The Tanzania Foreign Exchange Regulations 2022 : Clyde & Co
7 min readThis post gives a synopsis of the International Exchange Laws, G.N. No. 294 of 2022 (the Laws) which are built below section 6 (1) of the Foreign Trade Act, Cap 217 R.E. 2002, as amended (the Act).
Application of the Rules
The Laws govern, among the other matters, all issues relating to dealing in foreign forex and gold latest account transactions and money and economic account transactions.
Some significant definitions to choose take note of less than the Restrictions include things like:
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- Money account transaction – described as cash or money stream which alters the belongings or liabilities, including contingent liabilities, outside the United Republic of Tanzania (the URT), of a human being resident in the URT, or belongings or liabilities in the URT of a individual resident outside the house the URT.
- Present account transaction – defined as together with payment for merchandise and solutions imported or exported and small-term credit rating amenities in the normal course of enterprise payments for or receipts of coupon, dividends, fascination on financial loans and net cash flow from investments or remittances to or from overseas for dwelling expenses, vacation, training, healthcare treatment, insurance plan, retirement added benefits, consultancy charges and other expenditures of identical nature.
- Resident – defined as a man or woman who resides consecutively or whose centre of predominant financial curiosity is in the URT for twelve months or more.
- Approved territory – defined as a member country of the East African Neighborhood (EAC) or the Southern African Progress Neighborhood (SADC).




Working in foreign forex and gold
The Laws allow any man or woman no matter whether a resident or non-resident to hold, market and acquire international currency from a bank, monetary establishment or bureau de change, or to open up and retain a overseas forex account with a bank or money institution inside of the URT. Yet, the Rules pose a restriction when investing overseas currency exterior the interbank foreign trade current market. This implies that banks functioning within the URT are permitted to trade overseas currencies no matter if instantly or by way of digital platforms, however, when these types of exchange is performed with a financial institution functioning exterior Tanzania, it will be carried out as prescribed by the Lender of Tanzania (the BoT).
It is vital to notice that the Restrictions prohibit a resident from opening and retaining an account outdoors the URT apart from for settlement of securities in the recommended territory or wherever holding this sort of account is permitted by the Governor of the BoT(the Governor).
With regards to travelling outside the house the URT, the Rules limit travelling with an quantity equivalent to more than USD 10,000 (about TZS 23,200,000) and further pose a declaratory obligation to everyone moving into or leaving the URT with international forex exceeding USD 10,000 (around TZS 23,200,000) or its equal.[1]
Current account transactions
To aid cross border trade, the Regulations permit the expatriation and receipt of overseas currencies in the URT from neighbouring nations supplied this kind of is accomplished as for every the directives of the BoT. The Rules offer a prerequisite of the existence of an account romance concerning an exporter and a lender or fiscal institution for there to be a sale of international forex from the exporter to the financial institution or fiscal institution. With respect to payments for imports, an importer is essential to have an account romantic relationship with a lender or financial establishment just before direct advance payments for imports are manufactured.
Whilst endeavor export transactions, an exporter is necessary to acquire all proceeds from the export in an account held in a lender or fiscal institution in the URT and furnish all pertinent exportation files within 7 days soon after the completion of customs export treatments. The Rules demand exporters to guarantee that all proceeds from export transactions are compensated in the agreed interval and not later than 90 days except if good reasons for delayed payment are offered and the envisioned timeframe for this sort of payment is stipulated.
All varieties of export of overseas currency undertaken by financial institutions or money institutions are exclusively dependent on the consent of the Governor. This sort of consent is also required wherever any human being in the URT wishes to offer in gold or export notes or coins which have at any time been authorized tender in the URT.
When dealing with imports, the Restrictions need all payments for imports to be made via banking institutions or monetary institutions unless of course the value of an import consignment does not exceed USD 10,000 (about TZS 23,200,000). When producing immediate payments, the financial institution or economic institution ought to assure that the pertinent supporting files are obtained from the importer. In an occasion the place a financial institution or fiscal establishment tends to make direct progress payments for imports, it shall be essential to make certain that the importer has an account relationship with a lender or monetary institution just as it is the circumstance for exporters.
