What do I need to buy a car?

With a mere tourist visa ...you cannot buy a car. Again, with a mere tourist visa you cannot apply for TIN and with out a TIN you cant import a car. You will need USD 2,000 - 10,000/more depending on your taste for the type of car you require.

If your stay is temporary.... my advice is to get a rent a car. If you got reliable friends, use them to buy the car and to furnish the paper works of the car. You only require an international or Tanzania driving license and no matter how you planning to drive .....always wear seat belt.... will save you some bucks.

Thanks, Nevingomes, for all your advices! Very appreciated 

My idea is to get a locally registered, older and cheaper (if not just less expensive) vehicle, rather than to import a car to Tanzania - that could be too much hustle indeed. So to make that happen you say I will need to make some Tanzanian friends before I get there. I hope that's not too hard 

So: no serious visa --> no TIN --> no car ?

Cheers!
oooraooo

If you buy locally you wont need that tin nor visa. Just make sure you have contract with seller and he gives you the file for the car. You would need tin only when your are going to change the name on the car card

First Get Licence... if you are able to get licence... then surely you will know the requirements to buy Car

It's funny replying to myself from the past, but well, now I know all this so why not to share..?

To buy, register under own name and use a car in Tanzania (and even take it abroad) it's sufficient to have:
- tourist visa (actually nobody cares about a type of visa you have)
- tax number (TIN) assigned in the moment you register the car under your name
- international driving license
- money in USD or TZS
- lots of patience as everything is damn pole pole here

With all this I was able to get a decent Prado from the last century and travel with it to national parks, cross to neighboring countries and enjoy safety and comfort of my own camper vehicle (as opposite to crazy buses and mozzie-infested hotel rooms).

I hope the above will be useful for expats too

BTW, now I'm selling the car, if anyone should be interested.

Prado. how much ? year and registration alphabets?

Do you remember a contact to buy a car in DAR ?

Hi,

Any information on buying a house as an expat? Any lawyer contact to help on getting the necessary papers?

Good day,
Simona

Wow that's great... bumped into this thread as I have a similar situation
So basically with a tourist visa, you can buy a car, register in your name and drive? Is that really the law?

I was off the opinion previously that you can only be issued with a TIN if you are resident and not with a tourist visa?

A mate was trying to buy a car (never registered) , register it in his name and someone supposedly mentioned that it's not possible because he has a tourist visa

Getting a TIN with a tourist visa is NOT a problem. The TIN is what it is, an identification number. As long as you can prove your identity and physical address to the issuing authority. They are happy to broaden their taxpayer base. Also, at the time we were paying the yearly road license fee, you could state that the purpose of the TIN is to facilitate such payment and they'd be duty bound to provide you with one. Even tourists can legally own cars in Tanzania.

Thanks for this, much appreciated