Frequently asked questions about Fumba Town and Zanzibar.

In a meeting with our investment advisers, we show you all available properties, their locations in the city's master plan and the different floor plans. Once you transfer a reservation fee, the property is blocked for you. After that:

• About 4 days after the reservation fee, you receive your individual contract.
• You have 30 days to return the signed contract.
• 30 days after signing, you transfer the first instalment. You then receive a document from the government authority ZIPA securing your claim to the property, similar to a priority notice of conveyance.

Once your first instalment has been received, ZIPA issues you a document comparable to a priority notice of conveyance. After full payment, ZIPA issues a title deed and an investment certificate. You are then the 100 % owner of the house or apartment you bought.

At the same time, you receive a leasehold on the land, or an ownership share in the case of apartment buildings, for 99 years. The term starts when the deed is issued.

Yes. You need an extract from the commercial register showing the shareholders. If there are several shareholders, one shareholder and their family can apply for the Golden Visa for two years at a time. After that, the same or another person from the company can apply for the visa again.

Payment is made by international bank transfer. Transfers from Europe, and from Germany in particular, are common practice. In rare cases, your bank may ask for additional documents such as the purchase contract. You will receive these as part of the purchase process.

If you live in Germany, foreign transfers of 50,000 € or more must be reported. The report is made by phone to the Bundesbank.

Returns come from value growth and rental income. In recent years, average value growth was around 10 % a year, and 20 to 30 % in sought-after locations. Long-term rentals can yield around 5 %, short-term rentals 15 % and more.

For short-term rentals in particular, the furnishing of the apartment matters. That is why we offer high-quality furniture packages, and some properties can be bought fully furnished.

These figures are based on past experience and are not a promise. Actual returns depend on location, property, furnishing and market development.

An example for illustration: a studio is rented out for 240 nights a year at 150 USD per night and earns 36,000 USD. Of this, around 21,600 USD goes to the owner, 7,200 USD to the management and 7,200 USD to taxes (around 10 % on rental income in Zanzibar) and estimated running costs.

Depending on the property, the operator expects an occupancy of up to 68 % a year and rates of 150 to 175 USD per night. Depending on where you are resident, rental income may also be taxable in your home country. Taxes paid in Zanzibar are usually credited. Our partner Perspektive Ausland can advise you on tax questions.

The Town Operations Company (TOC) runs and manages Fumba Town and offers property management services. These include:

• Maintenance through regular inspections, servicing and repairs
• Tenant support and a contact person for questions
• Rental management, including tenancy agreements and viewings
• Management and upkeep of common areas
• Security management for residents and visitors
• Financial management, including rent collection and statements
• Rental and guest services, including via Airbnb and Booking.com

When renting through the operator, the owner typically receives 50 to 60 % of the income, 20 % goes to the operator and around 20 % to taxes and running costs. Whether you rent through TOC, use other partners or rent out yourself is entirely up to you.

The monthly fee for all city services is around 1.10 USD per m², so about 50 EUR a month for a 50 m² apartment. In premium developments with a private pool, gym or concierge, it is up to 2 USD per m². A backup power supply can be added for 0.09 USD per m². The fees cover infrastructure, security and maintenance, among other things.

Demand for housing and tourist infrastructure is growing strongly. Around 26,000 housing units and about 5,000 hotel rooms are currently needed. Infrastructure is being expanded, including a new airport terminal for around 1.5 million travellers a year. Investors from more than 70 countries are already investing in the region.

Yes. You can arrange an individual appointment, and we will take 1 to 2 hours for a tour and advice, usually in English. Just write to office@fumbatown.agency.

Alternatively, an investor trip offers 1 to 3 full days in German, with accommodation, half board and workshops. You will also get to know the island and the old town of Stone Town, and questions about visas, setting up a company and taxes are discussed in detail. The workshops take place every 3 to 4 months.

Both are located at Bustani Park in Fumba Town – “bustani” means “garden” in Swahili. They are two different projects, though:

• Bustani View: apartment buildings with a ground floor and three upper floors, built like CheiChei Living. From the 1st floor, every apartment has a balcony; the ground-floor studios have their own garden. All apartments are handed over fully furnished, the furniture is included in the purchase price.
• Bustani Villas: detached houses with 3 or 5 bedrooms. They are handed over with a fitted kitchen, air conditioning, ceiling fans and finished bathrooms (toilet, washbasin, fittings), but without furniture. You can furnish them yourself or with a furniture package from CPS or Studio Mannah.

Prices of the furniture packages for the villas are at fumbatown.agency/en/furniture-packages.

