Tanzania e-visa application: how to apply online

§1Who needs an e-visa for Tanzania?

British, Irish and Canadian citizens and most Europeans need a visa. The immigration service guidelines exempt only the countries of the East African Community, those of the SADC (except the Comoros) and part of the Commonwealth.

The tourist visa, called the ordinary visa on the portal, allows a stay of 90 days for a single entry. It covers three purposes: tourism, volunteering, medical. A round trip to another East African country during the journey does not cancel it, as long as it remains valid.

The business visa covers short assignments (audit, maintenance, prospecting), also for 90 days and a single entry. Beyond three months, a work permit is required. US citizens must apply for the multiple-entry visa, valid for one year.

Volunteering calls for caution. The portal lists it among the purposes of the tourist visa, but the FCDO and France Diplomatie require a residence permit for any voluntary work, however short. It is better to obtain a written answer from the host organisation before applying.

The visa is valid for the whole United Republic: the form asks for a first destination, but the traveller then moves between the mainland and Zanzibar without a new visa. Insurance follows the same logic: only one, the one for the first point of entry (see mandatory insurance).

§2How to apply for the Tanzania e-visa, step by step

The application is made only on visa.immigration.go.tz. The portal recommends Firefox or Chrome.

The five steps of the application are summarised at the top of the page. Two points deserve attention: a wrongly chosen visa type or category leads to a refusal, and a submitted application cannot be edited; a change of flight is reported by email.

Immigration may summon an applicant for an interview at the nearest embassy. The published contact addresses are visatanzania@immigration.go.tz (portal) and info@immigration.go.tz (visa questions).

§3Documents and photo required for the Tanzania e-visa

Three items are mandatory: the passport, valid at least 6 months after entry and with a blank page, a photo or selfie on a neutral background, and a return flight booking. For humanitarian volunteering, an invitation letter and the organisation’s registration licence are added. The business visa also requires proof of the assignment.

The photo must be in colour, on a plain background, facing the camera, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, eyes open, no shadows. Glasses are accepted if usually worn; headwear only for religious reasons, with the face fully visible. JPG or JPEG file, 500 KB at most, image of 45 × 35 mm at most. The guidelines warn that a non-compliant photo can lead to rejection of the application.

The return ticket is required at application and again on arrival. Leaving by road is justified by proof of the onward journey.

Children each file their own application, even if listed on a parent’s file. No reduced fee is provided. A family of four therefore files four applications and receives four Visa Grant Notices.

The grounds for refusal cited by the guidelines are these: wrong visa chosen, missing document or information, non-compliant photo, passport too short. So-called referral nationalities go through approval by the Commissioner General of Immigration and must apply at least two months before departure.

§4Tanzania e-visa price and how long it really takes

At online payment, transaction fees included, the tourist e-visa costs $50.75 and the business e-visa $238.53. The multiple-entry visa for US citizens is set at $100. Fees are in dollars: the bank applies its own exchange rate and often a commission, which matters for a payment made from a sterling account.

The immigration service announces processing within ten days. On real travellers’ applications, the average delay observed by the team is about 7 days (team). No visa is issued at the weekend: an application filed on a Friday evening will not be decided before Monday.

A photo to be resubmitted or a missing document lengthens the wait. Hence the recommended margin of at least 14 days before the flight. Less than a week before departure, the visa on arrival page indicates when to rely on the border.

§5What to show on arrival with the Tanzania e-visa

The Visa Grant Notice arrives by email and can be downloaded from the portal. The guidelines ask travellers to wait for it before travelling, and state that it does not guarantee entry: the officer may refuse it if another condition is missing. After the counter, France Diplomatie advises checking the length of stay written in the passport.

To carry, per traveller, children included:

• the Visa Grant Notice, printed as well as on the phone;
• the return or onward ticket;
• the certificate for the mandatory insurance bought for the first point of entry;
• the QR code of the Afya Msafiri form;
• depending on the stopover, the yellow fever certificate.