Technical article
What a Non-Citizen Can Own in Tanzania and Zanzibar
If we pay for it, what will we own?
Picture a couple named Ron and Alice. Both are 63. They have fallen for a beach house near the sea in Zanzibar. They ask a simple question. If we pay for it, what will we own?
I went to the government investment pages for the mainland and for Zanzibar. They answer in similar words. Neither page shows a date, so I cannot tell you how recent they are.
What each page says
| Mainland Tanzania | Zanzibar | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the page | Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) | Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA) |
| Can a foreigner own land? | "A foreigner cannot own land under the laws of Tanzania unless it is for investment purposes" | "the foreigner can not own the land according to The Land Tenure Act 1992" |
| What is possible | A derivative right from TIC, or a right of occupancy, for a foreign investor who has registered a project | A lease to a person "intending to use that land for investment purposes", with approval of the project |
| Length | Up to 99 years, renewable | "Up to 99 years" |
| Minimum investment | Not stated on the page | US$300,000 listed for sectors other than hotels and real estate; hotels and real estate show US$2,500,000 and US$300,000, and the page does not say which applies to foreigners |
Both pages say that on the mainland "all land in Tanzania is public land and entrusted to the President" (TIC page). That is why the word "own" shows up so little.
What this could mean for a retiree
Both pages talk about investors and projects. Neither one mentions a retiree buying a home to live in. So I do not know whether a private home qualifies, or what a retiree would need to register. That is the question I would put to a lawyer.
On Zanzibar, the minimum figures are the part I find hardest to read. The page lists two figures for real estate and does not say which one a foreigner pays. I show both and do not pick.
What is left open
- Whether a retiree's home counts as an investment project.
- The Zanzibar Investment Act No. 10 of 2023, which the ZIPA site mentions. It is not among the sources.
- Fees, taxes and registration costs.
- The mainland minimum investment, which the TIC page does not give.
- The date of either page.
An accountant or lawyer who works with Americans abroad could confirm all of this, and a local lawyer would need to check the title.
You could…
- Ask TIC or ZIPA in writing whether a retiree's home qualifies.
- Ask for the rule on a lease being passed to heirs.
- Wait for the page dates to be confirmed before you plan on any figure here.
If you only get a right to use the land, would that be enough for the life you picture?
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. Date read: 10 October 2026.
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