Tanzania business visa

The visa guidelines define the Business Visa as a short-term permission for foreign nationals who come to carry out a specific task. The listed purposes are special assignments such as fixing or repairing machines or running short training; short professional assignments such as auditing, feasibility studies, establishing business contacts or making arrangements for an investment during a company's start-up period; and other short-term lawful business tasks recognised by Tanzanian law. The visa brochure adds meeting facilitators and organisers, business exhibitions and trade fairs, and mission activities.

It is not a substitute for a residence permit. If the assignment will last longer than three months, the guidelines direct the applicant to a work permit and residence permit instead.

Directors of companies registered in Tanzania who do not live in the country, people attending bilateral meetings, government consultants and representatives of international NGOs can apply for the multiple entry visa, which costs USD 100 and is valid for up to 12 months. Each stay is limited to three months, so the holder must leave at least every 90 days. Non-resident directors upload a BRELA search document proving the directorship, a covering letter from the company and its registration certificate or certificate of compliance. Consultants on government projects need a letter from the ministry or institution concerned, or from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for bilateral agreements.

The guidelines warn that the multiple entry visa is not meant for the assignment-type work described under the business visa.

For the business visa the guidelines require a copy of the passport biographic page, a return ticket, the USD 250 fee and a work contract or other proof of the assignment, to be completed within three months. The immigration website also asks for the registration document of the inviting company in Tanzania, such as its business licence or certificate of incorporation, and a covering letter from the host institution describing the assignment and its duration. The passport must be valid for at least six months.

The current fee matrix lists USD 250 for the business visa, paid online by Visa or Mastercard and not refundable. The visa is valid for at most 90 days and is issued for a single entry: once you leave Tanzania it cannot be used to come back. It is neither renewable nor extendable unless the Commissioner General of Immigration grants special permission.

Apply on the electronic visa system, choose Business Visa or Multiple Entry Visa, upload the documents for the category and pay online. Processing takes up to ten days, and you should travel only after receiving the Visa Grant Notice by e-mail. Tanzanian embassy guidance notes that permission for temporary assignments or volunteering for less than 90 days is handled by local immigration offices and not at the border.