Search and document delivery at a glance
- Search online
- Basic search at BRELA and BPRA requires no account. Standard and tailored information use separate account routes. [12] [15] [16] [17] [3] [4] [6] [7] [8] [9]
- Search language
- The free BRELA search is available in English and Swahili. It covers companies and business names registered in ORS or transferred to it. [21]
- Digital documents
- Not specified
- Document language
- Not specified
- Paper and collection
- Not specified
- International delivery
- Not specified
- Fees at a glance
- Basic search free; Zanzibar standard search: TZS 20,000
- Access
- Guest basic search; account for document applications
Choose the right register
Company research in Tanzania involves two separate registry jurisdictions. The Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) serves the mainland. The Zanzibar Business and Property Registration Agency (BPRA) operates a separate portal for Zanzibar. [1] [2] [10]
The free result list identifies an entity through its number, name, address and status. For directors, ownership or individual filings, continue to the information service or request the relevant documents. [6] [7] [15] [16]
Free mainland search for name, number, address and status.
Start here for standard and custom searches; sign in through E-services for registered users.
An additional official BRELA portal with information services and its own account entry point.
Free Zanzibar search by name or registration number.
Entry point for short or detailed standard extracts and tailor-made information after signing in.
Official 2025 fee schedule and forms in the Companies Regulations.
Names and abbreviations explained
- BRELABusiness Registrations and Licensing Agency
- The mainland registration and licensing agency. ORS provides the company-search route; the agency also links to BOS. [1] [2] [5] [6]
- BPRAZanzibar Business and Property Registration Agency
- Zanzibar’s separate registration agency. ORSZ is its Online Registration System Zanzibar. [10] [15]
- ORS / BOSOnline Registration System / BRELA Online Services
- Two portals linked by BRELA. ORS provides a free company search. BOS offers information services and other applications. [1] [5] [6]
- Annual ReturnAnnual registry return
- A dated return of company particulars. It is not a set of annual accounts, although accounts and reports may have to accompany it. [2] [11]
- Certified copy / CTCCertified true copy
- A copy certified as true to a document held by the registry. Certification confirms correspondence with that document; a result displayed on screen is different. [2] [11] [12]
- Memorandum and Articles of AssociationConstitutional documents
- Documents setting out the company’s legal constitution and internal rules. BPRA has a separate certified-copy tariff for these documents. [2] [12] [13]
- Beneficial ownerPerson with ultimate beneficial ownership or control
- A natural person with a beneficial economic interest or significant control. This person need not be the shareholder named in the register of members. [18]
Search step by step
Search the mainland register for free
Choose the entity category
Open Free search in BRELA ORS. Choose Company for a company. Business name is the separate category for a registered business name. [6] [7]
Enter a name or number
Enter the company name in Company name. If you know the number, use Incorporation/Compliance number. Click Search. [7]
Identify the correct result
Compare the name and address. Record the Object number and Status. Name searches also match character sequences within longer words. Use the registration number to identify the entity precisely. [7]
Use the file-search route if necessary
The free search contains only companies registered in ORS or already transferred into it. For other records, use Request for a custom search result with an account or request a file search at a BRELA office. [7]
Request detailed information from BRELA
Use an activated ORS account
Open E-services for registered users. BRELA’s guide directs users through New E Service to Information Services. Choose Request for standard search result or Request for custom search result. [4] [6]
Specify what you need
For a standard search, enter the company number and select the available questions. For a custom search, choose Tailor Made, locate the number and describe the requested information in Description of the search. For a document request, also specify the document type and reporting year. [4] [2]
Check delivery and price
The custom search includes Delivery Mode. Representation Statement follows for your declaration of the capacity in which you act. Before paying, check the generated payment order and the price of that particular service. [4] [3]
Retrieve the response
BRELA’s guide says standard search responses are generated automatically after payment. For custom requests, check Applications: View opens the response or letter once processed. [4]
Search Zanzibar and request documents
Open BPRA’s separate search
Open Search for Registration number in ORSZ. The fields are Business entity type, Registration number and Name. Enter the name or known registration number and click Search. [15] [16]
Record the Zanzibar number
Results show Business entity name, Registration number, Address and State. State means the registration status here. Record the correct entity’s number. The list covers only entities registered or re-registered in ORSZ. [16]
Choose an extract or certified copy
Sign in to Information services with an activated ORSZ account. A standard search provides a short or detailed extract; a custom request is called Tailor-made. For a certified copy, specify the exact document. Memorandum and Articles have a different tariff from other company documents. [15] [11] [12]
Confirm a usable payment route
ORSZ lists PBZ bank-counter payment and PBZ Mobile Banking. Its start page currently marks bank cards and Mobile Money as inactive. Before ordering from abroad, establish that you can use the payment method offered. [15]
Documents and fees
