Filming permits in Tanzania: timeline and costs for foreign crews

A foreign crew filming in Tanzania needs one national permit and then one permit for each authority whose land you film on. The national permit comes from the Tanzania Film Board in Dar es Salaam, and every other authority asks to see it. Apply in the wrong order and the schedule slips by weeks.

The order that works

• Tanzania Film Board permit. The national filming permit for mainland Tanzania. Nothing else moves until it is issued.
• Park and conservation area permits. TANAPA for national parks such as the Serengeti and Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority for the crater and its highlands, TAWA for game reserves.
• Drone approvals, if you fly. The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority first, then the park authority for each area.
• Customs. A temporary import for your camera kit, arranged through a bonded agent.
• Visas and work passes for each foreign crew member.

Tanzania Film Board

The Film Board form asks for a synopsis or script, the shooting schedule and locations, passport details for every foreign crew member, the type of production and a full equipment list with values and serial numbers. The form is endorsed by the Tanzanian embassy or high commission nearest to you, then lodged in Dar es Salaam by your local fixer.

The Board asks for applications at least one month before filming starts. Fixers working in Tanzania commonly quote a standard fee of 1,000 US dollars for applications lodged 30 days or more ahead, and 3,000 US dollars for a fast-tracked application processed in about seven working days. Once issued, the permit covers three months of filming.

National parks and Ngorongoro

TANAPA charges filming fees per person per day, and the fee replaces the normal entrance and camping fees for the crew. The last published TANAPA tariff we have seen set this at 300 US dollars a day in the Serengeti and 250 US dollars in most other parks. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority lists a filming fee of 354 US dollars per crew member per day, whatever their nationality.

Tariffs are reviewed each July, so we confirm the current rates in writing before we quote. On a ten-day wildlife shoot with a three-person crew, park filming fees are usually the largest single line in the budget after accommodation.

Research and scientific work

A documentary that follows researchers, collects samples or uses research data can need a research clearance as well as a filming permit. If your story involves a research project, tell us early; that clearance has its own timeline and is best started alongside the Film Board application.

What to send us first

• A one-page synopsis and the locations you have in mind
• Shoot dates, with how much they can move
• Crew names, roles and passport scans
• Your gear list, with serial numbers and values
• Whether you plan to fly drones, and which models

With those five things we can return a costed schedule showing every permit and fee as its own line.

See our filming services and a sample 10-day wildlife shoot