Do You Need A Visa To Visit Tanzania?
The short answer is yes. All nationalities – except 70 exempt nationalities including Uganda, Kenya, Seychelles, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cyprus, Zambia, Rwanda, Malaysia, Mauritius, Hong Kong and Singapore – require a visa to visit Tanzania for tourism, business, study, or transit purposes.
For a complete list of Tanzania visa-exempt countries, please check out country’s official visa exemption list, here. The good news is that the process of getting a Tanzania is fairly quick and easy.
Who needs a visa to visit Tanzania?
Citizens of most countries – the US and Canada, the EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and citizens of many other Latin American and Asian countries (except Singapore and Hong Kong) – must apply for a visa before entering Tanzania, but getting a Tanzania visa is a straightforward process for most nationalities.
Visitors coming into the country for tourism should apply for an “ordinary visa”, which grants a single entry to country for a stay of not more than 90 days.
Also if you are attending a conference or participating in humanitarian or charity events, this is the kind of visa to apply for. It costs US$50.
USA citizens are required to apply for a more expensive Tanzania multiple-entry visa which costs US$100. Note that visas are valid for 3 months from the date of issue and your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter Tanzania. You may also need to show proof of a return travel ticket and funds on arrival.
Multiple entry visas for Tanzania
USA citizens and anyone else who plans to enter Tanzania more than once during a trip or safari must obtain a Tanzania multiple entry visa.
This class of visa cost US$100. It allows multiple entries to Tanzania within a 12-month period. The stay per entry is not more than three months.
If you are not from the US, you should justify why you need a multiple-entry visa (for example, for traveling overland to Kenya or other neighboring countries) as part of your visa application. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry to qualify for a multiple entry visa. You will also need to supply a passport photo and proof of a return ticket to Tanzania.
You may also be required to provide a security bond and other supporting documents – contact your local Tanzanian embassy or consulate for details.
Applying for a Tanzania visa
Previously, travellers planning to visit Tanzania had two options to obtain a visa: to get a visa on arrival or apply in advance through their nation’s Tanzanian consulate, which required sending their passport away in the mail and waiting for it to be returned. However, Tanzania has introduced e-visas that have an easy online application process.
Getting a Tanzania visa online
For convenience and peace-of-mind, we suggest that you apply for a Tanzania visa in advance through the official Tanzania Immigration website.
If you are a USA Citizen, select “Multiple Entry Visa” when completing your application. This is the required option for US citizens wishing to enter Tanzania. Other nationals may consider if the ordinary visa or multiple entry visa is right for their travel plans.
Timeframe
Your Tanzania visa application may take up to 10 days to be processed. So, make sure you give yourself adequate time to complete the application and receive your Tanzania visa.
If you have booked a last-minute Tanzania adventure or short on time, you should opt for Tanzania visa on arrival at the airport border crossing point. Alternatively, the tourist visa/ordinary visa should not be completed more than 3 months prior to your scheduled travel dates. Don’t apply for your E-Visa too early!
Completing Tanzania Online Visa Application Form
Only complete the Tanzania e-visa from the official Immigration website of Tanzania. Don’t share your passport number or other important information with any other site offering visas. The Tanzania online visa application form is very simple and your answers should be clear.
- Ensure that you save your application number. Either take a photo, save a screenshot or write the number down for future reference.
- If you start the application but aren’t able to finish completing all the questions at once, you can simply access the application again based on your email address and application number, provided on the first page.
- When you return to complete the application, you will select “Continue Application”.
- You can check the status of your visa at the “Visa Status” page, which will let you know if your visa has been received, if it is in process or if you have been approved.
- Print all confirmation pages and keep them in a secure location. When you arrive in Tanzania, you will still get an official sticker in your passport as proof of your visa.
Visas on arrival in Tanzania
If you find the Tanzania e-visa process to be too complicated or are having technical issues, don’t worry! You can still obtain a Tanzania visa on-arrival for the same cost, given that you are from a country that does not need a referred visa (more about that below).
On-arrival Tanzania visas are available at Julius Nyerere International Airport –Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro International Airport and, Zanzibar, at the Namanga (Isebania) border post between Tanzania and Kenya, and at the Tunduma border crossing between Tanzania and Zambia.
Do not be worried when officials direct you to the emergency visa checkpoint on arrival – this is where Tanzania visa-on-arrival applications are made. The queues here can be long and you may be asked for proof of onward travel and proof of funds.
Those who have their e-visas may que in the “Visa Holder ” line at immigration. They will pass quickly through and receive a sticker in their passport without needing to do any other paperwork or payments.
Who Needs A Referral Visa To Visit Tanzania?
Citizens of 28 countries including Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Mauritania, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka need special clearance from the Commissioner-General of Immigration to travel to Tanzania.
A full list is available on the Immigration Services Department’s website. If you are traveling from any of the countries listed, you will need to apply for your visa at least 3 months before your proposed travel date.
Approval is not guaranteed so avoid booking flights or making accommodation reservations until you get approval from the authorities of Tanzania.
Tanzania transit visas
If you are only visiting or entering Tanzania for a few days before heading on to a neighboring country, such as Uganda, Kenya or Rwanda, a transit visa may be all that you need. This special class of Tanzania visa costs only US$30.
However, you cannot be in the republic of Tanzania for more than 7 days. You may also need to show proof of a visa or travel ticket for the country you are visiting after Tanzania.
Business Visa for Tanzania
If you are coming to Tanzania for business, you will need to apply for a business visa which is valid for 90 days. The Tanzania business visa fee is US$250 and you may need supporting documents from the organization that is hosting you in Tanzania.
Tanzania Student Visa
If you coming to Tanzania for, internships, volunteering, research or academic studies you can apply for a student visa. If your period of study is shorter than 3 months, you will pay US$50. The fee will rise to US$550 depending on the category and duration of your stay in Tanzania. Please note that language students can only get a 6-month visa, and the maximum period a student visa can be issued for is 2 years. If you an exchange student, you do not have to pay an application fee.
Can you extend your Tanzania Visa?
Yes, most visitors can extend their Tanzania visas for a period of 3-month stay. If you overstay your Tanzania visa, you can be detained, fined and deported.But, it is possible to extend a 3-month visa by a further 3 months at the immigration office in Dar es Salaam and offices in some other major cities of Tanzania.
Yellow fever vaccination requirements
At the time of writing this post, it was not compulsory for all travelers to produce a yellow fever vaccination certificate for entry into Tanzania. But, if you have visited a country with endemic yellow fever (including many nations in central Africa in the 21 days before you arrive in Tanzania, you will need to produce a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