That depends on the project. The apartments at Bustani View, for example, are handed over fully furnished. At The SOUL Fumba, all apartments are now sold furnished, in the north buildings and for the remaining available units in the south buildings; the furniture is included in the purchase price. For many other projects there are furniture packages in two variants:

• CPS, the developer: fixed packages per unit type in the levels Essential, Comfort and Premium Living, prices in USD including shipping and installation.
• Studio Mannah: curated packages with furniture, decor, art and textiles from local craftsmanship, prices in euros.

An overview with prices per project and all packages as PDFs is at fumbatown.agency/en/furniture-packages.

If you bought your apartment at The SOUL Fumba before the apartments were sold furnished, you have three options:

• Furnish it yourself: then you live in the apartment yourself. In this case it cannot automatically be offered for rent through TOC.
• Buy the CPS furniture package (complete package per unit type): then you can have the apartment rented out through TOC and live in it yourself at any time.
• Choose a higher-quality package than the CPS one, for example from Studio Mannah: you can live in it yourself and also put the apartment up for rent. However, the rental price does not increase because of the higher-quality furnishing.

Prices and packages are at fumbatown.agency/en/furniture-packages.

The Golden Visa is a residence permit for Tanzania and Zanzibar, linked to a property investment of at least 100,000 USD (around 91,000 €). It covers up to 6 people, usually the parents and up to 4 financially dependent children. You are entitled to it for as long as you own the property. The visa in your passport is renewed every 2 years.

The age limit for children is 21. The application for a child can be made for the last time at the age of 18. From 18, special requirements may apply, for example proof that the child is still financially dependent on the parents and attends a school or university locally.

Children who already work in Zanzibar themselves can apply for their own business visa from the age of 18. Older children can also invest themselves or use another visa, such as a student visa.

For the renewal every two years, the fees are:

• approx. 500 USD for the main applicant
• approx. 50 USD for each additional person

You can find the legal basis on the website of the ZIPA authority: https://www.zipa.go.tz/services/investment-incentives/

Yes. Retirees aged 55 and over do not need to invest 100,000 USD. They can apply for the retirement visa (Resident Permit Class C, Retirement) and prove an income of at least 1,500 USD a month with a pension statement or other passive income such as rent or interest. The visa is valid for 12 months and is renewed every year. Student or work visas are other options.

You have no state or private pension, but other income or assets? Then you are welcome to book a consultation with Daniel Taborek of Perspektive Ausland. He explains an alternative route and helps you implement it: https://fumbatown.agency/en/consultation

Yes. Zanzibar offers foreign retirees the Class C Residence Permit. Communities like Fumba Town are designed for international long-term residents.

Remote work for foreign employers is generally possible. Working for a Tanzanian company requires a separate work permit. Tourist and retirement visas usually do not allow you to work locally.

The Golden Visa is a residence permit, not citizenship. Naturalisation is generally possible after around 10 years. Tanzania currently does not allow dual citizenship, so you would have to give up other citizenships. If you want to give up your current citizenship, the Golden Visa alone is not a solution. Our partner planbProjekt.com advises on alternatives.

In Fumba Town, every apartment and house has a fibre connection. The internet is fast and reliable, and many international residents work remotely for companies abroad. In hotels in holiday areas, the internet is often not reliable enough. With a local prepaid SIM card you get affordable LTE there, which you can use as a hotspot.

Starlink currently works through a roaming contract. Zanzibar plans to approve Starlink soon, and affordable regional plans are then expected. Negotiations between Starlink and Tanzania are ongoing.

Many digital nomads and freelancers live and work in the city. That is why there is an optional backup power supply that switches on automatically during an outage. It costs 0.09 USD per m², so 4.50 USD a month for 50 m². In December 2024, electricity cost 8.9 US cents per kWh.

For a permanent stay abroad, international health insurance is advisable, although some providers limit the contract term to 5 years. Commonly used providers are PassportCard, BDAE and Henner. For investors and residents in Fumba Town, we have agreed special terms with PassportCard if you enquire through us.

Our lawyer Clara Wella is registered in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar and has over nine years of experience in real estate and immigration law. She helps with:

• Applying for the long-term visa
• Applying for the retirement visa
• Applying for the local driving licence
• Selling a property
• Buying a property from a private owner
• Starting a business

You can reach her through the contact form on her profile: https://fumbatown.agency/en/selling-your-property#lawyer. Your enquiry goes directly to her and we receive a copy.

