Tanzania · Business & founder

Tanzania Mainland Investor Permit (TISEZA)

Reformed Last verified July 2026

Reformed. The Tanzania Investment Act 2022 has been repealed. The Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Act No. 6 of 2025 merged the Tanzania Investment Centre and the EPZ Authority into TISEZA, live from 1 July 2025. Separately, the Zanzibar Revenue Board no longer exists. The Zanzibar Revenue Authority was established by Act No. 11 of 2022, effective 13 January 2023.

This one is worth knowing mainly because the legal ground shifted. The 2022 Investment Act has been repealed, and TISEZA replaced TIC and EPZA from 1 July 2025. Any structure or advice still built on the Tanzania Investment Act 2022 is standing on a repealed statute.

Qualifying routes

$500k
Foreign or joint-venture investor

the TISEZA certificate threshold

$50k
Tanzanian investor

the domestic threshold

Class C-2 retired person

aged 55+ with assured income. Permit fee USD 500.

The facts

Minimum investment
$500k
Total landed cost
A foreign investor needs USD 500,000 of capital, plus Class A permit fees. That means USD 3,000 for A-3 other sector and USD 1,500 for EAC. Every class of permit is capped at 2 years.
Route type
Business & founder
Timeline
3–12 months (There is no dependable published standard following the TISEZA merger.)
Physical presence
It is business-based, with a maximum of 2 years for any class.
Family
Dependants qualify through associated permits
Permanent residency
There is no such path. Tanzania has no permanent residence status at all.
Citizenship
Roughly 8 years. That breaks down to 12 months of continuous residence plus 7 years' aggregate residence in the preceding 10, along with a Kiswahili or English test.
Language test
Kiswahili or English
Dual citizenship
Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
Requirements
TISEZA certificateUSD 500,000 for foreign or joint-venture investorsClean record
What can go wrong
  • The Tanzania Investment Act 2022 is repealed. TISEZA has replaced TIC and EPZA since 1 July 2025, so any advice citing the 2022 Act is out of date.
  • No permit of any class exceeds 2 years, and Tanzania has no permanent residence status at all.
  • Dual citizenship is prohibited, and naturalisation requires renouncing any other citizenship.
  • Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The only relief is the short-term resident rule, and it can apply for at most 2 years in a person's entire life.
  • CFC rules exist under sections 73-76 of the Income Tax Act 2004.
  • Non-resident CGT on land and buildings rose from 20% to 30% with effect from 1 July 2025.
  • Tanzania is a CRS non-participant, and no exchange date has been set.
Sources (2)

Path to permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residency. There is no such path. Tanzania has no permanent residence status at all.

Citizenship. Roughly 8 years. That breaks down to 12 months of continuous residence plus 7 years' aggregate residence in the preceding 10, along with a Kiswahili or English test.

Language test. Kiswahili or English

Dual citizenship. Not permitted. You would have to renounce.

Frequently asked

How long until citizenship through the Tanzania Mainland Investor Permit (TISEZA)?

Roughly 8 years. That breaks down to 12 months of continuous residence plus 7 years' aggregate residence in the preceding 10, along with a Kiswahili or English test. A language requirement applies: kiswahili or English.

What does the Tanzania Mainland Investor Permit (TISEZA) cost?

The minimum qualifying investment is $500k. A foreign investor needs USD 500,000 of capital, plus Class A permit fees. That means USD 3,000 for A-3 other sector and USD 1,500 for EAC. Every class of permit is capped at 2 years.

How much time must I spend in Tanzania?

It is business-based, with a maximum of 2 years for any class.

Who can I include in the application?

Dependants qualify through associated permits.

Before you commit capital to this

Tell us your citizenship, your tax exposure and where your family wants to be in ten years. If this route is wrong for you, we will say so.

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