What Are the Visa and Passport Requirements for Tanzania?

A Valid Passport

All visitors to Tanzania planning to climb Kilimanjaro are required to carry and show a passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry into the country. Your passport should have at least one empty page for official stamps.

Check your passport well in advance of travel, in case you need to renew it.

Tanzania Visitor Visa

Most foreign visitors are required to obtain a visa for entry into Tanzania, there are some exceptions. The visa doesn’t always need to be obtained prior to arrival as they can be issued at the port of entry.

Generally, all visitors from non-Commonwealth countries need a visa for entry, unless your country has an agreement with Tanzania under which this requirement has been waived.

Visitors from some Commonwealth countries don’t need a visa for entry, but citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, United States, Canada, and most EU countries are not exempt.

Some travelers prefer to arrange their visas in advance, and this can be done by contacting the Tanzanian embassy in your home country. They normally require you to send in your passport, an application form and passport photos for processing.

 

Frequently asked questions

Can you Get a Tanzania visa on Arrival?

In order to avoid lost passports or delays in obtaining the visa, it’s often a good idea to simply purchase a visa on arrival. Depending on the time of year, the queues can be quite long for visa issuance, but often it’s quick and trouble-free.

So how do you get a Tanzania visa?

Visas can be obtained at the following entry points to the United Republic of Tanzania:

  • Dar Es Salaam International Airport
  • Zanzibar International Airport
  • Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
  • Namanga Entry Point (Tanzania-Kenya boarder point)
  • Tunduma
  • Sirari
  • Horohoro
  • Kigoma port

At the time of writing, the current Tanzania visa fees (purchased upon arrival) are:

  • US Citizens: $100 (Multiple entry) for one year
  • Non-US Citizens: $50 (Single entry) for six months
  • Non-US Citizens: $100 (Double entry) for six months

These fees will need to be paid in cash, and you’ll need a clean page in your passport for the stamp.

Can you apply for Tanzania visa online?

You can now apply for an Online Visa to visit the United Republic of Tanzania (both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar). You are required to fill in the online form, make payment, and submit your application online. Your form will be internally reviewed and processed.

Applicants will be notified through their e-mails whether their applications have been accepted or rejected. They may also TRACK their application statuses through the online system. Applicants may as well be required to visit the nearest Tanzanian Embassies or Consular Offices for interviews. Follow this link for online visa application : https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa

Keynote before you start your online visa Process.

Please consider the following information beforehand.

  • Types of Visa
  • Required documents
  • Countries whose citizens do not require visa on entry
  • Countries whose citizens require approval by the Tanzania Commissioner General of Immigration.

What are the  Tanzania Entry Requirements ?

Yellow Fever Vaccination Card

If you are arriving from a country at risk of yellow fever (even if you’ve had a layover), you’ll need to show your Yellow Fever Vaccination card.

Proof of Return or Onward Journey
As a visitor you will likely be asked to show proof of your onward or return ticket out of Tanzania, so be sure to have that information handy (a printout is best) once you land.

Proof of Sufficient Funds

You will have to have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Tanzania, and carry proof should you be asked. It’s not often that an immigration official asks for this, but it can happen.

We strongly recommend that you check your visa requirements well in advance of your trip to avoid unnecessary delays.

Don’t forget any visa requirements for other countries you are visiting or transiting through.

 

Additional Resources:

For Americans

You can obtain a tourist visa to Tanzania upon arrival, however, the US government encourages you to apply one in advance by post. For information, see www.tanzaniaembassy-us.org.

For British

You can obtain a tourist visa to Tanzania upon arrival, however, the UK government encourages you to apply one before your travel. You can apply in person or by a representative at Tanzania High Commission in London. You can also submit your application by post. For more information, see tzhc.uk/visa-application.

Validity

Single-entry (business and tourist) visa is valid for three months from the date of issue. A multiple-entry visa is valid for either six or 12 months from the date of issue.

Transit

Transit visas costing US$30 are available for those traveling through Tanzania to other destinations within a 14-day period. An onward ticket or tour itinerary/confirmation and sufficient funds for transit are required.

Please note that you can only obtain a transit visa to Tanzania at the point of entry.

Temporary residence

Residence permits are granted to foreign nationals if they are employed by a Tanzanian company, or working long-term as missionaries or volunteers. You must apply for these through the Immigration Services Department (www.immigration.go.tz).

Working days

Allow three working days (applications in person) or 10 days (postal applications) for visa processing if applying in advance. You can pay an additional fee for a 24-hour or same-day service.

 

Who Doesn’t Require a Visa? A list of Countries

As of August 2018, citizens from 66 countries can enter Tanzania without a visa. These countries are: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Ashmore & Certie Island, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Island, Brunei, Cayman Island, Channel Island, Christmas Island, Cocoas Island, Cook Island, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Island, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Heard Island, Hong Kong, Isle of man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Macao, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Naue Island, Nauru, Papua new Guinea, Romania, Ross Dependency, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, South African Republic, Solomon Island, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing,

We strongly recommend that you verify critical information unique to your trip with the relevant embassy before travel.

Embassies and tourist offices:

Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania in the USA

Telephone: (202) 884 1080.

Website: https://tanzaniaembassy-us.org/

Address: 1232 22nd St NW, Washington, 20037,

Opening times: Mon-Fri 0900-1300.

High Commission for the United Republic of Tanzania in the UK

Telephone: (020) 7569 1470.

Website: http://tanzaniahighcommission.co.uk

Address: Tanzania House, 3 Stratford Place, London, WC1 1AS,

Opening times: Mon-Fri 1000-1230 (visa applications) and 1400-1530 (visa collection only).

British High Commission in Tanzania

Telephone: (022) 229 0000.

Website: http://www.ukintanzania.fco.gov.uk

Address: Kivukoni, Umoja House, Garden Ave, Tanzania