Tanzania removes Nigerians from referral visa list as business links expand

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Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has removed Nigerian nationals from its Referred Visa Category, eliminating an additional immigration clearance requirement and easing the process for Nigerian travellers at a time when the two countries are seeking to deepen trade and investment ties.

The Tanzania Immigration Services Department announced the change on September 25, 2026, following amendments published in Government Gazette No. 246 of 2026. Tanzania’s High Commission in Abuja subsequently confirmed the measure.

The change does not introduce visa-free travel for Nigerian citizens. Instead, Nigerian passport holders are no longer subject to the additional referral procedure that previously required applications to undergo further approval before travel.

Under Tanzania’s former rules, applicants in the referral category were advised to apply at least two months before departure and wait for approval before committing to flights, accommodation or other travel arrangements.

The policy shift comes as Dar es Salaam and Abuja seek to build stronger commercial links.

A Tanzania-Nigeria Investment and Business Forum held in Lagos on March 9 brought together government officials, investors and business leaders to identify opportunities across agriculture, energy, tourism, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.

Further business engagement followed in Abuja on March 17, while Tanzania has also pursued investment discussions with Nigerian companies. A memorandum of understanding signed during the Abuja business forum was aimed at expanding bilateral trade and promoting value-added agricultural exports.

For businesses, the removal of the referral requirement could reduce administrative lead times for executives, investors and other legitimate travellers moving between the two markets. It may also support Tanzania’s efforts to attract more Nigerian capital and strengthen connections with one of West Africa’s largest commercial markets.

The measure comes alongside a broader Tanzanian push to deepen its investment relationship with Nigeria. In August, Tanzania’s government highlighted its strategic investment partnership with the Dangote Group, underscoring the growing commercial links between the two economies.

The immediate economic impact of the visa change is likely to be modest, but its significance lies in reducing friction in cross-border mobility.

For Tanzania and Nigeria, where trade and investment remain below the potential suggested by the size of their economies, easier movement of business people can become an important enabler of deeper commercial ties.

The policy therefore represents less a change in Tanzania’s visa regime than a targeted removal of an administrative barrier along an emerging Tanzania-Nigeria business corridor.