The Restrictions permit outward remittances by any human being in the URT delivered it is finished by way of a financial institution, economical institution or a cellular funds operator. Outward remittances can be undertaken upon fulfilling particular supporting documents depending on the intent for which this sort of remittance is designed. For example, when it will come to remittances by expatriates, banking companies and monetary establishments are expected to obtain from the applicant pertinent work contracts and operate permits. A cellular dollars operator on the other hand can make outward remittances in just the approved territory with out supporting documents, furnished good reasons for remittance are delivered and this kind of remittance does not exceed the limit amount per transaction per working day as approved by the appropriate authorities.
Funds account and economic account transactions
When dealing in economical securities, coupon or participatory legal rights in a collective expenditure plan, the Polices let a resident to buy, concern, promote or transfer the very same to a resident of a prescribed territory. As it now stands, a resident might remit resources for the uses of purchasing securities or participatory legal rights in a collective investment decision plan or of an issuer who is building a community situation in a recommended territory, nonetheless, they shall not remit money for buy of participatory legal rights in the collective investment decision plan issued by a man or woman who is not licensed by the appropriate authority in the prescribed territory. A non-resident, on the other hand, may perhaps remit cash for functions of paying for traded securities of a mentioned corporation, or of an issuer in respect of which the issuer is generating a general public situation.
Pursuant to the Laws, a non-resident shall not buy, market or transfer governing administration securities except if he is a resident of a approved territory or a citizen of the URT in the diaspora.
Also, it is important to notice that a non-resident is demanded to keep a securities settlement account with a lender or financial establishment or appoint a custodian in the URT via which all payments and proceeds attained from securities transactions can be manufactured and acquired respectively.
Pursuant to the Polices, all securities transactions in Tanzania are carried out by means of a licenced dealing member of an accepted stock exchange in the URT and the BoT in circumstance of Governing administration securities.
Also, the Laws manage a resident accessibility to credit score lodging from a non-resident presented it is completed via a lender or money establishment. Where by Overseas Credit rating Accommodation (FCA) to a resident exceeds 365 days, the underlying FCA settlement will have to be registered with the BoT within just 14 times of execution and assigned a Personal debt Registration Number (DRN). The DRN will be the reference for any disbursement, financial debt assistance and any other transaction related to the FCA. It is essential to be aware as perfectly that, the place proceeds of the FCA are compensated by the financial institution instantly to the supplier of machinery, machines or any other items and services devoid of the involvement of a lender or financial institution registered in the URT and the FCA continues to be unregistered for much more than 14 days, a penalty of Tanzania Shillings a person million (roughly USD 430) will be imposed on the borrower for each and every day the FCA continues to be unregistered.
It is supplied beneath the Regulations that the BoT will not sign-up a FCA arrangement if it consists of:
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- curiosity prices and other expenses that do not reflect the prevailing market place ailments for the applicable forex of borrowing and
- ailments precedent necessitating the borrower to open up a international currency account outdoors the URT.


In relation to outward immediate investment and acquisition of serious estate, a resident may perhaps remit money for the goal of engaging in the same if the expense is undertaken in the recommended territory, the remittance is effected by means of a bank or money establishment and related supporting files are submitted to the financial institution or fiscal acceptance. Need to the resident wish to have interaction in outward immediate investment decision and acquisition of real estate outside the house the prescribed territory prior approval have to be sought by the BoT.
In a nutshell, the monitoring and enforcement of the Polices is accomplished by the BoT in collaboration with legislation enforcement companies which may, from time-to-time request to be furnished with needed documentation and data relating to compliance with the Laws. Enforcement mechanisms contain fines and penalties which are in accordance with the Act.
Be sure to be aware that the Restrictions revoke the International Exchange Restrictions of 1998 and the Overseas Trade (Listed Securities) Polices of 2003.
Should you call for even further info, be sure to do not be reluctant to get in touch with Tenda Msinjili and Amreen Ayub
[1] The Anti-Money Laundering (Cross Border Declaration of Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments) Restrictions, G.N. No. 268 of 2016