How to Register a Business in Tanzania Online (BRELA ORS Guide)

The Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) lets you register a business in Tanzania online through its Online Registration System (ORS). This guide explains what you can do on ORS, how to create your ORS account, how to apply for business name or company registration, and how to pay, based on the official BRELA ORS portal.

• Portal: ors.brela.go.tz (BRELA Online Registration System)
• Who can use it: registered ORS users (you must create and activate an account first)
• You will need: National ID (Tanzanians) or passport number (foreigners), mobile number and a working email address
• Payment: Tigo Pesa or M-Pesa, or directly at CRDB or NMB bank

What Can You Do on BRELA ORS?

• Business names: registration, change of particulars, paying the annual maintenance fee, cessation and data update.
• Companies: registration, change of particulars, filing company documents and annual returns.
• Industrial licences: registration, change of particulars, filing annual progress reports and cancellation.
• Trade and service marks: registration and filing mark-related documents.
• Patents: registration and filing patent or utility model documents.
• Information services: apply for short or detailed information (extracts) about a business name, company, industrial licence, mark or patent.

Step 1: Create Your ORS Account

On the ORS home page, click "Create ORS account" and fill in the user account request form:

1. Nationality (the country that issued your identification document).
2. Date of birth.
3. National ID number (for Tanzanians) or Passport Number and country of issue (for foreigners).
4. First, middle and last name, and gender.
5. Mobile telephone number and e-mail address.
6. A password of at least 6 characters with at least one special symbol (! @ # $ % ^ & * _ - +), one letter and one number. Repeat the password.
7. Type the captcha text.
8. Tick "I agree with privacy and liability terms acceptance agreement" and click [Submit].

Step 2: Activate Your Account

After you submit the form, BRELA sends an email with an activation link and login details to the email address you entered. Open the email and follow the instructions to activate your ORS user account.

Step 3: Log In and Apply for Registration

1. Go back to the ORS home page and click "E-services for registered users".
2. Log in with your username and password.
3. Choose the service you need, for example business name registration or company registration, and complete the application.

Note: for any service other than a new registration (for example changing particulars or filing annual returns), you need the identifier of your business: the registration number of a business name, or the incorporation/compliance number of a company.

Step 4: Pay the Fees

BRELA accepts payment for ORS e-services through:

• Tigo Pesa or M-Pesa
• Payment directly at CRDB or NMB bank

Free Search: Check a Business Name or Company

Before or after registering, you can use ORS Free Search to look up the registration number of a business name, or the incorporation/compliance number, address and current status of a company, free of charge. Only business names and companies that were registered or updated through ORS appear in the results.

Useful Tips

• Use an email address you can open, because the activation link is sent there.
• Create a strong password that meets the ORS rules so your account request is accepted.
• Apply only through the official portal ors.brela.go.tz. BRELA services are paid through the official payment channels listed above, so do not send money to individuals who promise to register your business for you.
• Industrial Property Journals can also be searched on ORS by date.

Official Source

This guide is based on the BRELA Online Registration System (ors.brela.go.tz). For registration fees and other details, visit www.brela.go.tz or use the ORS technical support link on the portal.