Photo: Yeluma Ntali, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0TIRA Tanzania
What the insurance regulator does and how it protects you
Free, no obligation. Only insurers and brokers licensed by TIRA receive your request.
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TIRA in the law
Section 5 of the Insurance Act establishes the Authority, under the general supervision of the Minister, to coordinate policy and other matters relating to insurance in the United Republic. Section 6, as amended by Act No. 13 of 2023 (the Universal Health Insurance Act), lists its duties. Among them:
- coordinate and implement policies on insurance;
- regulate, supervise and monitor insurers, brokers and agents;
- set the code of conduct and the standards of the insurance business, and ensure they are observed;
- protect the interests of policyholders, health insurance scheme members, employers, health service providers and health insurance schemes;
- set the qualifications required in the insurance industry;
- oversee the quality of the primary health benefit package and contribution rates with the Ministry of Health, and supervise health insurance funds and providers;
- prescribe levies on premiums and commissions to fund the Authority.
TIRA is headed by the Commissioner of Insurance, appointed by the President (s.7). It is not an insurer: it does not sell policies or pay claims.
Who TIRA licenses: the register today
Active entries on TIRA's register of licensed entities on 28 October 2026, by category:
| Category | Active entries |
|---|---|
| Insurance companies | 32 (33 entries: Resolution Insurance appears twice) |
| Takaful operators | 1 |
| Local reinsurance companies | 3 |
| Health insurance schemes | 1 (the National Health Insurance Fund) |
| Insurance brokers | 160 |
| Insurance agents | 1,482 |
| Bancassurance agents | 38 |
| Insurance digital platforms | 13 |
| Surveyors and loss adjusters | 49 |
| Assessors | 26 |
| Health service providers | 7,611 |
The figures change as licences are renewed; check the live register before you pay anyone. Our list of licensed insurers in Tanzania reproduces the insurance companies alphabetically, and each has a profile — for example the state-owned NIC and Zanzibar Insurance Corporation.
TIRA's services for the public
| You want to… | Use | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Check that a motor or other cover note is genuine and active | TIRAMIS — search by registration, e-sticker, cover note or chassis number | TIRAMIS guide |
| Check that an insurer, broker or agent is licensed | TIRAMIS Verify Company, or the register on tira.go.tz | Licensed insurers |
| Complain about a claim | The company's complaints desk first, then TIRA (free, in English or Kiswahili) | How to complain |
| Settle a dispute up to TZS 40 million | The Insurance Ombudsman | How to complain |
Under TIRA's claims and complaints guidelines (July 2025), a company must resolve a complaint within 14 working days, extendable by up to 14 days; you can escalate to TIRA if there is no answer after 21 working days or within 30 days of the company's decision. The Ombudsman's limit of TZS 40 million comes from the Insurance Ombudsman Regulations, 2013.
Contacts: TIRA head office, Bima House, Njedengwa, Dodoma — coi@tira.go.tz, +255 22 213 2537 (TIRA contacts).
The market TIRA supervises: 2025 in figures
From TIRA's Annual Insurance Market Performance Report 2025:
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Gross written premium | TZS 2.55 trillion | TZS 1.52 trillion |
| General insurance | TZS 1.15 trillion (44.9%) | TZS 957.18 billion |
| Health insurance | TZS 986.60 billion (38.6%) | TZS 187.48 billion |
| Life insurance | TZS 358.80 billion (14.1%) | TZS 308.99 billion |
| Insurance penetration | 2.11% of GDP | 2.08% |
| Premium per person | TZS 37,455 | TZS 22,878 |
| Claims paid | TZS 1.29 trillion (80.25% of claims reported) | — |
| People covered (policyholders and beneficiaries) | 26.8 million | 25.9 million |
| Complaints received by TIRA | 225 | 341 |
TIRA explains the jump in 2025 mainly by health insurance: NHIF's business came under its supervision, and NHIF alone collected TZS 773.4 billion of contributions. Of the 225 complaints, 117 were resolved and 93 were still under review at year end; most concerned delays in settling claims.
Rules TIRA introduced recently
- Mandatory inbound travel insurance on the mainland: the Finance Act No. 11 of 2025 added section 134A to the Insurance Act, requiring foreigners entering Mainland Tanzania by land, sea or air to hold travel insurance for up to 92 days — see travel insurance in Tanzania.
- E-stickers replace paper stickers: the Road Traffic (Evidence of Motor Vehicle Insurance) Regulations, GN No. 376 of 2025, make the electronic sticker the evidence that a vehicle is insured.
- Nine guidelines in 2025, including claims and complaints management, health insurance claims payment and the registration of health insurance schemes.
Source: TIRA AIMP 2025, chapter 7.
TIRA in Zanzibar
TIRA also has a Zanzibar office. Its 2025 report records 4 complaints registered there in 2025 (17 in 2024), all concluded. The isles have two locally incorporated insurers — the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation and ZIC Takaful — plus branches of mainland insurers (AIMP 2025). Zanzibar's public health fund, ZHSF, is governed by its own Act.
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Frequently asked questions
What is TIRA in Tanzania?
The Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority, established by section 5 of the Insurance Act, Cap. 394, to license and supervise insurers, brokers, agents and, since 2023, health insurance schemes.
What is the TIRA portal used for?
TIRAMIS (tiramis.tira.go.tz) lets anyone verify a cover note or e-sticker, check that a company is licensed, and file and track a complaint. Companies use TIRA's systems to record covers and licences.
How many insurance companies does TIRA license?
Its register showed 32 active insurance companies (33 entries, one listed twice), 1 takaful operator and 3 local reinsurers on 28 October 2026. TIRA's 2025 report counts 26 general and 7 life insurers.
Does TIRA handle insurance complaints?
Yes, after you have tried the company: TIRA received 225 complaints in 2025. Disputes up to TZS 40 million can also go to the Insurance Ombudsman.
Where is TIRA's head office?
Bima House, Njedengwa, Dodoma (coi@tira.go.tz, +255 22 213 2537).
Who heads TIRA?
The Commissioner of Insurance, appointed by the President under section 7 of the Insurance Act.
Sources
- Insurance Act, Cap. 394 (R.E. 2023) — TIRA
- TIRA — register of licensed entities (active entries by category, seen 28 October 2026)
- TIRA — Annual Insurance Market Performance Report 2025
- TIRA — Claims and Complaints Management Guidelines (July 2025)
- The Insurance Ombudsman Regulations, 2013 (GN No. 411 of 2013) — TIRA
- TIRA — contacts
- TIRAMIS — verification portal (TIRA)