How to Register a Business With BRELA Online in Tanzania: Cost and Steps

You don't have to visit a BRELA office to register a business name in Tanzania. It costs TZS 15,000, plus TZS 5,000 a year to keep it active, and the whole process runs online at ors.brela.go.tz if your documents are in order.

A company costs more: from TZS 95,000, rising with your share capital. These are BRELA's own rates, checked October 2026. Here's how to register either one.

Quick facts

How much does it cost to register with BRELA?

A business name (what you need for a shop, a side hustle, freelance work or a small partnership) is the cheapest route. Here's BRELA's own fee schedule for it:

Source: BRELA, business name fees.

A company costs more, and the registration fee itself scales with the share capital you declare:

On top of that, budget TZS 50,000 to reserve your company name, and TZS 22,000 a year for your annual return once you're registered.

Source: BRELA, company fees.

You'll see other fees for a business name quoted on forums and blogs, some lower and some higher. Go by BRELA's own published fees above, because that's what the ORS system will charge you.

If you're setting up as a branch of a company already registered outside Tanzania, that's a separate "foreign company" registration under Part XII of the Companies Act, and the fees are higher: TZS 600,000 to file most required documents, TZS 600,000 to file your balance sheet, and TZS 2,000,000 for a certified copy of your company's constitution, with a TZS 70,000-a-month penalty for late filing (same source).

Business name or company: which one do you need?

A business name suits you if you're working alone or with up to 20 partners and don't need a separate legal entity: a shop, a salon, a small trading business or freelance work. It's cheaper, and the yearly fee is TZS 5,000 rather than TZS 22,000. The downside: you and the business are the same in law, so you're personally responsible for its debts.

A company suits you if you want limited liability, plan to raise capital from investors, or need a registered company to win contracts that require one (many government and corporate tenders ask for it). It costs more upfront and needs more paperwork (a Memorandum and Articles of Association, and statutory declarations) but your personal assets are separate from the business's.

Check one rule before you choose: BRELA says you must be a Tanzanian citizen aged 18 or older to register a business name yourself (BRELA, registration of business names). If you're not a Tanzanian citizen, you can't use the business name route directly. You'd register a local company instead, or a branch of a foreign company if you already have one registered abroad.

What you need before you start

Pulled straight from BRELA's own requirements for business name registration:

• A proposed business name that isn't already taken or misleadingly similar to one that is
• Your NIN, the number on your NIDA national ID card
• A personal phone number registered in your own name
• An active personal email address you can check
• Your business location address
• Your residential address (and that of any partners, if you're registering with others)

If you don't have a NIDA number yet, get that first. You'll need it again later for your TRA TIN and, if you hire staff, for NSSF registration.

How to register a business name on ORS, step by step

1. Go to ors.brela.go.tz (or start from brela.go.tz and follow the link to the Online Registration System).
2. Create an ORS account, or log in if you already have one, using "Create ORS account" / "E-services for registered users."
3. Select the online service, then choose Business Name, then new registration.
4. Choose the type of business name: sole owner or partnership (up to 20 people).
5. Fill in your business details: the proposed name, your NIN, phone number, email, and your business and residential addresses.
6. Upload the documents the system asks for. It prompts you based on the details you've entered.
7. Pay the TZS 15,000 application fee through Tigo Pesa, M-Pesa, or directly at CRDB or NMB.
8. Wait for BRELA to process it. There's no guaranteed timeframe. Once your payment clears, an officer reviews the application and either approves it or sends back questions for you to fix and resubmit.
9. Once approved, you can download your certificate from your ORS account, and you can search the register for free afterwards to confirm your business shows up with the right details (BRELA ORS.

Remember the TZS 5,000 yearly fee the next year, and every year after. You pay it through the same ORS account.

How to register a company instead

A company goes through the same BRELA system but needs more documents:

1. Clear your company name. Submit a request, and BRELA checks that the name is available and not too similar to an existing one.
2. Prepare your Memorandum and Articles of Association.
3. Complete the statutory declaration (Form No. 14B), sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths, and the particulars of directors and registered office (Form No. 14A), giving both a physical and postal address.
4. Submit through ORS and pay the registration fee based on the share capital you've declared (see the table above).
5. BRELA issues your Certificate of Incorporation once everything checks out.

Source: BRELA, services overview.

What happens after BRELA registers you

BRELA registration is the first step, not the only one:

• Apply for your TRA TIN within 15 days of starting to operate (TRA, starting a business. We've got the full walkthrough in how to get your TRA TIN number online.
• Get a business licence. BRELA issues licences for businesses under "Schedule A"; your local municipality issues them for "Schedule B" businesses.
• If you're hiring staff, register as an employer with NSSF and deduct PAYE from their salaries. Use our Tanzania PAYE calculator before you offer anyone a salary.
• If customers will pay you by mobile money, check what M-Pesa Tanzania charges for receiving and withdrawing before you build it into your pricing.
• If you're in a mall, a filling station, hospitality or a few other sectors, you now have to offer customers an electronic way to pay. See Tanzania's mandatory electronic payments order for the full list and the 31 December 2026 deadline.

Common registration mistakes

• Only pay where you get an official receipt. BRELA is explicit that all payments go to the Registrar of Companies against official receipts, and warns against paying anyone who can't issue one. Report any demand for money outside the official schedule to BRELA directly on +255 (0) 22 2212800.
• Check the name is free before you commit to branding. You can search the register for free on ORS before you pay for anything.
• Keep the annual fee current. BRELA doesn't publish what happens if you let the TZS 5,000 (business name) or TZS 22,000 (company annual return) lapse, but a registration that's fallen out of date is the last thing you want to discover when a bank or a client asks to see your certificate.
• Don't mix up the fee bands. For a company, the fee depends on the share capital you declare, not the cash you've raised. Declaring more capital than you need to look impressive just puts you in a more expensive band for no benefit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to register a business name with BRELA?

TZS 15,000 in application fees, plus TZS 5,000 a year afterwards to keep it active. A company costs more, from TZS 95,000 depending on your declared share capital, as of October 2026.

Can I register a business with BRELA without visiting an office?

Yes, for a business name. The whole process, including payment, runs through ors.brela.go.tz. Company registration also goes through ORS, but needs more documents and usually more back-and-forth.

Do I need a NIDA number to register with BRELA online?

Yes. BRELA asks for your NIN (the number on your NIDA card) as part of the business name application, and you'll need it again for your TRA TIN and NSSF registration later.

Can a foreigner register a business name in Tanzania?

Not directly. BRELA's business name registration requires you to be a Tanzanian citizen aged 18 or older. A non-citizen would register a local company instead, or a branch of a foreign company already registered abroad.

What do I need to do after BRELA registers my business?

Apply for your TRA TIN within 15 days, get the right business licence for your activity, and if you're hiring, register as an employer with NSSF and start withholding PAYE. Still deciding what to register? See our roundup of the best businesses to start in Tanzania in 2026, with real costs for each.

How long does BRELA take to approve a business name registration?

BRELA doesn't publish a guaranteed timeframe. Once payment clears, an officer reviews your application and either approves it or sends back corrections. Allow a few working days, and don't leave it to the last minute if you need the certificate by a certain date.