Residence Permit Class A (self-employed and investors)

Overview

If you are investing in or self-employed in your own business in Tanzania, the Class A residence permit is your route. It is issued by the Immigration Department to self-employed foreigners and investors, and where your project is registered with the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) on a certificate of incentives, your work and residence permits are normally facilitated through TIC's one-stop service rather than applied for separately. A certificate of incentives is generally tied to meeting a minimum investment threshold, and TIC-registered investors are expected to route their permits through TIC. The Class A permit is renewable rather than permanent, so by itself it does not lead to settlement, although high-value investors can in practice secure much longer validity over time. Good to know: investors usually sort the TIC certificate of incentives first, and the permit follows from it.

Eligibility

Application pathway

1. 01

   Check the route fit

   Confirm your business or investment qualifies and decide whether you will register with the Tanzania Investment Centre on a certificate of incentives.

2. 02

   Build the evidence pack

   Obtain the TIC certificate of incentives where relevant, and gather business registration, investment evidence and your passport.

3. 03

   Submit through the official channel

   Apply for the Class A residence permit to the Immigration Department, routing through the TIC one-stop service if your project is TIC-registered.

4. 04

   After approval

   Maintain the qualifying business or investment, keep the permit valid, and renew before expiry; high-value investors may secure longer validity over time.

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Related routes

• Residence Permit Class B (employment)

  For expatriates taking up a job with a Tanzanian company or institution: the Class B residence permit lets you live in Tanzania for your employment, but it sits on top of a work permit, which the Prime Minister's Office (Labour) must grant first.

• Long-tenure Residence (high-value investors, discretionary)

  For investors whose contribution to Tanzania is of great economic value: there is no standard permanent-residence category, but the Commissioner General of Immigration can, at discretion, grant much longer-tenure residence than the usual short renewable permits.

• Work Permit (Prime Minister's Office - Labour)

  For foreigners taking up employment in Tanzania: the work permit is the labour-side authorisation that the Prime Minister's Office (Labour) must grant before the Immigration Department can issue your Class B residence permit.