In Tanzania, the regulation of self-employment for non-citizens—including refugees and stateless persons—is shaped by both legal requirements and a broader policy framework that prioritizes state control over refugee mobility and economic participation. While the Immigration Act of 1995 and the Non-Citizens (Employment Regulation) Act of 2015 require permits for self-employment, these are rarely accessible to refugees due to their legal status and the practical limitations of the encampment policy outlined in the National Refugee Policy of 2003.

This policy confines refugees to designated camps, effectively isolating them from markets, customers, and supply chains needed to run businesses. In reality, self-employment by refugees tends to occur informally within camps or nearby host communities, often under the umbrella of humanitarian-led livelihood programs rather than through formal registration or licensing. Stateless persons, who lack legal recognition altogether, face even fewer avenues for lawful self-employment, operating in a legal grey zone without a clear regulatory pathway. Overall, self-employment for these groups is permitted in theory but remains heavily restricted by spatial, administrative, and practical constraints.