Tanzania Entry Requirements
Everything you need to enter Tanzania in 2026, including e-visa fees and application steps, passport validity rules, yellow fever certificate requirements, customs declarations and border crossing points.
Tanzania Entry Requirements 2026: Visa & Passport Guide
Tanzania entry requirements cover four things: a valid visa, a passport that meets the validity rule, proof of yellow fever vaccination where applicable, and a completed customs declaration. Most travellers arriving for a Kilimanjaro climb, a northern circuit safari or a Zanzibar holiday will need to arrange the first two before they fly.
This guide sets out what applies in 2026, what it costs, and the details that catch people out. Two of those matter more than the rest. American passport holders pay double what most nationalities pay, for reasons explained below. And the East Africa Tourist Visa does not cover Tanzania, which surprises a significant number of travellers arriving overland from Kenya.
Requirements change, so confirm anything time-sensitive against the official Tanzania Immigration Services portal at visa.immigration.go.tz before you travel.
Use this information to prepare all necessary documents well before your departure date.
Tanzania Visa Requirements
Most foreign nationals need a visa to enter Tanzania for tourism. Whether you need one, and what you pay, depends on your nationality.
Visa-free entry applies to citizens of East African Community member states, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. A limited number of other African and Commonwealth countries also have exemption agreements, among them Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Exemption is not a general Commonwealth rule: citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India and Nigeria all require visas. Check your specific nationality on the immigration portal rather than assuming.
The ordinary tourist visa is what most safari and Kilimanjaro travellers need. It costs $50, allows a single entry, and permits a stay of up to 90 days.
United States passport holders are the exception. US citizens must apply for the multiple-entry visa at $100 regardless of trip length or purpose. This is not a choice between visa types. Tanzania Immigration requires American nationals visiting for tourism to apply for the multiple visa, so a US traveller on a seven day Kilimanjaro climb pays the same $100 as someone making four trips in a year.
Other categories: the multiple-entry visa costs $100 and remains valid for 12 months from the date of issue, with each individual stay capped at 90 consecutive days. Business visas cost $250. Transit visas cost $30 and cover stays of up to seven days for travellers passing through to another destination.
Applying for the Tanzania e-visa
Apply online through the official portal at visa.immigration.go.tz. This is the only legitimate application site. A large number of unofficial sites rank for Tanzania visa searches, charge inflated handling fees, and in some cases exist to harvest personal data.
The application asks for your passport details, travel dates, flight itinerary and accommodation address in Tanzania. Official processing takes between two and ten business days across all visa categories, though applying three to four weeks before departure gives you room if anything needs resubmitting.
Your visa is linked to your passport number. If you renew your passport after the visa is issued, you have to apply again with the new number, so renew first if your passport is anywhere near the six month threshold.
Print your approval notice and carry it in your hand luggage. Immigration officers ask for a physical copy, and relying on a screenshot or airport wifi is a poor plan after a long flight.
What about visa on arrival?
Visa on arrival has historically been available at Kilimanjaro International Airport, Julius Nyerere International Airport, Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar and at major land borders, at the same rates as the e-visa.
Sources currently disagree on whether this remains available to all nationalities, and some report significant restrictions introduced from 2025. Given the stakes, treat the e-visa as the route to take. Applying online removes the queue, removes the cash requirement, and removes the risk of arriving without a fallback. If you intend to rely on visa on arrival, confirm eligibility directly with Tanzania Immigration before booking flights.
VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: current visa on arrival status. Sources conflict on whether it was restricted or withdrawn in 2025. Confirm with visa.immigration.go.tz or the nearest Tanzanian mission and state the position plainly.
The East Africa Tourist Visa does not cover Tanzania
This is the single most common misunderstanding among travellers building a multi-country East African trip. The East Africa Tourist Visa costs $100 and covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Tanzania is not a participant.
If your itinerary runs from Nairobi through Amboseli and across the border to Arusha, or from the Masai Mara into the Serengeti, you need a Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation and a separate Tanzania visa. Holding an EATV does not change that.
