How to Check If a Company Is Licensed in Tanzania
To check a financial company in Tanzania, identify what it offers and search the official register of the regulator responsible for that activity. Match the exact legal name, licence number, website and contact details. Do not treat a company certificate, logo or social media profile as proof of a financial licence.
Start with the service, not the company name
Different regulators issue permission for different financial activities. A company may therefore appear in one register but still lack permission for the service it is offering you.
| What the company offers | Where to check |
|---|---|
| Bank account, mobile money, microfinance or digital loan | Bank of Tanzania (BoT) |
| Shares, brokerage, investment advice or managed fund | Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA) |
| Insurance policy, insurance broker or insurance agent | Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA) |
| Company registration only | Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) |
Write down the name exactly as it appears in the offer. Also record the licence number, website, telephone number and payment recipient. You will compare each detail with the official record.
Check banks, mobile money and lenders with BoT
Open the Bank of Tanzania’s List of Licensed Institutions. BoT regulates banks, financial institutions, bureaux de change and specified microfinance providers. The page also links to lists of licensed Tier 2 microfinance providers and approved digital lending platforms.
The main table shows an institution’s name, region and physical address. Use the linked files for digital lenders and microfinance providers.
For a loan app, check both the legal company and the platform name. An app’s trading name may differ from the licensed entity behind it. The offer should make that relationship clear.
BoT also publishes a Financial Consumer Alert List and a list of unapproved digital lending platforms. An entry on a warning list is serious. However, absence from a warning list does not replace a search of the licensed list.
Check brokers and investment firms with CMSA
Open the CMSA Complete Register of Licensees. The register groups firms by activity, including brokerage dealers, investment advisers and fund managers. It displays the licence number, legal name, address, telephone number, email and website where available.
Search the page for the exact company name or licence number. Then check that the licence category matches the offer. A fund-management licence, for example, is not automatically permission for every other investment activity.
A foreign broker may be regulated outside Tanzania and may not appear in the CMSA register. That alone does not make it fraudulent. Check the exact legal entity with the foreign regulator that issued its licence. Also confirm that it accepts Tanzanian residents and what protections apply to your account.
Do not accept a regulator’s logo as proof. Scammers can copy logos and licence details from a real firm. Use the telephone number or website shown in the official register to contact the licensed business independently.
Check insurers, brokers and agents with TIRA
Use the licensed-entity pages on the TIRA website. TIRA separates insurance companies, brokers, agents, bancassurance agents and other insurance businesses into different categories.
The public pages show the registered name, licence number, status and licence year. Search the correct category. A person selling a policy may be an agent rather than the insurance company named on the policy.
Match the person or business with the exact licence record. Then contact the insurer through independently sourced details to confirm that the intermediary represents it. A genuine insurer’s name on a document does not prove that the person contacting you is genuine.
BRELA registration is not a financial licence
BRELA records whether a company or business name is registered. It does not decide whether that company may accept deposits, offer investments, lend money or sell insurance.
Open the BRELA Online Registration System and select “Free search”. The system says the free result can show a registration or incorporation number, address and current status. It also warns that only businesses registered or updated through ORS appear in the search results.
This creates two important limits. Finding the business at BRELA does not prove it has a financial licence. Failing to find it is a reason to investigate further, but may not by itself prove the business does not exist.
A common trap works like this: the promoter shows a valid BRELA certificate, then claims the company is authorised to manage investments. Check CMSA as well. For a lender, check BoT; for insurance, check TIRA.
Check the licence number, not a screenshot
Suppose an offer asks you to send 500,000 TZS today. The promoter sends a certificate image, but you pause while checking the official register.
| Check | Amount |
|---|---|
| Amount requested | 500,000 TZS |
| Amount sent before verification | 0 TZS |
| Money still under your control | 500,000 TZS |
This is not an investment return. It shows why checking before payment matters. Verification through the public registers is free.
When you find a record, compare all available fields. One matching licence number is not enough if the name, website or payment details differ. Contact the regulator when a record is unclear or the promoter claims its register entry is “being updated”.
A licence proves that a named entity has permission for specified activities at the time shown. It does not promise good service, prevent losses or guarantee investment performance.
What to do next
- Identify the activity and choose BoT, CMSA, TIRA or another relevant regulator.
- Search the exact legal name and licence number on the regulator’s own website.
- Match the licence category, status, website, contact details and payment name.
- Contact the business using the official register, not the original message.
- Save screenshots of the offer and your register search before paying.
- Review 8 Signs an Investment Offer Is a Scam.
- For a loan app, read 69 Loan Apps Were Banned. How to Tell If Yours Is Legal.
Frequently asked questions
Is BRELA registration the same as a financial licence?
No. BRELA registration confirms the existence of a registered business record. Permission to provide a financial service comes from the regulator responsible for that activity.
Which regulator licenses investment companies in Tanzania?
CMSA licenses and supervises Tanzanian capital-market intermediaries such as brokers, investment advisers and fund managers. Check the licence category, not only the company name.
Can a foreign broker be legitimate without a CMSA licence?
It may be licensed by a recognised regulator in another jurisdiction. Verify the exact entity there and confirm whether it accepts Tanzanian residents. Foreign regulation does not automatically provide local complaint or compensation rights.
What if the company name is missing from a register?
Do not pay while the position is unclear. Check spelling and trading names, then contact the regulator directly. Do not rely on the promoter’s explanation alone.
Does a licence mean my money is safe?
No. A licence shows regulatory permission for stated activities. It does not guarantee performance, repayment or protection from every loss.
Last updated: August 2026.