Guidance

Tanzania: Knowledge Base profile

Updated 1 September 2025

Version 3.0

About: Tanzania

This document contains useful information about Tanzania which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 27 August 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated:

• to confirm that Tanzania does not allow dual citizenship
• with minor formatting changes
• to add new information about:
  • nationality
  • parental responsibility
  • gender recognition
  • civil partnerships and marriage
  • documents

Tanzania: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Tanzania.

Dual nationality is not allowed in Tanzania.

Tanzania: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Tanzania.

Legitimacy

Tanzania recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births for children born before 1 February 1998.

A child born before 1 February 1998 will be considered:

• legitimate if:
  • their parents were married at the time of the birth
  • their parents marry after the birth
• illegitimate if their parents never marry

Since the 1 February 1998, Tanzania does not recognise a difference between legitimate or illegitimate births. This means a child born on or after 1 February 1998 is legitimate whether the parents are married or not.

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility in Tanzania.

Tanzania: gender recognition

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about gender recognition in Tanzania.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Tanzania.

Tanzania: civil partnerships and marriage

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about civil partnerships and marriage in Tanzania.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are not allowed in Tanzania.

Tanzania recognises:

• civil marriages
• customary marriages
• Christian marriages
• Islamic marriages

All marriages must be registered with the registrar of marriages to be legally recognised.

Polygamous marriages are allowed in Tanzania.

Tanzania: documents

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about documents in Tanzania.

Birth, marriage, and death certificates are held on a central register in Tanzania.

Zanzibar (semi-autonomous administration) is operated under its own administration, meaning the practices involved with the registration of births, marriages, and deaths may differ slightly.

Birth certificates

When a birth takes place in Tanzania the mother is issued with a Notification of Birth. This is used to register the birth with the Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency.

All births in Tanzania must be registered within 90 days. Late registration is allowed and incurs a fee.

The father’s name does not have to be declared on a Tanzania birth certificate. The father’s name can be added to the birth certificate after it has been issued.

Marriage certificates

Marriages must be registered within 21 days. Late registration is not allowed.

Marriage certificates are issued for all marriages registered with the registrar of marriages.

Death certificates

Deaths must be registered within 1 month. Late registration of up to 3 months is allowed.

In Zanzibar, deaths must be registered within 2 months.