Passport Validity Requirements
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of arrival in Tanzania. Note that the rule keys off arrival, not the date you plan to leave.
If you land on 1 March 2026, your passport must not expire before 1 September 2026. A passport expiring in late August would be refused, even with a valid visa already issued.
You also need at least one blank page for entry stamps. Two is safer if you are crossing land borders or visiting more than one country, since each crossing consumes space.
Proof of onward travel
Immigration officers can ask to see a return or onward ticket, and this is enforced rather than theoretical. Have your outbound booking accessible, printed or on your phone, alongside your visa approval.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate
Yellow fever vaccination is required if you are arriving from, or have transited through, a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Transit generally counts if you spent more than 12 hours in the airport of an affected country.
Endemic areas cover much of sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America. Travellers flying direct from Europe, North America, Asia or Australia to Tanzania are not normally required to present a certificate, but anyone routing through Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Lagos, Kigali or similar hubs should check whether their connection triggers the requirement.
Where required, the certificate must be recorded in the official WHO International Certificate of Vaccination, the yellow booklet. Carry the original document, because photocopies are not accepted. Vaccination takes effect 10 days after the injection and remains valid for life, so a single dose covers all future travel.
If a medical condition prevents you from being vaccinated, a Tanzanian embassy or consulate can issue a waiver. Arrange this before departure rather than attempting to explain it at the immigration desk.
Many travellers choose to be vaccinated regardless of whether their route requires it, since lifetime validity makes it useful for onward travel across the region.
Even travelers from non-endemic countries should consider yellow fever vaccination for health protection purposes. Tanzania has areas where yellow fever transmission can occur, particularly in rural safari regions. Furthermore, many travelers combine Tanzania with other East African destinations requiring yellow fever proof. Getting vaccinated before travel eliminates concerns and provides important health protection during your safari.
COVID-19 Tanzania Entry Requirements
Tanzania has removed COVID-19 entry requirements for arriving travellers. Vaccination certificates are not required, and PCR or rapid antigen testing before arrival is not required, regardless of your vaccination status or country of origin.
Routine health screening may still take place at entry points. Requirements can also be reintroduced at short notice in response to global health developments, so check the position two to three weeks before departure. Your home country may separately impose conditions on your return, which is worth confirming at the same time.
Always verify current COVID-19 requirements on official Tanzania government websites before traveling to confirm. Health situations change quickly, and governments update policies based on WHO recommendations and local conditions. Checking 2 to 3 weeks before departure ensures you have the most accurate information. Additionally, your home country may have requirements for return entry that you must consider.
Arrival Form and Customs Declaration
Tanzania uses an electronic arrival and declaration process. Complete it before you land and keep the confirmation reference, which immigration officers may ask to see.
VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: the exact name, URL and timing window for the current arrival form. The original draft stated a 24-hour window. Confirm this against the official immigration site before publishing a specific instruction, as an incorrect deadline on this page is worse than a general one.
Customs declarations are distributed on inbound flights or available at land borders. Declare items of value including cameras, laptops and drones, and declare currency where the amount you are carrying exceeds $10,000.
Keeping receipts for expensive equipment is sensible. If a customs officer questions whether a camera body or a set of lenses is personal property rather than goods for import, proof of purchase resolves it quickly.
Zanzibar: Mandatory Travel Insurance
Travellers visiting Zanzibar must purchase the mandatory Zanzibar travel insurance policy, currently $44 per person. This is a separate requirement from your visa and from any travel insurance you hold at home. Buying your own policy does not exempt you.
Purchase it online before travel and carry the confirmation. If your itinerary combines a mainland safari or Kilimanjaro climb with a few nights on the island, this applies to you.
A proposal to extend the same requirement to all non-residents entering mainland Tanzania was raised during the 2025 to 2026 national budget process at the same $44 rate. It is not in force at the time of writing, but travellers booking for late 2026 should watch for it.
