How to get a Tanzanian visa

Once you’ve booked your Tanzania safari or Zanzibar holiday (hooray!), the next step is to apply for a tourist visa. For many people, this causes anxiety and worry. How do you pray? Where should I apply? What documents do I need The good news is that getting a Tanzanian visa is very easy, especially when you book with us. Read on for more information.

If you are traveling to Tanzania, you can obtain a visa online or on arrival*. Both methods are perfectly valid, but the Tanzanian government wants to show that Tanzania is a modern country, so they suggest using the online method. Below we outline the advantages and disadvantages of both applications. First, let’s talk about costs.

Tanzanian visa: how much does it cost?
Tanzanian visa fees vary slightly depending on your nationality. Are you from Europe? In that case, the fee is $50. Are you from the United States? Next, you’ll need a $100 multiple-entry visa. Both are valid for three months, but a multiple-entry visa allows you to leave the country within a year and return with the same visa.

The above fees apply when purchasing a visa online. If you apply on arrival, the fee is USD 50 or EUR 50 (or USD 100 for a multiple entry visa). Of course, 50 euros costs more than 50 USD, so it’s a bit surprising. In both cases, you can also pay by credit card and the fee will be $50 or $100 plus credit card. Your choice.

Apply online
The Tanzanian government encourages online applications, and actually offers the following benefits:

The process is very easy, especially if you use the instructional PDF that you get when you book with us.
Board the plane with your visa arranged and paid for.
Once you arrive, wait at a counter to get your visa stamped.
To apply for a visa online, visit the official website of the government of Tanzania. We recommend you do not ask to leave other websites because they are expensive or fraudulent. I know several travelers who have lost money to these scams, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. The official website is:

https://services.immigration.go.tz/visa/

When you sign up with us, you will receive a separate PDF to guide you through the process. Our travel experts are always available to advise. Although we cannot apply for a visa on your behalf, you are unlikely to encounter any problems using this option. It may take up to 10 days for your visa to be processed and approved once you have submitted your application. Please confirm that you are hitting or downloading and on your way out. Once you arrive, queue at the immigration counter and get your passport and visa stamped. Then I gather your stuff and you are ready to go.

Apply for a visa on arrival in Tanzania
If you are unable or unwilling to apply online for any reason, you can still apply on arrival from March 2024*. Get ready to experience Africa’s strange bureaucracy. But other than that, the process is very simple.

Once you arrive at the airport, complete the registration form (make sure you have a pen handy and your Tanzanian guide’s address and starting address are complete).

Please apply at the visa counter.
Go to the second counter and pay your visa fee you pay by cash or credit card.
Go to the third counter and stamp your passport and visa.
Once you have your package, you are ready to go.
As you can see, if you apply on arrival you will have to queue three times, but if you apply online you will only have to queue once on arrival. So using the old method might slow you down a bit, but hey, you’re in a “polar” world now. No need to rush to Africa. It might be good to get used to it. On a side note, so many people apply online these days that some online applications are much longer than three lines of applications for admission. Therefore, you may be able to check out early.

Your choice
Nowadays, most people prefer to apply online to check if they have a visa in hand before travelling. That’s understandable. When applying online, be sure to make the following arrangements:

Apply 3-4 weeks prior to your trip if your application is denied. This will give you enough time to correct any mistakes and reapply.
Have a credit card ready to pay or know how to transfer money to an international bank.
Please prepare a digital passport size image, a biometric data page image of your passport (up to 300KB), and a PDF of your flight ticket (up to 1MB).
If you are returning from Tanzania, make sure your passport is valid for six months.
If a child is traveling with only one parent, written documentation in English of the other parent’s consent to travel is required and must be posted on the policy.
Be sure to pack a pencil when you arrive