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Business setup in Tanzania

Register. Structure. Launch. Before capital moves.

One desk sequences company registration, tax, licensing and bank-readiness so the file never stalls later.

Start the setup

A principal replies within one business day · Nothing is filed before a written scope · Fees published, official charges at cost

Setup file, in filing orderDesk copyFive filingsSequenced before day one
Tap a stage
Issued under a written scope · Dar es Salaam2 of 5 closed
Fast Track · non-regulated activity
7 working daysto a registered, tax-active company
Trading, services, consulting, IT. Standard route: 14 days.Start on Fast Track
Why the bank

Incorporation is a filing. The bank account is a review.

BRELA registers the company in days. The bank then reviews ownership, the TIN, the licence route and the source of funds as one file. A file assembled after the fact is the one that stalls.

  • A TIN applied for after the bank meeting restarts KYC.
  • A licence route left open makes the account conditional.
  • Ownership papers that differ from the BRELA filing are returned.

The desk builds the bank pack before the bank sees it. That is the order.

Start the setup
Route checkWhich institutions will the project answer to?Select the sector. The indicative route appears instantly.
Stage 01

Stage detail

Start the setup
  • Since 2014Dar es Salaam desk, Mwenge Tower
  • 1,651 reviews5.0 on Google Business Profile
  • Fees publishedOfficial charges always separate
  • 12+ yearsFinancial-sector experience at the head of the desk
Where to start

Three routes. Every file sits on one.

Everything on this site sits under one of these paths. Choose the one that matches the file.

Starting a company

Registration, tax, licence and bank pack in order

Standard USD 999 or Fast Track USD 1,500. The bank pack is built before the bank meeting, so the account is not conditional.

Investing from abroad

Structure, TISEZA and permits before the first filing

The restricted-activity list is checked first. Executive from USD 2,500 covers permits, nominee governance and enhanced KYC.

Fixing a compliance gap

Renewals, licences and a risk review before capital moves

Advisory from USD 49. Annual returns, regulator calendar and books under one published Business Continuity Desk.

Supplier or invoice before payment

Beneficial ownership verified before capital leaves

Onsite supplier or asset verification from USD 499: premises, ownership and payment-route risk checked on the ground.

Board or lender needs a real file

A pack a committee can sign against

Assumptions, cash flow and compliance logic in one bankable plan or lender information pack.

Already registered, aftercare needed

Good standing kept, year after year

Compliance Renewal from USD 900 a year: annual return, licence renewal, statutory calendar and a yearly health check.

How the file moves

Diagnosis before filings. Handover after launch.

Five stages between the first brief and the compliance calendar, each one ending in a document.

Start with the brief
Office towers seen from street level.
Built to operate, not only to existRegistration is the first filing on a longer route: TIN, licence, bank pack, calendar
  1. 01

    Brief & diagnose

    Ownership, activity, sector exposure and documents reviewed before anything is filed.

  2. 02

    Map fees & sequence

    Professional fees separated from government, bank and regulator charges; the filing order fixed.

  3. 03

    Form & tax

    BRELA incorporation and the TRA TIN pathway prepared in order, not in parallel.

  4. 04

    Licence & bank pack

    Licence route and KYC readiness built before the file reaches the bank.

  5. 05

    Handover & compliance

    Renewals, returns and regulator calendars handed over; optional Business Continuity enrolment.

Engagement routes

Standard setup, or the Executive route.

What the bank and the regulator will ask about decides the route, not the nationality of the owner.

Ordinary activity

Standard Business Setup

from USD 999

  • Named senior adviser
  • BRELA incorporation and TRA TIN
  • Ordinary municipal licence
  • Bank-readiness packChecklist and documents
  • Work and residence permits
  • Named sector licence or permit
  • TISEZA eligibility and application
  • Nominee director or shareholder
  • Desk clock14 working days
See the Standard route
Most chosen by investors
Permits, nominee or regulated

Executive Investor & Regulated Setup

from USD 2,500

  • Named senior adviser
  • BRELA incorporation and TRA TIN
  • Ordinary municipal licence
  • Bank-readiness packFull narrative, enhanced KYC
  • Work and residence permits
  • Named sector licence or permit
  • TISEZA eligibility and application
  • Nominee director or shareholderSubject to KYC and written terms
  • Desk clockRoute diagnosis in 3 working days
Scope the Executive route

Fast Track (USD 1,500) runs the Standard route in seven working days. Government, bank and regulator charges are receipted at cost on every route.

