.
• Short paid work that is not a visit. Immigration may grant a special pass for short employment or business activity (F0411). Our guide to the special pass for short-term work explains when it fits.

Section 9(1) of Cap. 436 bars a non-citizen from engaging "in any occupation for reward, profit or non-profit" without a work permit or an exemption certificate. The test is the activity, not the payroll. A task can be work even when the salary is paid abroad.

Who can use a multiple entry visa instead?

The eVisa guidelines set the multiple entry visa at a maximum validity of twelve months, with a stay of up to 90 days on each visit. Holders "are required to leave the country at most after every three months". The fee is USD 100 (F0395).

The High Commission page lists the eligible categories:

• non-resident directors of companies registered in Tanzania, who upload a BRELA search;
• participants in bilateral meetings, with a covering letter from the ministry or institution;
• spouses of Tanzanians or residents, with a marriage certificate, and their children;
• government consultants and representatives of international NGOs; and
• others as the immigration authorities decide.

US citizens. The guidelines state that "American nationals are not entitled for Ordinary Visa". US passport holders visiting for tourism or holiday must apply for the multiple entry visa at USD 100 (F0395, F0396). The High Commission page adds that US nationals coming for business follow the business visa rules.

How do you apply for a business visa online?

Applications go through the official eVisa portal at visa.immigration.go.tz. The portal states that applicants "fill in the online form, make payment, and submit" online, and that results come by e-mail. Applicants may be called to a Tanzanian embassy for an interview.

The guidelines warn that an application with the wrong visa type or missing attachments may be rejected, and the fee is not refunded. Choose the type carefully, and attach a letter that names the task, the host company and the dates.

A letter from the host company supports the file. An investor invitation letter is also a supporting document, not a visa; see our note on why an investor invitation letter is not a visa.

Can you get a business visa on arrival?

For most nationalities, yes. GOV.UK travel advice, updated 9 October 2026, states that single-entry tourist or business visas can be obtained at the main ports of entry. It adds that a multiple entry visa is not available on arrival.

There are limits. The eVisa guidelines state that stateless persons and refugees cannot obtain a visa on arrival. Nationals of referral countries need clearance from the Commissioner General of Immigration before travel. For a business trip with a fixed start date, apply online first.

Who does not need a visa, and who needs referral?

Nationals of visa-exempt countries enter on a visitor's pass. The High Commission in Pretoria lists them. The list includes EAC partners Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore. The same page states that the visitor's pass runs up to three months, or six months for EAC citizens.

Exemption from a visa is not exemption from a permit. A Kenyan engineer who needs no visa still needs a work permit and residence permit to take a job in Dar es Salaam. Mission lists are updated at different times, so check the nationality against the current Immigration list before travel.

Referral nationals need prior clearance. The Pretoria page lists, among others, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and stateless persons. The eVisa guidelines state that the referral list on the Immigration website "may change". Allow at least two months.

What is the mandatory travel insurance from 1 October 2026?

The Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations, 2026, GN No. 256 of 4 September 2026, require foreigners entering Mainland Tanzania to hold an inbound travel policy. The National Insurance Corporation states the scheme applies "from 1 October 2026", with cover bought online before travel.

• Premium: the shilling equivalent of USD 44 per foreign arrival (F0288), under section 134A of the Insurance Act, Cap. 394.
• Who is excluded: residents of EAC and SADC partner states (F0288).
• Cover: up to 92 days from arrival, with multiple entries in that period, according to Clyde & Co (16 September 2026).
• Without it: Clyde & Co cite regulation 4(4), under which a foreigner without cover "shall be denied entry into Mainland Tanzania".

The premium is separate from the visa fee and is paid to the insurer, not to Immigration. TanzaniaInvest (29 September 2026) notes that the 1 October date comes from a Ministry of Finance notice, not from the Regulations. Our guide to inbound travel insurance under GN 256 of 2026 covers claims, refunds and exemptions.

How does the business visa work for Zanzibar?

The same visa covers both parts of the Union. Section 2(1) of Cap. 54 extends the Act to Zanzibar, and visas are issued through the same eVisa system. The Pretoria page notes that referral clearance may come from the Commissioner General or the Commissioner of Immigration, Zanzibar.

Two points differ on the islands.

• Insurance. Zanzibar has required inbound travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation since 1 October 2024, at USD 44 for up to 92 days, according to a Tanzanian embassy notice of 11 September 2024. NIC states that a visitor whose first entry is on the Mainland can travel on to Zanzibar without a second policy.
• Work permits. Labour is not a Union matter. Short work that goes beyond a business visit in Zanzibar needs a permit from the Zanzibar Labour Commissioner, not a Mainland permit. See our Zanzibar work permit guide.

What are the penalties for working on a business visa?

Two statutes can apply to the same facts: the Mainland labour law and the Union immigration law.

The host company is exposed as well as the traveller. Removal and a refused visa on the next trip can follow. Our guide to the consequences of working without a permit covers enforcement. An arrest, a charge or a seized passport goes to an advocate at once.

Worked example: an audit team and a four-month consultant

Case 1, the audit team. A London audit firm sends three staff to a Dar es Salaam client for three weeks, arriving on 2 November 2026. Two hold British passports and one holds a US passport. None is resident in an EAC or SADC state.

