Relocation, second home, investment
Zanzibar as your new home.
Residence for the family from 100,000 USD, a free zone with its own tax rules and a town built to German standards. Here is what you should know before you move, including the downsides.
- from 100,000 USD
- Property for the family's Golden Visa
- 10 %
- Tax on rental income in the free zone
- 1–2 hrs
- Time difference to Central Europe
- over 70
- Nations living in Fumba Town
Who it suits
Three ways to use Zanzibar.
Whether you invest, relocate or spend the winter decides which rules apply to you. The key question is where you are tax resident.
Investors
You buy, rent out and visit. If you stay below the day limits (see taxes), you do not become tax resident in Tanzania and only pay tax there on the rental income. The local operator can manage and rent out your property.
Investing in ZanzibarRelocating
You move the centre of your life. Then residence, a clean exit from your home country, health insurance, school and daily life matter. Fumba Town is an established community with people from more than 70 nations.
See the Golden VisaSecond home
You spend the winter or commute. The time zone helps: Zanzibar is one hour (European summer) or two hours (European winter) ahead of Central Europe. The rest of the year your property can be rented out.
Management and rentalResidence
Visa, Golden Visa, retirement visa.
A tourist visa is enough to enter. For a longer stay there are two routes that suit most of our clients.
Entry
Tourist visa for 50 USD, online or on arrival, for up to 90 days. Since October 2024 a mandatory travel insurance for 44 USD is added. The visa is valid for Zanzibar and the mainland.
Golden Visa
With a fully paid property from 100,000 USD, you, your partner and up to four financially dependent children receive a residence permit. It applies as long as you own the property and is renewed every two years. The age limit for children is 21, and the application can be made for the last time at 18. One property cannot be split between two families.
Retirement visa
From age 55 without a minimum investment, if you can show a pension or other passive income of at least 1,500 USD a month. Renting is enough as a residence, the visa is renewed every year.
No passport
The Golden Visa is a residence permit, not citizenship. Tanzania does not allow dual citizenship.
Working
Remote work for clients and employers abroad is possible. A job with a local company needs a work permit.
Bank account
With a reservation you can already open an account in US dollars or euros, for example during the investor trip. An account in shillings follows with the residence permit.
Taxes
Two tax worlds on one island.
Fumba Town lies in a free zone of the investment authority ZIPA. Special rules apply there instead of general Tanzanian tax law.
In the free zone
Only companies and rental income are taxed, the latter at 10 %. For income from abroad there is currently no rule. This is today’s position, not a guarantee.
Tax residence
You become tax resident through a permanent home, from 183 days in a year, or with more than 122 days on average over three years. The visa alone does not make you resident.
Your home country
The benefits only help if your tax residence at home really ends. There is no double tax treaty with Germany. Have your move checked beforehand.
Ownership
What you acquire when you buy.
In Tanzania land belongs to the state. Foreigners acquire a leasehold, similar to a long ground lease, and only in approved projects.
99 years in Fumba Town
In the free zone the leasehold runs for 99 years, outside the zones usually 33 years with renewal. ZIPA registers the purchase and ownership.
Purchase costs
With the first instalment comes a one-off facilitation fee of 5 % for contracts, registration and the legal process.
See it first
Rent for a while before you buy, or join an investor trip. Ask to see the project’s ZIPA approval.
Daily life
Living in Zanzibar.
Zanzibar lies just south of the equator, around ten flight hours from Germany. Fumba Town on the west coast is a small town of its own, about 15 minutes south of the airport.
Living costs
According to Numbeo, living costs in Tanzania are around 63 % below Germany, based on thin data. At expat standard a couple should budget about 2,000 to 3,500 USD a month, depending on lifestyle.
Schools
The International School of Zanzibar teaches to Cambridge standards from pre-school at 3½ years up to A-levels. Private schools start at about 200 to 250 USD a month, the top schools in Dar es Salaam cost up to about 3,000 USD.
Internet and power
Every apartment and house in Fumba Town has fibre. Many residents work remotely. The backup power system starts automatically during an outage.
Getting there
Direct flights include Frankfurt and Zurich, plus connections via Doha, Dubai, Istanbul and Addis Ababa. Dar es Salaam on the mainland is about 25 minutes away by air.
Community
Families, retirees and digital nomads from over 70 nations live in Fumba Town, as do many locals. There are cafés, playgrounds, pools, a gym and a market every first Saturday of the month.
Pets
Your dog can enter with a vaccination record and a health certificate, quarantine is currently not usually required.
To be honest
What you should know before you move.
Zanzibar does not suit everyone. We discuss these points openly in every consultation.
Power and infrastructure
Electricity comes from the mainland by subsea cable and the island has outages. In Fumba Town an optional backup system covers this, elsewhere you should plan for a generator or UPS.
Healthcare
For everyday care Fumba Town has a practice with general medicine, dentists, a lab and home visits. Serious cases are treated in Dar es Salaam or Nairobi. International health insurance with evacuation cover is a must.
Care in old age
Lighter care can be organised with private carers. Intensive care is currently difficult on site. If you regularly need specialists, plan for it honestly.
Culture and law
Zanzibar is mostly Muslim and rather conservative, so dress and behaviour in daily life should respect that, also during Ramadan. Tanzanian law applies, which criminalises same-sex relationships.
Politics and legal framework
After the elections in October 2025 there was unrest, mainly on the mainland. The investor programme is based on the Investment Act of 2023 and the regulations of 2025, so it is still young.
Climate and expectations
It is warm all year, the long rainy season runs roughly from March to May. Property returns are forecasts, not promises. Plan with a buffer.
Videos
Zanzibar as a Plan B, explained.
From the Perspektive Ausland channel, in German: Daniel Taborek and Sebastian Sauerborn on residence, taxes and life in Fumba Town.
How it works
Three steps to Zanzibar.
Consultation
We clarify your goal, your budget and which route fits. Have your exit and tax consequences checked beforehand, for example with Perspektive Ausland.
See it on site
On the investor trip you see every type of home and meet residents, the developer and the management.
Buy and apply
After buying through ZIPA you apply for the visa. We support you at every step.
Our lawyer on the ground
Clara Wella
Registered lawyer in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, over 9 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
Your enquiry goes directly to Clara Wella. We receive a copy and support you through the process if you wish.
Questions
Frequently asked questions about moving.
What do I need to enter Zanzibar?
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.
Which taxes apply?
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.
Which health insurance do you recommend?
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.
Is the internet fast enough for remote work?
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.
Am I allowed to work in Zanzibar with the visa?
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.
Can I become a citizen with the Golden Visa or give up my current passport?
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.
As of October 2026. No guarantee, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees can change, the authorities are binding, in particular ZIPA (zipa.go.tz).
Is Zanzibar your Plan B?
Talk to us or experience Fumba Town for three days on the investor trip.