You need a tourist visa for 50 USD, which you can get online or at the airport. It is valid for up to 90 days. Applying at the airport can take 30 minutes or longer, so it is worth applying online: https://visa.immigration.go.tz/

Since 1 October 2024, travel and health insurance taken out in Zanzibar is also mandatory. It costs 44 USD per person, with family and group discounts: https://visitzanzibar.go.tz/

Many websites offer the visa application for unnecessarily high fees. You can do it yourself or directly at the airport.

Yes. It is one visa, so you can travel to both the mainland and the island, by domestic flight or ferry.

Zanzibar is increasingly becoming an international location for investors and expats. This includes the expansion of the airport, fibre internet, a growing international community and urban development projects like Fumba Town. Fumba Town is a free economic zone. People from more than 70 nations already live here, a solar power plant is planned and a backup power system is in place. Most streets are cul-de-sacs, so traffic is calm.

Yes, Zanzibar can be reached directly from more than 20 countries. Current examples are Edelweiss from Zurich, Condor, Lufthansa and Discover Airlines from Frankfurt, KLM from Amsterdam and connections from Rome and Milan, among others. A new terminal has been built and will open soon, bringing more flights.

DHL is reliable and fast, and there is a DHL drop-off point in Fumba Town. Amazon delivers products that sellers have released for worldwide shipping, and there are Amazon forwarding services via the UK (5 GBP per kg). Residents of Fumba Town can order from IKEA in Dubai, plus customs and shipping.

Yes, both in Zanzibar and in Dar es Salaam, just 25 minutes away by plane. A pilot's licence is possible from around 5,000 USD. We are happy to advise you.

Fumba Town lies in a free zone. According to the investment authority ZIPA, the zone has its own tax rules:

• Rental income: 10 %
• Foreign income: currently no rule, so effectively tax-free
• Companies: under the zone's own rules

ZIPA intends to close the gap on foreign income later. So this is today’s position and not a guarantee.

Outside the free zones, general Tanzanian tax law applies, with 0 to 30 % on worldwide income. If you have been resident in Tanzania for no more than two years in total in your lifetime, you only pay tax there on Tanzanian income during that time. There is no double tax treaty between Germany and Tanzania.

You can find all the details here: https://fumbatown.agency/en/taxes-zanzibar

Please clarify tax questions with a tax adviser. Our partner Perspektive Ausland is happy to help.

There are three triggers, and each one is enough on its own:

• a permanent home in Tanzania and any stay during the tax year
• 183 days or more in the tax year
• more than 122 days on average in the current year and the two previous years

The residence permit alone triggers nothing, and neither does the Golden Visa. If you rent out your home and only come on holiday, you remain non-resident and pay tax in Tanzania only on income from Tanzania.

When you resell, capital gains tax is due on the increase in value. Plan with 10 %. An example: you buy for 100,000 USD and sell for 150,000 USD. You then pay 10 % on the 50,000 USD gain, which is 5,000 USD.

For buyers in ZIPA projects, the ZIPA buyer package states a rate of 5 % instead of 10 %. This is a statement from the programme. Have the rate confirmed before you sell.

The buyer also has purchase costs of around 5 %. These include taxes and the costs for lawyer, notary and similar. Whether the buyer bears these costs alone or you as the seller share them is your decision.

How a sale works and how we support you: https://fumbatown.agency/en/selling-your-property

The German state pension remains taxable in Germany, because there is no double tax treaty with Tanzania. This also applies to civil service pensions. With an application for unlimited tax liability you keep the basic tax-free allowance.

There is no social security agreement. Health insurance is therefore entirely private, ideally with evacuation cover.

No. Tanzania has not set a date for a first automatic exchange (as of May 2026). Requests in individual cases remain possible, however. This does not end your tax liability at home: if you remain taxable in Germany, you must declare your foreign accounts yourself.

The German developer CPS works with three construction companies, two of which are run directly by experienced German and Swiss site managers. In total, more than 300 people are employed and continuously trained.

Lessons from earlier projects flow into new ones. The façade paint, for example, was adapted to the tropical climate, and a façade solution from a Norwegian manufacturer is currently used. The façade coating is renewed when needed at no extra cost to owners.

Many of the buildings are built using modern timber construction developed for African climate conditions. Protective measures:

• Drying the timber to around 8 % moisture
• Structural designs that prevent pest infestation
• A combination of material and construction

If you like, we can show you the production facilities on site.

Modern engineered timber products from Europe (Germany, Austria) are used. For CheiChei Living, African engineered timber from South Africa is used for the first time. CPS planted all the trees in the city, mostly in soil it produced itself.