Chinese ordinary passport holders need a visa for Tanzania. You can apply online for an e-visa or get a visa on arrival at designated ports such as Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar airports; a single-entry visa costs USD 50 (MOFCOM guide, as of 2025). Short business trips need a 90-day business visa (USD 250), which does not allow you to work.
To work or run a business long term, you must first get a work permit from the Labour office and then a residence permit from Immigration. You need both. According to the MOFCOM guide, the two together cost about USD 4,000–5,000 and usually take 2–4 months, and they should be obtained before you arrive.
Short stays: visa types
Your passport must be valid for more than six months on entry. Without a Tanzanian residence permit you must fill in an arrival card and answer the immigration officer’s questions about the purpose of your visit truthfully.
| Visa / route | Who it is for | Fee and notes (as of 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | Chinese diplomatic and service passports | Up to 180 days under the China–Tanzania visa exemption agreement; not for ordinary or public-affairs ordinary passports |
| Visa on arrival | Ordinary and public-affairs ordinary passports | At designated ports incl. Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar airports; single entry USD 50 |
| Business visa | Short business visits | Issued at the airport, valid 90 days, USD 250; work not allowed |
| E-visa | Short-stay visas | Apply at visa.immigration.go.tz; valid for the mainland and Zanzibar; decision sent by email; an embassy interview may be required |
| Visa from the Tanzanian embassy in China | Business, family visit, friend visit, tourist, referral | Passport original and copy, application form, return ticket, invitation letter, inviter’s ID |
The e-visa portal does not publish fees and processing times on a static page; check what the system shows when you apply. For an overview of living, safety and business, see the Tanzania guide for Chinese residents.
Long-term work: work permit first, then residence permit
Under the Non-Citizens (Employment Regulation) Act, in force since 1 October 2015, foreigners who live and work in Tanzania long term must hold both a work permit issued by the Labour office and a residence permit issued by Immigration, and the work permit must come first.
Five work permit classes
| Class | Who | Fee (USD) | Maximum total period |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Investors and self-employed | 1,000 | Over 10 years / while the business exists |
| B | Prescribed professions (medicine, science and maths teachers, university lecturers, etc.) | 500 | 5 years |
| C | Other professions (business, marketing, construction, site managers, etc.) | 1,000 | 5 years |
| D | Approved religious and charity workers | 500 | 5 years |
| E | Refugees | Free | 5 years |
Fees and periods are from the appendix of the 2025 MOFCOM guide. The main text of the guide adds that each work permit for an employee is valid for two years and must then be renewed. Most Chinese employees hold Class C. Dentists, doctors, accountants, auditors, engineers, lawyers and notaries must also register and be licensed before practising.
Three residence permit classes
| Class | Who | Government fee (USD) | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A | Investors (employers) | 3,050; 3,355 via the investment centre for companies with an investment certificate (incl. USD 305 centre fee) | 2 years |
| Class B | Employees | 2,050; 2,255 for companies with an investment certificate (incl. USD 205 centre fee) | 2 years |
| Class C | Students, volunteers, researchers, etc. | See the Immigration residence permit guide | — |
Class B needs Labour approval before it goes to Immigration; Classes B and C should be applied for before arrival. Appeals against Immigration decisions go to the Ministry of Home Affairs. If language is a barrier, the Chinese chambers and the Chinese mutual-aid centre can help.
Extra charge: the USD 600 Special Pass
- If you apply for the work permit while inside Tanzania, you pay an extra USD 600 Special Pass at Immigration. Applying from abroad avoids this, but you must submit copies of every passport page.
- Changing employer requires a No Objection Letter from the old company plus the USD 600 Special Pass.
- Changing position within the same company requires a Promotion Letter.
Online application steps
Work and residence permits are handled through the Labour office’s online system (OWAIS), integrated with Immigration’s e-permit system. Apply only through epermit.kazi.go.tz or immigration.go.tz.
