Registration and numbers on Zanzibar: permit, NIDA card, TIN and SIM card
Anyone living on Zanzibar arranges four things: a residence permit from the immigration service, a NIDA card (the Tanzanian identity card, USD 20 to 100 for foreigners), a TIN from the TRA tax authority and a SIM card registered with your fingerprint. The ZanID is for Zanzibaris.
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Anyone moving to Zanzibar arranges four things after arrival: a residence permit from the Tanzanian immigration service, a NIDA card, a TIN from the tax authority and a SIM card in your own name. The NIDA card is the Tanzanian identity card. Foreigners aged 18 and over with a residence permit are also called upon to register, for USD 20 to 100. The ZanID, the Zanzibar identity card, is for Zanzibaris. As a foreigner you use your passport or your residence card.
Which numbers and cards do you need?
| Number or card | Who issues it | For whom | Cost according to the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | Tanzania Immigration, on Zanzibar the Commissioner of Immigration Zanzibar | anyone staying longer than 90 days | USD 500 (Class C-2 or C-11), USD 2,000 (B-1), USD 3,000 (A-3), plus USD 50 re-entry pass |
| NIDA card | National Identification Authority (NIDA) | foreigners aged 18 and over with a residence permit | USD 100 (investor), USD 50 (employee), USD 20 (family member, student, researcher, missionary) |
| TIN | Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) | anyone who pays tax, resident or not | no amount stated |
| SIM card | your phone provider, under the rules of the TCRA | every user | no amount stated |
| ZanID | the Zanzibar government | Zanzibaris | not intended for foreigners |
How do you complete your residence permit?
You apply for the permit online, usually before you leave: with a work permit through the kazi.go.tz system, without a work permit through the Immigration portal. When you create your account you choose an office. On Zanzibar that is the Immigration head office in Zanzibar, or ZIPA if you are an investor. You pay within 60 days. Then your fingerprints and a photo are taken. According to the Immigration guidelines you get the permit within a week.
A permit is valid for two years at most and can be renewed. It comes with a re-entry pass of USD 50 per person, which lets you leave the country and come back in.
How do you get a NIDA card?
NIDA is the agency that issues the national identity card. Its website lists what to bring:
- your passport;
- your work permit;
- your residence permit, in duplicate;
- a payment receipt from the bank.
First you fill in form 2A. You have it stamped by the local government (Serikali ya Mtaa), which also gives you a residence letter. Then NIDA takes your fingerprints, photo and signature. You pay at NMB, CRDB, NBC or the People's Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ), with a payment reference, the control number. What you pay is not refunded. NIDA also has offices on Zanzibar.
NIDA "calls upon" foreigners to register, but does not say whether it is compulsory or what happens if you do not. And the list mentions a work permit, which a retiree or home buyer does not have. Ask the NIDA office in your district which documents you should bring.
Do you need a TIN?
Probably yes. The TIN is your tax number at the Tanzania Revenue Authority, the tax authority that also collects income tax on Zanzibar. According to the TRA anyone can apply for one, "whether a resident or non-resident". This is done online, through the TRA portal, with an official identity document such as your passport. You upload your documents.
If you start a business, you apply for a business TIN within 15 days of the start, with a letter from the local government and your lease or proof of ownership. For an investor's Class A-3, Immigration asks for the TIN with the application. Whether the Zanzibar tax authority ZRA, which collects VAT and stamp duty among other things, issues its own number is not in the official sources. Ask if you buy or let property.
How do you register a SIM card?
With your fingerprint. Since the SIM Card Registration Regulations of 2020, every SIM card in Tanzania is registered biometrically. There is a separate category for foreigners and one for visitors. A visitor gets the card in his own name, and the provider keeps his details. Under the older rules of 2019, the provider asked a resident foreigner for his residence permit and passport. Whether you now also need your NIDA number is not in the sources. Take your passport and permit to the provider's shop. The SIM card also gives you access to mobile money.
Can you get a ZanID as a foreigner?
Probably not. Zanzibar rules distinguish between the ZanID for "a Zanzibari resident" and "an alien resident card or passport" for foreigners. The law that governs the ZanID could not be consulted. The People's Bank of Zanzibar accordingly asks for "NIDA and ZAN ID Or Passport for Foreigners" for an account: as a foreigner you open an account with your passport. If you are asked for a ZanID somewhere after all, ask which document you can use as a foreigner.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Zanzibar or look inside the open plan first.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- NIDA — registration and identification of resident foreigners, the documents and the fees — nida.go.tz
- NIDA — offices per district, including Zanzibar — nida.go.tz
- Tanzania Immigration — Residence Permit Guidelines, applications, offices on Zanzibar and fingerprints — immigration.go.tz
- Tanzania Revenue Authority — applying for a TIN, for residents and non-residents — tra.go.tz
- SIM Card Registration Regulations 2020 (GN 112) — biometric registration, also for foreigners and visitors (TanzLII) — tanzlii.org
- Zanzibar Government Gazette, 3 March 2020 — the ZanID for Zanzibaris, a resident card or passport for foreigners (ZanzibarLII) — zanzibarlii.org
- People's Bank of Zanzibar — opening an account, with NIDA and ZanID or a passport for foreigners — pbzbank.co.tz
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