Tanzania uses a five-digit postal code system that identifies delivery areas down to ward level, making the correct postcode useful for mail, online forms, deliveries, banking records and address verification. Residents can search by region and district through postcode directories, while the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, or TCRA, provides the authoritative framework behind the national system. Knowing the right code helps prevent address errors and delayed deliveries.
How Tanzania postal codes work
Tanzania does not use one universal postal code for the entire country. Each location has its own five-digit code based on where it sits within the national addressing structure.
TCRA states that the United Republic of Tanzania operates a five-digit numeric postcode system. The digits progressively identify the zone, region, district or district central business district, and finally the ward or delivery area.
The structure can be understood simply:
- First digit: postcode zone
- First two digits: region
- First three digits: district or district CBD
- All five digits: ward or delivery area
That last point matters most when filling in an address. A broad regional code can help identify an area, but the complete five-digit postcode is intended to narrow the address to the relevant ward or postal delivery point.
TCRA is the government authority responsible for allocating, managing and regulating postcodes under Section 41 of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act, 2010. The national postcode list was formally published under Government Gazette Notice No. 240 of 22 April 2016.
For an official reference, visit the TCRA National Addressing and Postcode service at:
Visit the official portal at: https://www.tcra.go.tz/services/featured/national-adressing-and-postcode
A searchable third-party postcode directory is also available at:
Visit the postcode lookup website at: https://www.tanzaniapostcode.com/
Tanzania postal codes by major regions
The postcode directory supplied in the source allows users to browse locations across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Each regional section then breaks down into districts, CBD areas and smaller localities.
Arusha
Arusha listings cover areas including:
- Arumeru
- Arusha
- Arusha CBD
- Karatu
- Longido
- Monduli
- Ngorongoro
TCRA’s regional postcode reference begins Arusha at 23000, within the Northern Zone. The exact five-digit code still depends on the ward or delivery area.
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam is divided into major postal areas such as:
- Ilala
- Ilala CBD
- Kigamboni
- Kinondoni
- Temeke
- Ubungo
The regional reference begins at 11000, but residents should identify their ward-level postcode rather than using 11000 automatically for every Dar es Salaam address.
This distinction is especially useful in a city where neighbouring wards can fall under different delivery codes.
Dodoma
Dodoma postcode searches cover:
- Bahi
- Chamwino
- Chemba
- Dodoma
- Dodoma CBD
- Kondoa
- Kongwa
- Mpwapwa
The regional postcode reference starts at 41000.
Geita
Areas listed under Geita include:
- Bukombe
- Chato
- Geita
- Mbogwe
The regional reference begins at 30000.
Iringa
Iringa listings include:
- Iringa
- Iringa CBD
- Kilolo
- Mufindi
Its regional postcode reference starts at 51000.
Postcodes for Lake, northern and western regions
Kagera
The Kagera directory includes:
- Biharamulo
- Bukoba
- Bukoba CBD
- Karagwe
- Kyerwa
- Missenyi
- Muleba
- Ngara
TCRA places Kagera in the Lake Zone, beginning at 35000.
Katavi
Katavi locations include:
- Mlele
- Mpanda CBD
- Tanganyika
The regional reference begins at 50000.
Kigoma
Users can browse areas such as:
- Buhigwe
- Kakonko
- Kasulu
- Kibondo
- Kigoma
- Kigoma CBD
- Uvinza
Kigoma’s regional postcode reference begins at 47000.
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro listings cover:
- Hai
- Moshi
- Moshi CBD
- Mwanga
- Rombo
- Same
- Siha
The regional reference begins at 25000, within Tanzania’s Northern Zone.
Southern and central Tanzania postcode areas
Lindi
Lindi includes:
- Kilwa
- Lindi
- Lindi CBD
- Liwale
- Nachingwea
- Ruangwa
Its regional postcode reference begins at 65000.
Manyara
Manyara postcode searches include:
- Babati
- Babati CBD
- Hanang
- Kiteto
- Mbulu
- Simanjiro
The region begins at 27000 in TCRA’s reference system.
Mara
Mara includes:
- Bunda
- Butiama
- Musoma CBD
- Rorya
- Serengeti
- Tarime
Its regional reference begins at 31000.
