Film fixer in Tanzania — Filming permits and locations The Serengeti, the mountain and the island

I offer full fixer and production services in Tanzania, home to the most famous wildlife locations in Africa and one of the most layered permit systems. The shoots that go well start the paperwork months, not weeks, ahead.

Film permitTanzania Film Board
Lead timeTwo months is safer
ParksTANAPA, Ngorongoro, separately
Pairs withMalawi, Zambia

At a glance — Tanzania

The short answer

Filming in Tanzania needs a permit from the Tanzania Film Board, endorsed through a Tanzanian embassy and applied for at least 30 days ahead, plus separate permits and daily fees for each national park and for Ngorongoro. Start two months out.

Services: Full fixer and production service in Tanzania: permits, locations, crew, transport, accommodation and logistics
Filming permit: Tanzania Film Board, endorsed through a Tanzanian embassy
Lead time: At least 30 days; processing can take much longer
National parks: TANAPA permission, with daily filming fees
Ngorongoro: A separate permission from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority
Conditions: Read the permit conditions, including any on sharing footage, before signing
Drones: Several approvals, including civil aviation; slow and costly

Last reviewed 8 October 2026. Field figures are indicative and confirmed at recce. Rules and lead times change, and I check them for every production.

Serengeti

The country — The great parks

Why crews film in Tanzania

Tanzania holds the Serengeti and its Great Migration, the Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and the spice-trade island of Zanzibar, whose Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Few countries have as many places that audiences recognise on sight.

That fame cuts both ways. The big parks are busy in peak season, filming fees are high, and the permit process has several layers. With the right timing and paperwork, though, the rewards are hard to match anywhere.

Permission — Who signs

Filming permits in Tanzania

The filming permit comes from the Tanzania Film Board. The application is endorsed through the Tanzanian embassy in the production’s home country and submitted at least 30 days before filming, and processing can take considerably longer, so two months is the safer plan. Read the permit conditions carefully before signing, including anything about providing footage or copies of the finished work.

The Film Board permit does not cover national parks. Each park needs permission from Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), with daily filming fees, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is not a national park, needs its own permission from its authority. Zanzibar runs its own procedures as well.

Drones need several separate approvals, including civil aviation, and they are slow and expensive to obtain. For wildlife productions, plan aerials as a separate line in the budget and the schedule.

Locations — Where to point the camera

Filming locations in Tanzania

The places briefs ask for most, and when they work.

Serengeti

The migration

Calving in the southern plains around January to March; river crossings in the north around July to October.

Ngorongoro

The crater

A collapsed volcano full of wildlife, with strict rules on time and vehicles.

Kilimanjaro

The mountain

Africa’s highest peak, clearest at dawn and dusk.

Zanzibar

Stone Town and the coast

Carved doors, narrow lanes, dhows and spice farms. Separate procedures.

Tarangire

Baobabs and elephants

Big herds along the river in the dry season, under huge baobabs.

Nyerere

The south

The former Selous: boat safaris and remote wilderness.

From the region — Connections

Combining Tanzania with a regional shoot

Tanzania borders Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, and a story that follows the Great Rift Valley or the lakes can run from Malawi north into southern Tanzania. Most crews fly in through Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar and move by light aircraft between parks.

Because Tanzania’s permits take longest, its application goes first, even if it is the last country on the schedule. See filming in Malawi and regional shoots.

Questions — Asked most often

What producers ask first

Short answers to the questions that arrive in nearly every brief. For anything specific to your production, ask me directly.

Do you offer fixer services in Tanzania?

Yes. I offer the same fixer and production service in Tanzania as in Zimbabwe: filming permits and accreditation, location scouting, local crew, transport, accommodation and on-the-ground logistics, for film, documentary, news and commercial crews. You can hire me for a shoot in Tanzania alone, or as part of a route across several countries.

Do you need a permit to film in Tanzania?

Yes. You need a filming permit from the Tanzania Film Board, endorsed through a Tanzanian embassy, and separate permits for national parks (TANAPA) and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

How long does a Tanzania filming permit take?

Apply at least 30 days ahead, but processing can take much longer. Two months is a safer plan, especially with park and drone permits.

Can you fly a drone in Tanzania?

Only with several separate approvals, including civil aviation. They are slow and costly to obtain, so plan aerials early.

When is the best time to film the Great Migration?

Calving happens in the southern Serengeti around January to March, and the river crossings in the north around July to October. Timing varies with the rains each year.

Field notes — Plan the route

Pair it with

Distances in Zimbabwe are long, so the locations you put together matter as much as the ones you pick. These sit well alongside this one.

Next — Your project

Send the brief and the dates

Tell me what you want to shoot here and when. You will get a straight answer on the permissions, the timing and the cost before you book anything.

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