Tanzania e-Visa
Everything you need to apply for your Tanzania e-Visa: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Tanzania government portalOverview
The Tanzania e-Visa is the country's online travel authorisation, applied for and issued before you fly through the immigration eServices portal. Most travellers use the single-entry tourist e-Visa, which is valid for up to three months from issue and permits a stay of up to 90 days for a single visit covering tourism, safari and a Zanzibar beach holiday. Tanzania also issues a multiple-entry e-Visa valid for up to 12 months, and US citizens are required to obtain that multiple-entry visa rather than the single-entry ordinary one, a point worth checking before you start.
Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so the same e-Visa carries you to the mainland and to the islands without a separate permit. The authorisation is for leisure and short business travel; paid employment, study toward a qualification and residence call for the relevant category arranged through the authorities. The e-Visa is linked to the passport you apply with, and that is the passport you must travel on.
National-park entry fees and climbing permits for the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Kilimanjaro are arranged separately from the visa and are not part of what you pay here. Your Tanzania e-Visa is prepared in your own language, the correct entry category is fitted to your nationality and trip, and every answer is reviewed for completeness before it is submitted to the Tanzanian authorities, so a simple slip does not cost you a return to the back of the queue.
Requirements in detail
Tanzania asks for a small set of supporting documents, and the value is in getting each one right rather than in their number. You need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival with a blank page for stamping, because an officer cannot endorse a passport that is close to expiry. A recent passport-style photograph and a scan of the passport bio-page are part of the standard submission, so prepare a clear, well-lit photo against a plain background with nothing covering your face.
Tanzania also expects proof of your travel plans, which means a return or onward flight booking and confirmed accommodation on the mainland or in Zanzibar. One health requirement is distinctive: a yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required if you are arriving from, or have recently transited, a country where yellow fever is a risk, and border officers may ask to see it alongside your e-Visa, so confirm whether your route triggers it before you travel. A valid email address receives the approval, and a payment card covers one all-inclusive price that includes the government fee and the service fee, with the government portion itemised on your receipt.
The single most common avoidable mistake is a mistyped name or passport number that does not match the document exactly; one wrong character can hold up your application or your boarding, so those fields are checked against the passport before submission.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity and one blank page
- Recent digital passport photograph
- Confirmed accommodation in Tanzania (mainland or Zanzibar)
- Return or onward flight booking
- Email address for e-Visa delivery
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price)
How to apply
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
On arrival
Carry your approved Tanzania e-Visa with you, as a clear printout or saved on your phone, so you can show it at check-in and at the border. Travel on the exact passport you applied with, since the authorisation is tied to that document and the numbers must match. The e-Visa covers both the mainland and Zanzibar, so you can arrive at Julius Nyerere or Kilimanjaro airports, fly on to Zanzibar, or cross a land border with only the standard arrival card to fill in.
Have your return or onward ticket, your accommodation details and, if your route requires it, your yellow-fever certificate ready to show. The e-Visa lets you travel and request entry; the immigration officer at the port of arrival makes the final admission decision and may ask a few questions about your trip, so keep your plans clear and your documents to hand.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: the Tanzanian Immigration Services Department decides in 1 to 10 business days, the longest standard window in our African e-Visa range. VisitPass review: Standard 1 to 3 business days; Rush 1 business day; Super Rush less than 6 hours, on top of the government time. The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued by email.
When to apply: aim for three to four weeks before departure, because the immigration portal sees peak-season backlogs and occasional outages. For trips under two weeks away, choose Rush or Super Rush so your application is prioritised before submission.
At a glance
- Validity
- Up to 12 months
- Maximum stay
- 90 days per visit
- Entry type
- Single or multiple
Who can apply
Available to nationals of most countries. Single-entry tourist e-Visas are valid for 90 days per visit; multiple-entry visas allow several visits within 12 months. Zanzibar is part of Tanzania and uses the same e-Visa.
The Tanzanian government processing window is the longest in our African e-Visa portfolio.
Tanzania help desk
Have questions about your e-Visa? Email the Tanzania desk and we reply within 24 hours.
tanzania@visitpass-online.com