Mbeya
Areas include:
- Chunya
- Kyela
- Mbarali
- Mbeya
- Mbeya CBD
- Rungwe
Mbeya begins at 53000 within the Southern Highlands Zone.
Morogoro
Morogoro has a large postcode directory covering:
- Gairo
- Kilombero
- Kilosa
- Malinyi
- Morogoro
- Morogoro CBD
- Mvomero
- Ulanga
The region’s reference begins at 67000.
Mtwara, Mwanza, Njombe and Pwani
Mtwara
Mtwara areas include:
- Masasi
- Mtwara
- Mtwara CBD
- Nanyumbu
- Newala
- Tandahimba
The regional reference begins at 63000.
Mwanza
The postcode directory covers:
- Ilemela
- Kwimba
- Magu
- Misungwi
- Nyamagana
- Sengerema
- Ukerewe
Mwanza’s regional reference begins at 33000 in the Lake Zone.
Njombe
Njombe listings include:
- Ludewa
- Makete
- Njombe
- Njombe CBD
Its regional reference begins at 59000.
Pwani
Pwani includes:
- Bagamoyo
- Kibaha
- Kibaha CBD
- Kibiti
- Kisarawe
- Mafia
- Mkuranga
- Rufiji
The regional reference begins at 61000.
Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga and Simiyu
Rukwa
Rukwa postcode locations include:
- Kalambo
- Nkasi
- Sumbawanga
- Sumbawanga CBD
The regional reference begins at 55000.
Ruvuma
Ruvuma includes:
- Mbinga
- Namtumbo
- Nyasa
- Songea
- Songea CBD
- Tunduru
Its regional reference begins at 57000.
Shinyanga
Shinyanga listings cover:
- Kahama
- Kishapu
- Shinyanga
- Shinyanga CBD
The region begins at 37000.
Simiyu
Simiyu includes:
- Bariadi
- Busega
- Itilima
- Maswa
- Meatu
The regional reference begins at 39000.
Singida, Songwe, Tabora and Tanga
Singida
Singida postcode searches include:
- Ikungi
- Iramba
- Manyoni
- Mkalama
- Singida
- Singida CBD
The regional reference begins at 43000.
Songwe
Songwe listings include:
- Ileje
- Mbozi
- Momba
- Songwe
The region’s reference starts at 54100.
Tabora
Tabora covers:
- Igunga
- Kaliua
- Nzega
- Sikonge
- Tabora CBD
- Urambo
- Uyui
The regional postcode reference begins at 45000.
Tanga
Tanga has postcode listings for:
- Handeni
- Kilindi
- Korogwe
- Lushoto
- Mkinga
- Muheza
- Pangani
- Tanga
- Tanga CBD
The regional reference begins at 21000, placing Tanga in the Northern Zone.
Zanzibar postcode locations
The directory also covers Zanzibar, including Mjini Magharibi, Pemba North, Pemba South, Unguja North and Unguja South.
Mjini Magharibi
Listed locations include:
- Magharibi
- Mjini
Pemba North
Locations include:
- Micheweni
- Wete
Pemba South
Locations include:
- Chake Chake
- Mkoani
Unguja North
Locations include:
- Kaskazini A
- Kaskazini B
Unguja South
Locations include:
- Kati
- Kusini
Tanzania’s national postcode arrangement explicitly includes Zanzibar alongside the mainland postcode zones, so users in the islands should also search for the complete five-digit code attached to their specific locality.
Why the exact Tanzania postal code matters
Postcodes now serve a broader role than conventional letters. They help create structured addresses for government services, courier deliveries, online purchases, business registration records and digital platforms that require a postal or ZIP code.
Tanzania’s addressing policy was designed around this wider purpose. TCRA explains that the National Postal Policy of 2003 called for a comprehensive addressing system incorporating street names and building identification to support physical mail delivery as well as economic and social services.
A postcode therefore works best as part of a complete address, not as an isolated number.
TCRA gives an urban addressing example in which the postcode appears immediately before the locality. One example uses 16102 Sinza, Dar es Salaam, while another shows 14111 Msasani, Dar es Salaam. This demonstrates why simply entering “Dar es Salaam 11000” can be too broad when a form requires a precise residential or business postcode.