Zatra Consultants receiving the ZBIA 2026 Best Business Consultancy and Advisory Firm award on stage.
RecognitionBest Business Consultancy and Advisory Firm at the Zanzibar Business Investment Awards 2026
Leadership

An accountable desk, not paperwork theatre.

Named leadership keeps market entry, structuring, tax and legal execution on one desk. The engagement letter names the lead before work begins.

CFE. Joseph Marwa
CFE. Joseph MarwaChief Executive Officer · Certified Financial Educator (Bank of Tanzania)
Eng. Dennis Wilson
Eng. Dennis WilsonChief Operating Officer · Industrial Engineering & Management
ACPA. Altho Mwangoa
ACPA. Altho MwangoaChief Financial Officer · CPA(T), NBAA
Advocate Yona Habiye
Advocate Yona HabiyeCorporate Legal Officer · Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania
1,651 Google reviews, 5.0

Recorded by clients, not written by the desk.

Three of the 1,651 public reviews on the firm’s Google Business Profile, reproduced with the reviewer’s name and rating.

Google profile photo of Ikram Weezy
Ikram WeezyGoogle review · 6 months ago

Zatra Consultants provided professional and reliable service. They guided me clearly through company registration, tax and permits, and I’m very satisfied with their support. Highly recommended!

Cliff ShayoGoogle review · 6 months ago

Zatra, you are doing a great job — thank you for being there to support us. I recommend Zatra to anyone looking for business consultation for better results.

Abdulazizi OmariGoogle review · 6 months ago · Local Guide

Zatra Consultancy — the place where you can’t wait to be. I appreciate your good working skills, 100%.

Read all reviews on Google

Investor questions

Before the first filing.

Timelines, fees, ownership and sequence, answered before any document is exchanged.

How fast can this move?

Standard is 14 working days and Fast Track is seven working days after complete documents. Bank KYC, government systems and sector permits can extend the timeline.

Are government and bank fees included?

No. Zatra professional fees cover listed desk work only. Government, bank and regulator charges are always separate and receipted at cost.

Can a foreign investor own the company outright?

Many ordinary companies can be foreign-owned. Some activities are closed to non-citizens; the activity is confirmed against the live restricted list before filing.

Is TISEZA the same as company registration?

No. Company formation is a BRELA filing. TISEZA registers an investment project and any incentive class. A TISEZA certificate does not replace incorporation, TIN, licences or bank KYC.

Is a TIN needed before opening a corporate bank account?

Most banks expect incorporation evidence and a TRA TIN in the KYC pack. The sequence is BRELA, then TIN, then the bank-readiness file.

What is the difference between Standard and Fast Track?

Standard is USD 999 and 14 working days. Fast Track is USD 1,500 and seven working days for the same core route, plus .tz domain and professional email.

Setup brief

Tell the desk the file.

Nine fields, read personally by a principal of the firm. The reply, within one business day, sets out the route, the documents and the fee boundary.

Owner
Enter the name of the person submitting the brief.
Enter the company, fund or project entity.
Enter a working email address.
The company
Select the sector.
Describe the file in a few lines.

Read by a principal, not a sales queue. Writing creates no engagement and no fee; work begins only on a signed scope letter.

Received.

A principal replies within one business day with the route, the documents and the fee boundary. Urgent files can continue on WhatsApp now.

Continue on WhatsApp
Next step

Talk to the setup desk
before capital moves.

Nine fields. The desk maps the route, the documents and the fee breakdown before any commitment.

Start the setup WhatsApp a consultant
Ask the senior desk