Date of publication:

08/21/2025

United Republic of Tanzania (the)

Do domestic laws and policies provide access to travel documents and entry/exit visas for family members of forcibly displaced and stateless persons for the purpose of family reunification? 

ANALYSIS

Assessment by population

Assessment by population
Refugees
Asylum-seekers
Analysis

Tanzania’s domestic laws provide mechanisms for refugees to obtain travel documents; however, they do not explicitly address the provision of travel documentation or entry/exit visas for family members seeking family reunification. In practice, the issuance of entry visas for family members of refugees has not occurred at all since mid-2019. While the Refugees Act of 1998 outlines procedures for family reunification, the necessary travel documents and entry/exit visas for family members have not been consistently provided, limiting their ability to reunite with refugees in Tanzania. This gap in the legal and practical application has created significant challenges for refugees attempting to bring their families to join them in the country.

    LAW & POLICY

    Related provisions of domestic law or policy

    Passports and Travel Documents Act

    Legal provision

    Section 17.1 - Revocation of Passports and Travel Documents

    The Director may, where— (e)it is in the national interest or national security, at anytime revoke the passport or travel document granted or issued to the holder.

    Section 8.6 - Validity of passports and travel documents

    A Geneva convention travel document shall be valid for all countries for a period of two years subject to renewal for another two years, provided that, the total period shall not exceed eight years in aggregate.