| Document / information | Contents and purpose | Fee | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainland: free basic search [6] [7] | Number, company name, address and status for entities covered by ORS. | Free. | BRELA ORS, Free search, without signing in. |
| Mainland: standard extract or custom search report [3] [4] [6] [22] | Short or detailed registry information, or answers to the specific research questions submitted. | Special company information report: TZS 30,000. For a standard extract, use the amount in the ORS payment order. | ORS account, Information Services, Standard search or Custom search/Tailor Made. |
| Mainland: file inspection [2] [3] [7] [22] | Inspection of documents kept by the registrar, subject to statutory exceptions for particular material. | A company-file search costs TZS 5,000. Ask the registrar for the charge for subsequent inspection. | Request inspection from the relevant BRELA registry; use Custom search or the office for records not migrated to ORS. |
| Mainland: certified copy [2] [3] [22] | Certified content of a specified registered document or extract. Identify the document type and year required. | Certification: TZS 3,000 per page. Request the total including the copy for the specified document. | Request a certified copy or certified extract from the registrar. |
| Mainland: incorporation-certificate copy [2] [3] [22] | Certificate of Incorporation as evidence of incorporation; not a current list of all shareholders. | TZS 10,000 for the copy. Separate document certification costs TZS 3,000 per page. | Request the copy from the registrar using the company number. |
| Zanzibar: free basic search [16] | Registration number, name, address and status of an entity covered by ORSZ. | Free. | BPRA ORSZ, Search for Registration number, without signing in. |
| Zanzibar: standard search [12] [15] | A standard search, described by the portal as a short or detailed extract. | TZS 20,000 under the 2025 company tariff. | Activated ORSZ account, Information services. |
| Zanzibar: custom search [12] [15] [16] | Custom search or Tailor-made information addressing a specified question. | TZS 30,000 under the 2025 company tariff. | Activated ORSZ account; for older records absent from the public list, the search page also directs users to manual procedures at BPRA’s office. |
| Zanzibar: document inspection [11] [12] | Perusal search of a document, meaning inspection of a registered document. | TZS 50,000 under the 2025 company tariff. | Apply to BPRA for the specified company file or document. |
| Zanzibar: provision of a certified copy [11] [12] | Provision of a certified copy of a company registry document. | TZS 15,000; Memorandum and Articles of Association TZS 30,000, 2025 tariff. | Ask BPRA specifically to provide a certified copy of the requested document. |
| Zanzibar: certification as a separate service [12] | Certification of a registered document, distinct from the tariff for providing a certified copy. | TZS 10,000; Memorandum and Articles TZS 25,000, 2025 tariff. | Specify Certification when applying to BPRA. Do not equate this with copy provision or automatically add the two tariffs. |
Mainland and Zanzibar are separate jurisdictions
The mainland Companies Act expressly excludes Zanzibar from its territorial definition. BRELA distinguishes local private and public companies and foreign companies. BPRA administers Zanzibar’s separate company registration. Start with the place of registration and number on the company’s documents. [1] [2] [10]
A registered Business name is a different search category from Company. The BPRA document fees below come from the company section of the tariff. The schedule has separate entries for business names. [7] [12] [15]
Documents that add substance to a search
For directors and registered shareholders, the mainland annual return is useful. It covers the registered office, company type, activities, directors and company secretary. Directors manage the company; the company secretary performs the statutory corporate-administration role. Companies with share capital also report classes of shares, holders and transfers. [2]
The latest return alone may not give a complete shareholder list: section 133(6) permits a changes-only return in specified circumstances. In that case, request the most recent full list and subsequent changes. [2]
Third parties can ask the relevant registrar to inspect registered documents and obtain certified copies or extracts. Some offer-document supporting material has a time limit or requires permission. Access to certain receivers’ statements of affairs can be limited to a summary unless the requester has the specified member or creditor capacity. [2] [11]
Accounts and orders from abroad
Both public result lists are accessible without an account or identity details. Formal online applications in ORS and ORSZ require a registered, activated account. Both account forms offer foreign nationalities. German applicants use their passport instead of a local identity number. [7] [8] [16] [17]
The forms require personal and contact details. ORS also asks for the passport’s issuing country. Registration includes a CAPTCHA and terms; the portal then describes email activation. [8] [17]
BOS also exposes a passport route for foreign nationalities. It advertises Visa and Mastercard as well as mobile-money and bank payments. This statement applies to BOS. It must not be carried over to Zanzibar’s ORSZ, which currently marks cards and Mobile Money as inactive. [5] [9] [15]
Annual returns and annual accounts
On the mainland, section 135 generally requires the accounts presented to the company, the auditor’s report and the directors’ report to accompany the annual return. It excludes certain audit-exempt private companies and certain unlimited companies. [2]
In Zanzibar, section 132 requires balance-sheet documents and accompanying auditor’s and directors’ reports with the annual return. Documents in another language require a certified English or Kiswahili translation. Ask BPRA for the filed balance sheet and reports for the particular year. The free result list does not provide an accounts download. [11] [16]
