Acquiring a Tanzanian citizenship can be done in three ways: Either by birth, descent or naturalization. The process of acquiring a Tanzanian citizenship is governed by The Tanzania Citizenship Act of 1995. The act lays down the procedures of acquiring a Tanzanian citizenship by naturalization as provided for under Part III of the Act.

THE PROCEDURE

1. Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Any interested person wishing to acquire a Tanzanian citizenship should start by visiting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ immigration department to find out the requirements for the citizenship to be acquired. In the event the applicant is in a foreign country, the same information may be provided for from any Tanzanian Consulate Offices, High Commissions or Embassies.

2. Preparation of Relevant Documents

An applicant should have all the required documents and make copies of the same. The documents should be in English if the documents are in a foreign language then a translation of the same. The relevant documents include:

• Identification documents (Identity card, passport or driving permit)
• Five recent passport photographs
• Birth certificate
• Proof of residential address for example utility bills
• Police clearance certificate
• Medical clearance certificate
• Marriage certificate (citizenship by marriage)
• Proof of valid immigration status
• Proof of citizenship of parents/guardians of minors
• Payment slips

3. Filling of Prescribed Application Form

The applicant, at this stage, must then choose the type of naturalization being applied for, whether it’s naturalization for citizenship for an adult, citizenship after marriage or citizenship for a minor. This is provided for under sections 8, 10 and 11 of The Tanzania Citizenship Act respectively.

After filling the form and duly signing it, the applicant must then attach it with the required documents and submit it to the Ward Executive Secretary where the applicant resides.

4. The Ward Executive Secretary

The Ward Executive Secretary will then assess the submitted application to determine the eligibility of the applicant. After the assessment, the secretary may either accept or reject the application. If the application is accepted, the Ward Executive Secretary submits the accepted application to the District Immigration Officer.

5. Payment and Advertisement of Application

The applicant then makes payment for submission of the application. After payment, a notification for application of citizenship must be put in any of the registered daily newspapers in the country.

In this case, the applicant must put two consecutive notifications in a chosen newspaper. As the notifications run, anyone with any objections is expected to submit them.

6. Interview with the Applicant

If no objections are submitted, the District Defense and Security Committee shall be notified. The committee shall in return set a date and time to interview the applicant. If the applicant passes the interview, the District Immigration Officer then forwards an application to the Regional Immigration Office who also assesses the application.

7. Examination of Application

When the assessment is done and if the application is proved, the regional Immigration Officer forwards it to the Regional Defense and Security Committee for further examination. When approved by the Regional Defense and Security Committee, the Regional Immigration Office then forwards the application to the Principal Commissioner of Immigration Services; who after assessing and approving application writes a recommendation to the Minister in charge of citizenship. The application and recommendation are then forwarded to the Minister who makes the final decision on either to grant or deny citizenship.