- Scan certified copies of all documents. Everything except the photo must be PDF, each file no larger than 500 KB.
- Fill in the online work/residence permit form and choose the correct class.
- Pay the work permit fee with the control number the system generates, by bank deposit or VISA/Mastercard. Applicants registered with the investment centre or EPZA attach the receipt for the handling fee.
- The Labour Commissioner decides on the work permit; the system then passes the file to the Commissioner General of Immigration for the residence permit.
- If approved, pay the residence permit fee with a new control number, then go to the nearest immigration office for fingerprints and a photo.
- Collect the e-permit smart card, which holds both the work and residence permit details.
Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. A rejected application means paying again.
Typical documents for a Class C work permit
- Cover letter, application form, passport photo with blue background
- Passport copy (at least six months’ validity), CV in English, employment contract in English, detailed job description
- Degree certificates and notarised qualifications (Chinese and English), with translations of non-English documents
- Company business licence, registration certificate, TIN and VAT certificates, tax clearance, NSSF and WCF registration, memorandum and articles
- Sector regulator approvals where relevant; investment certificate if any
- For renewals or class changes, the original work permit
Class A investors also need proof of shareholding from the BRELA system, share transfer documents (including tax clearance) and a lease or title. For a Class A residence permit, the MOFCOM guide lists six months of company bank statements (over USD 300,000) and the annual return. For company and tax registration see registering a company in Tanzania.
Expatriate quotas and the “not replaceable” test
Tanzania vets foreign work permits strictly, usually on the principle that no local person can do the job. The MOFCOM guide says a foreign company is normally allowed five foreign experts. Under the Investment Act 2022, a holder of a certificate of incentives can get an initial quota of up to ten foreign workers during start-up (Clyde & Co, January 2025). The actual number depends on approval.
The MOFCOM guide warns that foreign trading and general retail businesses face much tougher checks on residence permits; some investors have run a business for years without a valid work permit. Since July 2025, non-citizens have been barred from 15 small business activities, and violators may lose their visa or residence permit; see the business page.
Common problems
- Working on a business visa: the business visa does not allow work. Arriving first and applying later costs an extra USD 600 and risks being treated as illegal work.
- Changing jobs without paperwork: you need a No Objection Letter from the old employer; do not start at the new company until the new permit is approved.
- Overstaying: we could not find the official penalties for overstaying or illegal work on an official page. Check with Immigration or the Chinese embassy, and renew before permits expire.
- Inspections: if officials make trouble even though your papers are in order, the MOFCOM guide advises standing firm through proper or legal channels, avoiding confrontation and bribes, and contacting the Chinese embassy if needed.
For dependants, students and long-term residence, read the Residence Permit Guide on the Immigration website. For passport renewal see renewing a Chinese passport abroad; to compare with a neighbour see Kenya visas and work permits.
Where to apply
- Immigration: www.immigration.go.tz (visas, residence permits)
- Labour office: www.kazi.go.tz (work permits)
- Tanzanian Embassy in China: 8 Liangmahe Nanlu, Sanlitun, Beijing, tel. 010-65321719 (MOFCOM guide, 2025)
- Companies with an investment certificate can use the Labour desk at TISEZA (formerly the Tanzania Investment Centre, TIC)
References
- Country Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Tanzania (2025 edition) (PRC Ministry of Commerce, CAITEC and the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, 2025)
- Tanzania Immigration Services Department (Tanzania Immigration Services Department, 2026)
- Tanzania Online Visa Application (Tanzania Immigration Services Department, 2026)
- Labour office website (work permits) (Prime Minister’s Office – Labour, Tanzania, 2026)
- Online work permit application system (Prime Minister’s Office – Labour, Tanzania, 2026)
- Unlocking opportunities: How to register with the Tanzania Investment Centre (Clyde & Co, January 2025)
- Tanzania bans foreigners from 15 small businesses (The Star (Kenya), 29 July 2025)