Marrying and Sponsoring a Tanzanian Citizen
Listen to this articleMarriage to a Tanzanian Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Tanzanian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
If you want to bring your Tanzanian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Processing Time
If you file a Canadian sponsorship application for your Tanzanian spouse or partner, this application takes an average of 10-12 months.
A visitor visa application for your spouse or partner to visit you in Canada while the sponsorship applications are processing takes an average of 3 –14 days.
Please see our pages on family sponsorship and Canadian visitor visa for more information on the processing times of these applications.
Tanzanian Marriage Basic Requirements
The following are the information necessary for getting married under Tanzanian law.
Step 1: Certificate of No Impediment
Prior to getting married in Tanzania you must get a certificate of no impediment from your home country. This legal document (translated into English) must state that there is no impediment to your marriage because:
- you were never married before, or
- you are divorced (relevant divorce certificate(s) attached), or
- you were widowed (relevant death certificate(s) attached.
A Certificate of No Impediment must be completed and notarized by a notary public.
- You should also have your Birth certificate.
- If you will marry in a church, you will probably need a letter from your home Pastor/Priest.
Step 2: Apply for Notice of your Marriage or a “Special Marriage License”
You must first contact the Office of the District Commissioner nearest to your wedding location to notify the government of your intention to get married. To locate the nearest government Registrar of Marriages you may contact:
Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA)
Plot No 516 Kipalapala Street, Upanga,
Dar es Salaam
Tel: + 255 22 2115034 / 36
At the Registrar of Marriages you must complete the necessary forms, pay the fee and submit the following documents:
- notarized copy of passports,
- the Certificate of No Impediment, and
- two passport photos each.
Once you have notified the Registrar you must wait twenty-one days so that persons with adverse information may register their complaints. To avoid the twenty-one day waiting period, you may get a waiver by applying for a “Special Marriage License” from the local Registrar of Marriages. After completing the application form for “Special Marriage License” and paying the fee, the Registrar can issue the license and you can be married at any point.
Step 3: Getting Married
After twenty-one days or the granting of the “Special Marriage License,” you need to schedule a time for your wedding with the Registrar of Marriages. The civil ceremony can be done at the Registrar’s office during working hours or you can arrange a time for the Registrar to come to your location (this will require an extra fee and transportation costs for the government officials). At the actual ceremony, the couple must have two witnesses of their choosing (resident or non-resident). A Tanzanian Marriage Certificate (in duplicate) will be issued upon completion of the ceremony.
Religious services must be arranged with the religious organization of your choice. The requirements for religious weddings vary from one organization to the next, so you must contact the selected faith to discuss the process prior to the wedding.
Getting Married in Zanzibar
The legal requirements for marriage in Zanzibar are different from mainland Tanzania. It is appropriate that you or the resort where the wedding will take place contact the Government of Zanzibar (contact information below) to discuss your upcoming wedding.
Regional Commissioner’s Office
P.O.Box 265
Town Council
Vuga, Zanzibar
Tel: +255 24 230246/7
Please verify with the Regional Commissioner’s Office but generally the following requirements must be met:
- notarized copies of both birth certificates in English,
- notarized copies of both passports,
- the Certificate of No Impediment,
- notarized copies of a Certificate of Domicile,
- two passport photos of both individuals, and
- two witnesses (can be locally provided if necessary).
This document is a sworn affidavit signed by the individual and the notarized indicating the current residence of the individual.
According to Zanzibar Laws, a notice must put on the Municipal Notice Board for the intended marriage twenty-one days prior to the ceremony. There is no waiver available in Zanzibar, so the twenty-one day period is mandatory. The International Certificate of Marriage for marriages performed in Zanzibar are certified in the same manner as described above.
Family Members
If your Tanzanian spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Tanzanian Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Tanzanian citizen.
Currency
The Currency for Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling
Source: ExchangeRates.org.uk
List of Tanzanian Consulates in Canada
Canadian Consulate in Tanzania
High Commission of Canada in Dar Es Salaam38 Mirambo Street Telephone: 255(22)216-3300
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View Larger Map |
To call Tanzania from Canada Dial
011 – 255 – Area Code – TEL #
The format should be as follows 011 + 255 + phone number
How to call Canada from Tanzania
000 – 1 – Area Code – TEL #
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta) 587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC) 236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario) 249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec) 438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time difference with Canada
Tanzania is +3 UCT
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Tanzania is Ahead |
# of Hours during DST |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 11 hours | 10 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunavut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 10 hours | 9 hours |
| Saskatchewan | 10 hours | 10 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario) | 9 hours | 8 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 8 hours | 7 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Newfoundland | 6.5 hours | 5.5 hours |
Information for Canadians Travelling to Tanzania
Sponsoring Your Tanzanian Spouse to Canada
Want to know more about marrying in Tanzania? Let us know
Sponsorship Review
Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application. . Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about whether you’ve done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.
