Importing medicines into Tanzania

The regulator

The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) regulates medicines in Tanzania Mainland under the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Act (Cap 219). Section 73 of the Act gives TMDA its mandate over imports and exports. TMDA's import and export control page sets out the main rules:

• Importers must register their premises with TMDA before applying for permits.
• Recognised importer categories are government and non-government institutions, importing wholesalers, manufacturers, clinical trial sponsors and investigators, and recipients of donations.
• Applications are lodged on TMDA's online trader portal, at least six weeks before loading.
• Narcotic drugs are imported only by the Medical Stores Department. Other facilities need a TMDA permit before buying them from that department.

TMDA also publishes a list of registered importing wholesalers for 2025 to 2026. The rules on this page cover Tanzania Mainland. Zanzibar has its own regulator, so confirm the route for consignments going there.

Legal routes for unregistered medicines

Special permit under section 57(1)

TMDA issues a special permit to allow import of an unregistered product. Hospitals, healthcare providers, government institutions, clinical trial staff and members of the public importing for personal use can apply. TMDA's import guidelines (fourth edition, January 2021) list the conditions for an unregistered medicine:

• A covering letter stating the reasons and a certificate of analysis for each product.
• For a health facility, a supporting letter and local purchase order from that facility.
• No registered therapeutic equivalent, or a registered equivalent that TMDA confirms has not been imported for at least six months.
• Manufacture in a TMDA-approved GMP facility.

Special requests are processed within seven working days, against one day for standard permits.

Personal use, trials and donations

A personal-use permit needs a prescription from a registered practitioner and, if TMDA asks, a letter giving the reasons. Visitors and returning residents may carry up to 21 days of their own medicine. Investigational products are imported by the sponsor or principal investigator with TMDA's clinical trial approval letter. Donations need a donation certificate and must follow the Ministry of Health donation guidelines.

Documents a buyer usually needs

• TMDA special permit or import permit, printed from the portal
• TMDA premises registration of the importer
• Covering letter with reasons, and the facility's supporting letter and local purchase order
• Prescription from a registered practitioner, for personal-use imports
• Proforma invoice and commercial invoice, with the original proforma travelling with the goods
• Certificate of analysis for each batch
• Evidence of TMDA GMP approval for the manufacturing site
• Air waybill

Timeline: a worked example

A private hospital in Dar es Salaam needs a biologic for a rare disease. The product has no registered equivalent in Tanzania.

Total: roughly 2 to 5 weeks if the manufacturing site already has TMDA GMP approval. If it does not, expect a much longer lead time. These are planning estimates built on TMDA's published targets.

Shipping lanes from India

Air Tanzania operates a daily Dar es Salaam to Mumbai service, and IndiGo has announced daily Mumbai to Dar es Salaam flights from 20 November 2026, subject to approvals. Medicines enter through authorised ports such as Julius Nyerere International Airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport and the Dar es Salaam sea port. Express courier service is usually 3 to 6 days door to door. Air cargo is usually 4 to 9 days including TMDA inspection and customs.

CIP, CPT and DAP to Dar es Salaam are common, and FCA suits importers that use their own forwarder.

Practical tips for buyers

• Check TMDA GMP approval for the manufacturing site first. Without it, a special permit for an unregistered product is unlikely.
• Remaining shelf life must be at least 60 percent for products with a shelf life over 24 months, and at least 80 percent for shorter-dated products.
• Each consignment must travel with the permit, the original proforma invoice, the commercial invoice, the air waybill and a certificate of analysis for each batch.
• TMDA may sample antimalarials, antiretrovirals, anti-tuberculosis medicines and antibiotics at the port for quality testing.
• Duty on HS 3004 medicines is 0 percent under the East African Community tariff according to World Bank WITS data. The VAT Act (Cap 148) exempts essential human medicines approved by the responsible Minister. Other imports pay the standard 18 percent VAT.