Annual-return filing fees are paid by the companies making the filings. They are not prices for buying another company’s returns or accounts. For research, use the applicable information, inspection or copy service. [3] [12]
Registered shareholders and beneficial owners
On the mainland, the registrar keeps a separate beneficial-ownership register. Access under section 457 and regulation 7 of the 2023 beneficial-ownership regulations is for specified competent authorities on written request. The ordinary free company search does not provide access to that register. [2] [18]
The company’s own register of members and beneficial owners is distinct. Section 121 provides for inspection or a copy request directed to the company. Regulation 6 restricts its use and disclosure of beneficial-ownership information to statutory and other listed grounds. Address such a request to the company and identify the legal basis. This is not an automatic BRELA download. [2] [18]
In Zanzibar, the fee schedule includes beneficial-ownership declarations and changes. These are company filings. The free ORSZ search does not show people who own or control the entity. For ownership research, first request the specific shareholder records. [12] [16] [11]
Fees by service and registry
Zanzibar’s 2025 fee regulations expressly revoke the old fee schedule in the Companies Regulations 2017. Company standard searches cost TZS 20,000, custom searches TZS 30,000 and perusal TZS 50,000. Providing a certified copy costs TZS 15,000; for Memorandum and Articles, TZS 30,000. Certification alone has a separate tariff. [12] [19]
On the mainland, BRELA lists TZS 5,000 for searching for a company file and TZS 30,000 for a special company information report. A copy of the incorporation certificate or Certificate of Compliance costs TZS 10,000. Document certification costs TZS 3,000 per page. [22]
Zanzibar: processing where compliance is outstanding
Under Directive No. 1 of 2026, BPRA checks outstanding obligations before processing requests from companies, business proprietors or their representatives. These include overdue annual returns, missing filings and statutory penalties. The directive also covers information requests. A request made for the company may therefore be held until its obligations are met. Public guest search is separately accessible. [14] [16]
Official samples and reading guides
BPRA: blank Form 01 as a reading aid
The official blank template begins on PDF page 24 (printed page 608). It shows the layout of company registration, changes and annual-return particulars. Its placeholders help readers understand later file copies. It is not a completed register extract. The old fee schedule in the same PDF was replaced in 2025. [13] [12]
Avoid common mistakes
- Both public searches limit their coverage to electronically registered or transferred entities. [7] [16]
- BRELA and BPRA numbers belong to different registry routes. Check the responsible authority even if a company’s name contains the word Zanzibar. [2] [7] [10] [16]
- A search report, inspection and certified copy are different services. Free result lists do not supply certified documents. [2] [3] [11] [12]
- Do not use Zanzibar’s old search fees from the schedule to the Companies Regulations 2017. The 2025 fee regulations expressly revoked that schedule. [12] [13]
- Identity requirements for incorporating your own company are not general conditions for a free search about somebody else’s company. The public searches do not ask for those details. [1] [7] [16]
Frequently asked questions
Can I research from Germany without a Tanzanian identity card?
Free company search is available in both portals without an identity document or account. For further services, the account forms offer a passport route for foreign applicants. [7] [8] [9] [16] [17]
Which register should I use for a Zanzibar company?
BPRA and its ORSZ portal. The BRELA route under the mainland Companies Act excludes Zanzibar. Follow the registration stated on the company’s own documents. [2] [10] [15]
Does the free search show shareholders or directors?
Results list the number, name, address and status. For people and ownership details, obtain detailed information or relevant filings. On the mainland, the Annual Return is a useful source. Read individual amendment filings alongside the preceding complete information. [7] [16] [2]
How much is a certified copy in Zanzibar?
Under the 2025 tariff, providing a certified copy of an ordinary company document costs TZS 15,000. Memorandum and Articles cost TZS 30,000. Certification alone is a separate service with different charges. [12]
Original sources
Sources reviewed: 15 September 2026. The guidance is based on the linked information published by registers and public authorities.
- BRELA: Company registration and official service links BRELA
- Companies Act, Cap. 212, Revised Edition 2023 Government of Tanzania, published by BRELA
- BRELA: Ada za Kampuni (company fees) BRELA
- BRELA: Jinsi ya kuomba taarifa rasmi za kampuni na majina ya biashara BRELA
- BRELA Online Services (BOS) BRELA
- BRELA ORS: information services and free search BRELA
- BRELA ORS: public company search BRELA
- BRELA ORS: foreign-national account form BRELA
- BOS: foreign-national registration form BRELA
- Zanzibar Business and Property Registration Agency BPRA
- Zanzibar Companies Act No. 15 of 2013 Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, published by BPRA
- BPRA Fees and Charges Regulations, 2025 Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, published by BPRA
- Zanzibar Companies Regulations, 2017: official blank Form No. 01 Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, published by BPRA
- BPRA Directive No. 1 of 2026: compliance clearance BPRA
- BPRA ORSZ: information services, accounts and payment BPRA
- BPRA ORSZ: public registration-number search BPRA
- BPRA ORSZ: foreign-national account form BPRA
- Companies (Beneficial Ownership) Regulations, 2023, GN 478 Office of the Attorney General
- BPRA: current regulations collection BPRA
- BOS: sign-in screen BRELA
- BRELA: English and Swahili search form BRELA
- Ada za Kampuni: company fees Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA)