RegAlert

Tanzania: fintech & payments regulation — 2026-08

Partially regulated

BoT licenses MNOs for e-money; MFAs regulate digital lenders; no standalone VASP regime

Frozen snapshot — the guide as it stood at the end of 2026-08. See the live guide for the current state.

Tanzania regulates digital finance through the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) under the National Payment Systems Act (NPSA) and the Microfinance Act (MFA). The BoT restricts e-money issuance to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and banks, effectively banning standalone e-money wallets. Digital lending is supervised by the BoT under the Tier 2 Microfinance Service Provider framework. Payment processing and remittance are conducted by licensed financial institutions or bureaux de change.

Which licence do you need?

Your activityRequirementCapitalTimelineAuthority
Payment processing / gatewayLicencePayment Service Provider

Licensed to banks and MFAs; no standalone gateway license

——Bank of Tanzania
E-money & wallet issuanceRestrictedElectronic Money Issuer[1]

Restricted to MNOs and banks; no new non-MNO licenses

——Bank of Tanzania
Domestic money transferLicenceTier 2 Microfinance Service Provider[2][3]

Digital lenders must register as Tier 2 MFAs

TZS 20m—Bank of Tanzania
Cross-border remittanceLicenceBureau de Change[4]

Bureaux de Change handle cross-border FX/remittance

TZS 1m—Bank of Tanzania
Agent networkLicenceAgent Banking[2]

Requires prior approval from licensed financial institution

——Bank of Tanzania
Open banking / account informationUncertainverify with regulator

No specific open banking framework identified

———
Foreign-exchange servicesLicenceBureau de Change[4]

Tiered capital for FX bureaus

TZS 1m—Bank of Tanzania

New — what changed recently

  • 2025-01-01Zanzibar Microfinance Service Regulations — Established four-tier licensing framework for microfinance in Zanzibar under the 2023 Act.[5]
  • 2024-09-04Capital Markets Regulatory Sandbox Regulations — Established a tailored testing framework for innovative capital markets fintech solutions.[6]
  • 2024-01-01Guidance Note on Digital Lenders — Mandated Tier 2 MFAs to notify BoT of digital lending platforms and secure no-objection letters.[2]

Market-entry checklist

  1. 1Register as Tier 2 MFAIncorporate locally and maintain TZS 20m capital to operate digital lending or payment services.
  2. 2Secure BoT LicenseApply for Tier 2 Microfinance Service Provider license from the Bank of Tanzania.
  3. 3Register for AMLRegister with the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for anti-money laundering compliance.
  4. 4Obtain TRA PINRegister with the Tanzania Revenue Authority for tax compliance and identification.
  5. 5Open Corporate AccountOpen a corporate bank account to hold statutory capital and operational funds.

Sources

  1. Restriction on Issuance of Electronic Money Licenses · 2020-12-18
  2. Guidelines on Agent Banking for Banks and Financial Institutions, 2017 · 2017-01-01
  3. Guidance Note on Change of Ownership, Lease of Licence and Closure of Business by Licensed Microfinance Service Providers (2025)
  4. The Foreign Exchange (Bureau de Change) Regulations 2023
  5. The Zanzibar Microfinance Service (Non-Deposit Taking Microfinance Service Providers) Regulations, 2025 · 2025-06-13
  6. Capital Markets and Securities (Regulatory Sandbox) Regulations 2024 · 2024-09-04