Passport & Visa in Tanzania

Most of the visitors from an abroad country can receive a visa-on-arrival in Tanzania. With the exception of countries like Hong Kong, Jamaica, Barbados, Malaysia and about a dozen other African countries, everybody visiting Tanzania is obligated to acquire a tourist visa.

South African passport holders do not require visa for stay up to a period of 90 days, and will apply for tourism and transit travel. Some other popular countries that do not require visa for Tanzania are Singapore, Hong Kong, Malta, Malaysia, Kenya, Jamaica, Ghana, Gambia, Cyprus, Barbados, Bahamas, Cook Island, Madagascar, Mauritius, Romania, and Brunei. For a full list of countries that do not require visa to enter Tanzania, visa types duration, cost, and any other visa-related details, Tanzania eVisa – Guidelines (immigration.go.tz) is the most reliable source to hold on to.

Citizens of Brazil, China, India, or Turkey traveling on diplomatic or other special passports can enter Tanzania without a visa.

The following table depicts a clearer picture about the visa cost for various types of visas that a travel may apply:

* The maximum validity of this visa is 12 months. However, holders with this type of visa is not permitted to stay in the country for 12 consecutive months. They must exit the country at least once in every three months, and re-enter.

#   Issued to foreign nationals for the purpose of transiting to another country via Tanzania. This visa is valid for a maximum period of 7 days only. Travelers may need to provide proof of the visa of their final destination country or onward journey ticket.

Requirements for Single & Double Entry Visa

• Valid passport with at least six-month validity remaining from the date of their arrival
• 2 passport-sized photographs
• Return flight ticket
• Duly filled-in declaration form
• For on-arrival visas, two free adjacent pages remaining in the passport.
• Required visa fees

Requirements for Multiple Entry Visa

• Valid passport with at least six-month validity remaining from the date of their arrival
• 2 passport-sized photographs
• Valid passport or national ID of the person you’re visiting in Tanzania OR a covering letter of the host institution OR marriage certificate of a spouse and passport/ID if visiting a spouse (NOT APPLICABLE TO US CITIZENS)
• Return flight ticket (not mandatory)
• Required visa fees

Requirements for Transit Visa

• Valid passport
• An entry visa or onward ticket to the intended country of his/her final destination
• Required visa fees

Extending a Tanzanian visa

A 3-month visa is granted for most visitors. If you intentionally overstay, you may be detained, fined and deported from the country. It is possible to extend your stay for a further 3 months by applying at the immigration office in Dar es Salaam or some other major Tanzanian cities.

NOTE: The other types of visas issued by the Tanzanian government authorities are business visa, referral visa, and gratis visa.