Eligible Countries for Tanzania Visa on Arrival
An E- Visa for Tanzania can be applied online by people from over 150 different countries. This electronic visa type, once issued, permits the holder to travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar for tourism and leisure, as well as to visit family and friends.
Tourist Visa Policy for Tanzania
The Tanzania tourist visa policy, which includes the visa laws for the Zanzibar Archipelago,
states that roughly 40 nationalities may visit the country for tourism without obtaining a visa, for short stays.
However, all other foreign citizens traveling to Tanzania or Zanzibar for tourism or leisure need a visa.
The Tanzania online visa for tourism is quick and easy to obtain. It avoids any unnecessary trips to diplomatic missions to deal with visa paperwork, while giving travelers the peace of mind that they have an approved visa before arriving at the Tanzanian border.
This system also allows the applicant to pay the fee electronically, while a visa on arrival fee must be paid in US cash currency.
Although some nationalities may be able to get a visa on arrival for Zanzibar at border control in the country, this can involve long waits. It also runs the risk of being denied entry if there is an issue with the application. Those who are eligible to apply for the tourist visa online generally choose this option.
Those not eligible for these visa options are required to apply for a Tanzania tourist visa from the nearest Tanzanian embassy or consulate.
Find below further information about the requirements for traveling to Tanzania and Zanzibar for your nationality.
Tanzania eVisa
The Tanzania eVisa is an electronic visa, introduced in November 2018, which allows eligible foreign citizens to obtain travel authorization exclusively online.
It eliminates the need to visit a diplomatic mission of Tanzania in person to submit a visa application or queue upon arrival at the Tanzanian border.
There are over 150 nationalities that can apply for an eVisa for Tanzania online. Once approved, this electronic visa type allows the holder to visit both Tanzania and Zanzibar for purposes of tourism and leisure, or for visiting family and friends.
A Tanzania tourist eVisa is issued as a single–entry visa for a stay of up to 30 days for the majority of eligible citizens, and has a total validity of 90 days from the date of arrival.
Citizens of the United States only may be issued a multiple–entry Tanzania visa online, which permits multiple stays of a maximum of 90 days within every 180-day period. The eVisa for US citizens is valid for 1 year from the date of arrival.
The online application for an eVisa is simple and can be completed with basic information in just a few minutes. Once processed, the approved online visa is sent to the applicant’s email. They must then print a copy of both the Approved Visa Grant Notice and Visa Application Notification letter.
These documents can then be presented to Tanzanian immigration control at select points of entry, alongside a completed Tanzania Entry Arrival declaration form and the same passport used for the visa application, to gain entry to the country.
Find below a full list of the nationalities who can obtain an online visa for Tanzania.
Tanzania eVisa Eligible countries
Citizens from the countries listed below are eligible to apply online to enter Tanzania. Nationals wishing to travel to Tanzania require a visa. Travellers to Tanzania or Zanzibar can use the online version of the visa for a stay of up to 30 days.
Tanzania eVisa Ports of Entry
Holders of a Tanzania eVisa are able to enter Tanzania and Zanzibar via any seaport, as well as at the following select points of entry:
By Air
- Julius Nyere International Airport
- Kilmanjaro International Airport
- Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
Land
- Namanga Border Crossing
- Tunduma Border Crossing
Visa on Arrival
A Tanzania visa on arrival is a type of travel document that must be obtained upon arrival at a border entry checkpoint in either Tanzania or Zanzibar.
There is currently only one nationality that must obtain visa on arrival to enter Tanzania and Zanzibar. All other visa-required nationalities are able to easily apply for an eVisa online, otherwise they must apply for a Tanzania embassy visa.
Obtaining a visa on arrival in Tanzania involves standing in line at the border to complete an application and can involve lengthy waits.
Furthermore, the Tanzanian visa on arrival fee cannot be paid with debit or credit card. It is necessary for travelers to bring USD banknotes with them to pay the fee in cash. Other cash currencies are not accepted.
The length of stay permitted with a visa on arrival is determined on a case-to case basis at ports of entry, by an individual Tanzania immigration agent.
For these reasons, those who are also eligible for the eVisa choose this convenient online option instead.
