Applying for a job is free. Take the public service: notices say applications must go through the Ajira Portal, and any other route won't be considered, so a person who offers to get you a post for TZS 200,000 is selling something that doesn't exist. The same goes for work permits: the official guidelines list the fees, and the official FAQ says the employer applies and no other payment is due.
The check takes two minutes
Answer yes or no. A yes on a money question ends the check at once. Otherwise you get a result once every question is answered, and three or more warning signs count as high risk. A clear result doesn't prove a job is real, so still find the employer yourself.
How to check an employer yourself
- Find the website with a search, not through the link you were sent.
- Look for the post on the employer's career page. Our list of official portals has the ones we opened.
- Call a number from the website, and ask HR if the post and the person are real.
- For public service posts, look for the notice on the Ajira Portal. For Zanzibar, look on ZanAjira.
If you have already paid
Stop paying, even if they promise a refund after one more fee. Keep the messages, the phone numbers and your mobile money or bank receipts, and take them to the nearest police station. Ask your mobile money provider or bank straight away what they can do about the payment.
We could not confirm a dedicated phone line for reporting job fraud on an official page, so this page doesn't print one.
Questions people ask
Is a medical or a uniform fee ever fine?
Be very careful with any fee before you hold a signed contract. Ask for the rule in writing, and pay nothing to a personal number. If you can't verify it, walk away.
They used a real company's name. Does that make it safe?
No. A familiar name and logo are easy to copy. Call the company on a number from its own website.
Do you keep my answers?
No. They stay in your browser and disappear when you close the page.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026.