Legal Update – 14 December 2018

Tanzania visa, permit applications now online

  • All online services are now available on the Tanzania immigration website www.immigration.go.tz
  • New categories of resident permits class A, B and C have been introduced
  • Prospective employees must apply from outside the country

The Immigration Department has introduced online visa, residence permit and emergency travel document services.

VISA 

For those foreign nationals who require a visa, the applicant can now apply for an online visa to visit the United Republic of Tanzania (both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar). The applicant is required to fill in an online form, make payment, and submit the application online with relevant supporting documents.

Applicants will be notified through their e-mails whether their applications have been accepted or rejected, and are able to check the application status online. However, on case to case basis, applicants may still be required to visit the nearest Tanzanian Embassies or Consular Offices for interviews.

The following types of Visa can now be applied for online:

1. Ordinary Visa (Single Entry Visa)  – USD 50
2. Multiple Entry Visa – USD 100
3. Business Visa – USD 250
4. Transit Visa – USD 30

For applicants from countries that require clearance from the Commissioner General prior to arrival into Tanzania are advised to apply two months before the anticipated date of travel.

RESIDENCE PERMITS 

For purpose of obtaining a residence permit the applicant can now apply electronically to the Immigration headquarters, Zanzibar head office, Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) and Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA).
There are three types of residence permits which are available, namely:

  1. Class A: For self–employed foreigners (investors/entrepreneurs)
  2. Class B: For expatriates working in company/private institutions/Government and private strategic projects (rare and non-rare professions)
  3. Class C: For other class of foreigners such as researchers, retired persons, missionaries, volunteers etc.

The power to issue a residence permit is vested on the Commissioner General of Immigration Service. Applicants who are not satisfied by the Commissioner’s decisions may appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs while they are outside the country. New applications for residence permits should also be submitted while the applicant is outside the country.

Issuance Status 

A new feature noted is the issuance status which is designed to recognize and differentiate new applicants from the existing residence permit holders.
Example of Issuance status:

  1. First Grant (FG) – for first application.
  2. Returnee (RT) – for an applicant who is re-joining his previous institution/ company after long time absence.
  3. Second Grant (SG) – for applicant changing from one category of residence to another e.g. from Class B to Class A in the same institution/company.
  4. Replacement (RPL) – for applicant renewing his application after expiration.
  5. Re-Grant 1(RG1) – applicant changing from one institution to another in the same residence class.
  6. Re-Grant 2(RG2) – applicant changing from one institution to another into different residence class.

Residence Permit Class A

  • New sub categories introduced for Class A residence permit (A1-A23) with specific requirements and capital investment for each of these categories
  • Depending on the type of business activity the capital investment starts from USD 100,000
  • East African Citizens to show half of the capital investment amount for each of the categories
  • Full list of sectoral certificates/permits has been published for most of the regulated activities in Tanzania

Residence Permit Class B

Types of residence permit Class B:

  • Specific employment by specific employer (Rare profession) – B1
  • Specific employment by private employer (government and strategic projects) – B2
  • Specific employment by specific employer (Non-rare professions) – B3
  • Specific employment by specific employer (EAC Citizens professional technicians and associates) – B4
  • Higher fees payable for class B3 (USD 3050) compared to Class B1 (USD 2050)
  • A list of rare and non-rare professions currently not yet available
  • A list of sectoral certificates/permits has been published for most of the regulated professions in Tanzania
  • A list of requirements fully updated for both new and renewal applications including those changing companies and classes

Residence Permit Class C

  • Class C residence permits includes researchers, retired persons, missionaries, former employees winding up affairs, individuals attending medical treatment, volunteers, intern, parties and witnesses in court of laws and tribunals etc
  • Application must be made prior to the entry of the prospective applicant into Tanzania except retired persons and those winding up affairs
  • New category noted by the FB Attorneys Legal Updates team is ‘Others –C11’ covers a person, other than prohibited immigrant who is not granted a Class A or Class B permit, if Commissioner General think fit be granted class C. Gives the Commissioner some flexibility

For detailed information, please click on this link:
https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/online/permit/guidelines or contact the nearest regional immigration offices. Please note that work permits must still be applied for by physically filing a form at the Labour offices in Dodoma.

The FB Attorneys Legal Updates team congratulates the immigration department for this efficient move and urges all foreign nationals to effectively utilize these online services.

Download this issue in PDF format