Rural addressing follows the same principle. A full address may combine a house or hamlet number, village, five-digit postcode, ward or locality, district and region.
How to find your correct Tanzania postal code
Start with your region, then narrow the search to your district or municipality, and finally identify your ward or exact delivery area.
For example, someone living in Dar es Salaam should not stop after selecting the region. They should identify whether the address falls in Kinondoni, Ilala, Temeke, Ubungo or Kigamboni and then continue to the appropriate ward.
The same applies in other urban centres such as Arusha, Dodoma, Mwanza, Mbeya, Moshi, Tanga, Morogoro and Songea.
For an authoritative check, use TCRA’s postcode search and National Addressing and Postcode information.
Visit the official portal at: https://www.tcra.go.tz/
TCRA’s website provides a postcode search service designed to find the postcode for an area or address using its mapping system.
For browsing by region and location, the source directory can also be used at:
https://www.tanzaniapostcode.com/location/
Treat independent postcode directories as lookup aids. When a postcode will be used for an official application, legal document, business registration or sensitive delivery, cross-check it against TCRA information.
Regional postcode prefixes are not always your final code
One common mistake is confusing the regional reference number with the postcode for a particular ward.
Numbers such as 11000 for Dar es Salaam, 23000 for Arusha, 41000 for Dodoma and 33000 for Mwanza identify regional postcode ranges in TCRA’s published list. They do not mean every address in those regions carries exactly that five-digit number.
The national system becomes progressively more precise as more digits are considered. All five digits identify the ward or delivery area.
That detail can prevent a surprisingly common error when Tanzanians complete overseas university applications, e-commerce checkout forms, visa-related documentation or international account registrations that ask for a “ZIP code” rather than a “postcode.”
For a Tanzanian address, the requested ZIP or postal code should normally be the valid five-digit postcode for the actual locality.
Writing a complete Tanzanian address
A practical urban address can follow this order:
- Recipient’s name
- Company or building name, if applicable
- House number and street
- Five-digit postcode and locality
- Region
- Tanzania, when sending internationally
TCRA’s published examples use formats such as:
14111 Msasani
Dar es Salaam
and
14101 Magomeni
Dar es Salaam
For rural addresses, additional information such as the hamlet, village or district may be needed.
For P.O. Box mail, the postcode associated with the relevant post office may form part of the postal address. TCRA gives examples such as a P.O. Box followed by the postcode and post office name.
The practical rule is simple: use the most specific verified postcode available for the destination.
- Juma Bilali
- P.O. Box 65236
- 110000 Dar Es Salaam
- TANZANIA
What to check before submitting a postcode
Before using a Tanzania postal code on an important form, confirm three details:
- The region matches your actual address.
- The district or municipality is correct.
- The five-digit code corresponds to the correct ward or delivery area.
Do not choose a number merely because it belongs to the same region. Two neighbourhoods in the same city can have different postcodes.
Businesses should be especially careful when entering address data into customer databases, invoices, courier systems or e-commerce platforms. Standardised addresses reduce failed deliveries and make location records easier to process across different systems.
For people receiving goods from abroad, accurate postcode information also gives international merchants and logistics providers a stronger location reference, particularly when the sender’s system relies heavily on structured address fields.
Tanzania’s postcode system and digital addressing
Postcodes were once associated mainly with letters and parcels. Their role has expanded.
Tanzania’s five-digit system supports a broader national addressing framework in which buildings, streets and geographic delivery areas can be identified more consistently. That matters as online commerce, app-based deliveries, financial services and electronically submitted government records become more common.
There is also a distinctly East African practical angle. Addresses in the region have historically relied heavily on landmarks, neighbourhood names, P.O. Boxes and telephone directions. Those methods remain widely used, but structured postcodes provide an additional layer of precision.
The best approach is not to discard familiar local directions. Combine them. A full street or village address, ward-level postcode, phone number and recognisable locality can make deliveries considerably easier.
Tanzania’s postcode framework therefore does more than organise postal mail. It links traditional addressing practices with increasingly digital systems that expect standardised location information.
The correct Tanzania postal code is the five-digit code attached to the relevant delivery area or ward, not simply a generic number for the whole country. Use a postcode directory for quick browsing, then verify important address details through TCRA before submitting them for official or commercial use.
