Tanzania: BRELA company search, fees and beneficial ownership

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · Countries

Companies in Tanzania register with the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) through its Online Registration System (ORS) ^2,5. A free ORS search shows a company's incorporation number, address and status ². A search to locate a company file costs TSh 5,000 and a company information extract costs TSh 30,000 ¹. Companies must file beneficial ownership information electronically, and BRELA blocks transactions for companies that have not filed ⁴. The regulations require the Registrar to keep this information confidential from the public ³.

Registry: Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) ⁵
Company services system: ORS at ors.brela.go.tz ⁵
Free lookup: Incorporation number, address and status ²
Search of a company file: TSh 5,000 ¹
Company information extract: TSh 30,000 ¹
Beneficial ownership filing: Online at bo.brela.go.tz ⁴

Searching the register

The ORS start page has a free search that needs no login. It returns a business name registration number, or a company incorporation number, address and status ². Only records registered or updated through ORS appear in it ².

Registered ORS users can order short or detailed extracts on business names, companies, licences, marks and patents ². Payment is by Tigo Pesa, M-Pesa, or in person at CRDB or NMB banks ².

Which BRELA system to use

From 8 April 2026 BRELA moved new business name and industrial licence applications to a new system, BRELA Online Services (BOS), at bos.brela.go.tz ⁵. Company registration, patents and trade and service marks stay on ORS at ors.brela.go.tz ⁵.

To register a company, applicants log in to ORS or create an account, and give each shareholder's NIDA national ID number ⁶. BRELA lists +255 22 2212800 and [email protected] for questions ⁶.

Fees

BRELA publishes its company fees in Tanzanian shillings. The page does not state the date the fees took effect ¹.

Item	Fee
Search to locate a company file ¹	TSh 5,000 ¹
Extract, specific report on company information ¹	TSh 30,000 ¹
Certifying any document, per page ¹	TSh 3,000 ¹
Certified copy of certificate of incorporation or compliance ¹	TSh 10,000 ¹
Annual return ¹	TSh 22,000 ¹

Beneficial ownership rules

In a public notice of 6 January 2026, BRELA said owners of all companies registered in Tanzania must submit beneficial ownership information ⁴. Filing is electronic through bo.brela.go.tz ⁴. The notice cites section 469 of the Companies Act, Cap. 212, revised edition of 2023, and Beneficial Ownership Regulations of 2023 in Government Notice No. 714 of 22 September 2023 ⁴.

A company that has not filed cannot carry out any transaction with the Registrar of Companies. Blocked transactions include annual returns, changes of particulars, company searches, registration of charges, document perusal and certification of documents ⁴. The notice gives no deadline and no fine ⁴.

The beneficial ownership regulations posted on the BRELA website are the Companies (Beneficial Ownership) Regulations, 2021, Government Notice No. 391 published on 14 May 2021 ³. They define a beneficial owner by tests of substantial control, substantial economic interest and significant control or influence, with no percentage threshold ³.

A person who stops being a beneficial owner is reported within 30 days ³.
Changes in beneficial ownership are filed within 30 days of the change ³.
Offences under the 2021 regulations carry a fine of TSh 5,000,000 to TSh 10,000,000 ³.
Regulation 11 requires the Registrar and other officers to keep the information confidential from persons not entitled to it and from the public ³.

Common questions

Is there a free company search in Tanzania?

Yes. The ORS start page offers a free search showing a company's incorporation number, address and status, for records registered or updated through ORS ².

How much does a BRELA company extract cost?

BRELA lists TSh 30,000 for a specific report on company information and TSh 5,000 for a search to locate a company file ¹.

Can the public see beneficial owners in Tanzania?

The 2021 regulations require the Registrar to keep beneficial ownership information confidential from the public and from persons not entitled to it ³.

What happens if a company has not filed beneficial ownership information?

BRELA said on 6 January 2026 that such a company cannot carry out any transaction with the Registrar, including searches and certification of documents ⁴.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

Beneficial ownership registers explained
What beneficial ownership registers hold, what FATF Recommendation 24 asks of countries, and how a 2022 EU court ruling changed public access.
Kenya: Business Registration Service search and beneficial ownership
Kenya Business Registration Service: how to order an official search (formerly CR12) on eCitizen, the fee, and who can see beneficial ownership data.
South Sudan: the Business Registry at the Ministry of Justice
South Sudan's business registry sits in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Little is published online on searches, fees or owners.