Tanzania visa on arrival

The visa guidelines give two ways to obtain a Tanzanian visa: online through the immigration website or on arrival at an official entry point. The list of countries eligible for both channels includes Türkiye, most European states, the Gulf states, China, Russia, the United States and many others. Nationals of these countries therefore do not need prior approval and can, in principle, buy the visa when they land.

The facility is closed to nationals of the 23 referral countries (among them Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Somalia and Yemen), to refugees and to stateless persons, unless the Office of the Commissioner General of Immigration has approved them in advance. Nationals of visa-exempt countries do not need it at all and receive a visitor's pass at the border.

The on-arrival facility serves short visits. Tourists, people visiting friends or relatives and conference participants take the ordinary visa; travellers passing through to another country can take a transit visa. Business visas, student visas and multiple entry visas require documents such as contracts, admission letters, company letters or BRELA records, and the guidelines describe their requirements as part of the online application, so it is safer to apply for them in advance.

Every traveller must use a designated entry point and appear in person before an immigration officer with a completed, signed arrival declaration card and a passport valid for at least six months with a blank visa page. The officer may ask for a return or onward ticket and evidence of funds for the stay; the visa brochure states that visitors must present an onward or return ticket together with proof of sufficient funds. Have accommodation details and the address of your host ready.

The official matrix does not set separate prices for the on-arrival channel: the ordinary visa costs USD 50, the transit visa USD 30 and the multiple entry visa USD 100. If you applied online and the application is still pending when you land, the officer may charge the visa on arrival, and the terms say neither payment is refunded. Travellers with an online application in progress should therefore wait for the Visa Grant Notice before flying.

The department recommends the online platform over the on-arrival option, and Tanzanian embassy guidance states that a visa on arrival is not guaranteed and advises securing the visa before travelling. Whether a visa is issued at the border or online, the immigration officer has the final word and may refuse entry if the traveller cannot meet the entry requirements or if their presence would be contrary to national interests.

The Ministry of Health's health rules apply in addition. Whether yellow fever vaccination is required depends on the countries you travel from or through, so check the current requirements for your route.