Tanzania researcher permit (Residence Permit Class C-1)

The residence permit matrix defines category C-1 as persons approved by a competent authority to conduct research in the country. Because every foreigner staying more than 90 days needs a residence permit, field researchers, visiting scientists and long-term project staff who are not employees of a Tanzanian company use this permit. The Residence Permit Guidelines name research among the purposes that do not require a work permit from the Labour Commissioner, so the application goes directly through the immigration residence permit portal.

Shorter academic stays are covered by the student visa, which includes research students and costs USD 300 in that category.

The specific requirements for researchers are a research permit from COSTECH, the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, a curriculum vitae, academic certificates and a letter of introduction from the relevant university, college or institute. The general Class C requirements apply as well: the online form, a covering letter from the institution, its certificate of incorporation or registration, a passport valid for at least six months, a photo, passports of dependants, current immigration status and, for renewals, the previous original permit. Documents must be certified, and certificates in languages other than English or Swahili need an official translation.

Class C-1 costs USD 500, or USD 250 for citizens of East African Community states and for diaspora applicants, plus a USD 50 re-entry pass for the applicant and each dependant. Payment follows approval and must be made within 60 days. The permit is valid for at most two years and its validity may also depend on the validity of the research permit.

Apply on the e-Services residence permit portal before entering Tanzania. Create an account, choose the processing centre and entity type, fill in the form, upload the certified documents and submit. The system notifies you online if anything is missing. After approval you pay, receive an enrolment notification, give fingerprints and a photo at an immigration office, and the permit is issued within about a week. It can be collected at the regional immigration office or the immigration headquarters, or at the head office in Zanzibar.

A renewal after expiry is filed as a Replacement (RPL) with the previous original permit. A researcher who joins a different institution in the same class files a Re-Grant 1, and one who moves to another class files a Re-Grant 2; holders shifting to a new institution need a letter of no objection. Appeals against a refusal go to the Minister of Home Affairs and are lodged while outside the country.