Those who submit an online visa application are able to pay the fee electronically, and are granted expedited entry to the country upon arrival, bypassing the visa on arrival queues.
Below, you can find a complete list of the countries required to obtain a visa on arrival for entry to Tanzania.
Visa on Arrival: Country list
Embassy or Consular Visa Required
Citizens of over 40 countries are required to obtain an embassy visa for Tanzania (also known as a Referral visa) in advance of travel, regardless of the intended purpose or duration of the stay.
These nationalities must have an approved visa to travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar, as they require the approval of the Tanzanian Commissioner-General of Immigration or the Commissioner of Immigration for Zanzibar.
It is also necessary for all stateless persons or refugees holding Vienna Convention documents to obtain a Referral visa before traveling to Tanzania.
A Tanzanian referral category visa can be applied for online on the government web portal, but it it is necessary to attach a variety of supporting documentation.
This includes a cover/invitation letter from a host in Tanzania, which must contain the host’s contact information such as full address and phone number.
Travelers are recommended to submit a Referral Visa application at least 2 months in advance of the intended arrival date, to guarantee sufficient processing time.
Those who apply for a Tanzania Referral visa are advised not to make any flight or accommodation arrangements for their trip until the visa approval is confirmed.
Citizens of visa-free or eVisa countries who wish to visit for a purpose and duration other than those permitted with their entry type must also obtain an embassy visa for Tanzania.
It may be necessary to make an appointment in advance and bring a range of supporting documents depending on the purpose of the stay, for example to work or study.
Check the list below to see if you require an embassy visa in advance to visit Tanzania.
List of Countries which their Nationals require Referral Visa.
- Afghanistan
- Abkhazia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Chad
- Chad
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Kyigten Republic
- Kazakhstan
- Lebanon
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Palestine
- Senegal
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Somali land
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Stateless persons or persons with refugee status.
Transit Visa Required
Visa-required citizens who are transiting through the United Republic of Tanzania to another destination, and planning to leave the airport and stay up to 7 days, are required to apply for a Tanzanian transit visa.
Travelers submitting a transit visa for Tanzania application may be asked to provide evidence of an onward flight ticket and/or proof of a valid visa for the country of final destination.
Once approved, a transit visa for Tanzania is only valid for the purpose of transiting through the country, and is not valid as a tourist visa.
Visa Not Required
A visa is not required to enter Tanzania from around 50 nations around the world. Citizens of these countries are able to enter Tanzania visa-free for a stay of up to 90 days.
This includes citizens of a number of countries in southern and eastern Africa. Travelers from these territories are only required to present a current passport, valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry, to gain visa-exempt entry to Tanzania.
However, for stays over 3 consecutive months, these same citizens will be required to apply for a visitor visa, or other visa type depending on the purpose of travel, from their nearest Tanzanian diplomatic office.
Nationals of Brazil, China, India, or Turkey, who hold a diplomatic, service, official, or special passport, are also granted visa-exempt access to Tanzania and do not need a visa.
Certain citizens of foreign countries are also able to apply for a Visa Exemption Certificate for Tanzania free of charge.
This option is available to diplomats, spouses and dependent children of diplomats, foreign expatriates involved in government projects, and students from East African Community (EAC) member states.
The Tanzania Visa Exempt Certificate application involves supplying a range of supporting documents depending on the status of the applicant, which may include a cover letter, a copy of a work permit, and birth certificate copies.
Check the list below to find out if you come from a visa not required country for Tanzania.
Visa Not Required: Country list
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Anguilla
- Ashmore & Certie Island
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Belize
- Brunei
- British Virgin Island
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Botswana
- Cyprus
- Channel Island
- Cocoas Island
- Cook Island
- Christmas Island
- Dominica
- Falkland Island
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Guernsey
- Guyana
- Heard Island
- Hong Kong
- Isle of man
- Jamaica
- Isle of man
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Naue Island
- Norfolk Island
- Papua New Guinea
- Ross Dependency
- Romania
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Samoa
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- St. Helana
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Swaziland
- Turks & Caicos
- Tokelan
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Visa Zanzibar Support