• Visa: the audit is a listed business visa purpose, and three weeks is inside 90 days. Three business visas at USD 250 = USD 750 (F0394). The US auditor follows the business visa rules, not the multiple entry route.
• Insurance: three policies at USD 44 = USD 132 (F0288). A 21-day stay sits inside the 92-day cover.
• Government and insurance total: USD 882, or USD 294 a person.
• Timing: with processing "within ten days", apply by 16 October 2026 to keep a margin before the flight.

Choosing the ordinary visa at USD 50 would save USD 600 on paper. It would also put the team outside the purpose of their visas while doing paid audit work, with exposure under F0422 and F0426.

Case 2, the four-month consultant. A South African engineering consultant is engaged for four months to commission a plant in Morogoro. South Africa is on the visa-exempt list, but four months exceeds both the 90-day business visa and the three-month visitor's pass. The business visa cannot be extended, so a permit route is needed.

• Work permit: the likely class is Class C for other professions at USD 1,000 (F0415). The Labour Commissioner may grant a permit for a limited duration at the employer's request (Cap. 436 s.12(9)(a)).
• Residence: Class B-3, short-term residence for specific employment up to six months, at USD 500 plus a USD 250 re-entry pass (NEW-04-05).
• Government total: USD 1,750 before facilitation charges.
• Insurance: as a SADC resident, the consultant falls outside the GN 256 premium (F0288).

If the consultant arrives before the residence permit issues, a special pass may cover the wait (F0411). A British consultant on the same job would add USD 44 of insurance on arrival. Zatra's professional fee is quoted separately from all government charges.

What to do now

1. Define the task. Write down what the traveller will do, for whom, where and for how many days.
2. Test it against the list. Repairs, training, audits and feasibility work up to 90 days suit a business visa; meetings alone suit an ordinary visa.
3. Check nationality. Confirm whether the traveller is visa-exempt, a referral national or a US citizen.
4. Apply early. File on the eVisa portal at least ten days ahead, or two months for referral cases, with a host letter.
5. Buy the insurance. Buy the USD 44 inbound policy from NIC before travel, or from ZIC for a first entry in Zanzibar.
6. Plan the exit or the permit. If the work may pass 90 days or turn into employment, start the work and residence permit file before arrival.
7. Keep the file. Retain the visa grant, the insurance certificate, the host letter and the return ticket for the officer at the port.

Key dates and deadlines

How Zatra helps

Zatra's work and residence permits service checks the visa type for each trip, prepares host letters and moves longer assignments onto the right permit. Investors arriving to set up can pair it with our foreign investor business setup service. Packages are on our pricing page, and official fees are in our government fees handbook.

Visa fees are paid to Immigration and insurance premiums to the insurer, at the official amount, separately from Zatra's professional fee. Zatra prepares and coordinates the file; it does not decide or guarantee any authority's outcome. Refused entry, removal, prosecution, seized passports, disputes and formal legal opinions go to Zatra's advocate.

Sources and status

Accurate as at 12 October 2026. Visa and permit fees are from the Zatra fee register at 26 September 2026; guidance is from the versions listed below.

• Tanzania eVisa guidelines: Immigration Services Department, undated, live 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Visa guidelines on the e-Services portal: Immigration Services Department, undated, live 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania eVisa portal: Immigration Services Department, live 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Immigration Act, Cap. 54: TanzaniaLaws consolidation to Act No. 9 of 2021; ss.2, 3, 28, 45 and 47 of that text. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Non-Citizens (Employment Regulation) Act, Cap. 436: TanzLII consolidation, 14 Mar 2025; ss.2, 3, 4, 9 and 12. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Types of visa: Tanzania High Commission, Kuala Lumpur, undated. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Visa information: Tanzania High Commission, Pretoria, undated. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Types of visa: Embassy of Tanzania, Washington DC, undated. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Inbound travel insurance notice: National Insurance Corporation, 2026, citing GN No. 256 of 4 Sep 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Mandatory inbound travel insurance to enter Zanzibar: Embassy of Tanzania, Tokyo, 11 Sep 2024. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania entry requirements: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, updated 9 Oct 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania business travel: US International Trade Administration, 14 Dec 2022. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania introduces mandatory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors: Clyde & Co, 16 Sep 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Mainland makes USD 44 NIC travel insurance compulsory from 1 October 2026: TanzaniaInvest, 29 Sep 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.
• Zatra fee register lines F0288, F0393 to F0402, F0411, F0415, F0422, F0423, F0426, F0428, NEW-04-05 and NEW-04-24: Tanzania Government Fees 2026, fees at 26 Sep 2026. Accessed 12 Oct 2026.

Figures to confirm before you act

• Visa fee instrument: the Government Notice that prescribes the current visa fees was not located; fees are quoted from the Immigration fee matrix via the register
• Section numbers in Cap. 54 R.E. 2023: s.50(1)(j) and s.47 are taken from the register; the 2021 consolidation read this session numbers them s.47 and s.45
• Business pass (NEW-04-24): the purpose and the cases in which Immigration issues it instead of a visa are not stated in a public source we read
• Special pass fee: no fee is printed on the current matrix (F0411); one mission page shows a different figure, so confirm with Immigration
• Visa-exempt and referral lists: taken from a mission page that may lag the Immigration list; confirm by nationality
• Insurance commencement: GN 256 sets no date; 1 October 2026 comes from the NIC and Ministry of Finance notices
• Short-term work permit class: confirm the class and duration for a four-month assignment with the Labour Commissioner

This article is general information based on official sources available at the date of publication. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws and notices change. Verify with the issuing authority or consult Zatra before acting.