Health Insurance and Travel Insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended for every visitor and required by most reputable operators for mountain climbs.
Medical facilities outside Dar es Salaam and Arusha are limited, and evacuation from a remote safari area or from high on Kilimanjaro is expensive. A policy that covers medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation is the minimum sensible cover.
Check the specifics rather than assuming. Many standard policies exclude trekking above a stated altitude, which matters if you are climbing Kilimanjaro at 5,895 metres or Mount Meru at 4,562 metres. Cycling, diving and other adventure activities are frequently excluded as well.
Keep your policy documents and your insurer’s emergency contact number accessible in both digital and printed form.
Prohibited and Restricted Items
Tanzania prohibits or restricts a number of items at entry.
Prohibited: narcotics, which carry severe penalties including imprisonment; counterfeit goods; pornographic material; and products derived from endangered species, including unworked ivory and certain skins and shells.
Restricted, requiring permits arranged in advance: firearms and ammunition, and drones. Drone operation requires authorisation from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, and the process needs to be started well before travel. Arriving with an undeclared drone commonly results in it being held at customs until departure.
Allowed but worth declaring: professional photography and video equipment. Declaring it on arrival avoids questions about whether it was imported for sale when you leave.
Duty-free allowances on alcohol and tobacco are limited, and quantities beyond personal use attract duty.
Entry Points by Land
Travellers arriving overland enter through a number of border posts.
Namanga connects Kenya and Tanzania on the main Nairobi to Arusha road and is the busiest crossing for safari travellers moving between the two countries.
Sirari, opposite Isebania on the Kenyan side, gives access from the Masai Mara toward the Serengeti ecosystem.
Horohoro, in Tanga Region opposite Lunga Lunga in Kenya, is the coastal crossing used by travellers moving between the Kenyan south coast and northeastern Tanzania.
Mutukula and Kikagati connect Tanzania with Uganda in the northwest, near Lake Victoria.
Tunduma connects Tanzania with Zambia and carries most overland traffic from southern Africa.
Borders operate set hours, generally from early morning to early evening, and smaller posts may close on public holidays. Formalities typically take between one and three hours depending on queues and how complete your paperwork is. Carry US dollars in cash for any fees payable at the border.
Self-Drive and Vehicle Import
Travellers bringing a foreign-registered vehicle into Tanzania need documentation beyond standard tourist entry.
You need an International Driving Permit alongside your national licence, and vehicle registration documents proving ownership or a notarised rental agreement if the vehicle is hired. A temporary import permit allows a foreign-registered vehicle to remain in the country for up to 90 days. Overlanders driving their own vehicles across multiple countries generally travel on a Carnet de Passage.
Third-party motor insurance must be purchased at the border. Foreign policies are not valid in Tanzania, and this is not optional.
Vehicles are inspected at land borders. Spare parts, camping equipment and personal effects should be in quantities consistent with a trip rather than with trade. Keep vehicle paperwork and insurance accessible throughout your time in the country, as police checkpoints are routine on main roads.
Travelling with Children
Children need to meet the same visa requirements as adults, and each child requires their own passport with six months validity from the date of arrival.
Carry birth certificates for any children travelling with you. A parent travelling alone with a child should carry a notarised letter of consent from the other parent. Unaccompanied minors require consent letters from both parents, together with contact details for the adult receiving the child in Tanzania.
These measures exist to prevent child trafficking and are applied consistently, so prepare the paperwork rather than expecting discretion at the desk.
Before You Travel: Checklist
- Apply for your e-visa at visa.immigration.go.tz, three to four weeks before departure
- US citizens: apply for the multiple-entry visa at $100, not the $50 ordinary visa
- Check your passport expires no sooner than six months after your arrival date
- Confirm you have at least one blank passport page, ideally two
- Arrange yellow fever vaccination if your route requires it, at least 10 days before travel
- Purchase Zanzibar travel insurance if your itinerary includes the island
- Buy travel insurance covering your maximum planned altitude and any adventure activities
- Print your visa approval, accommodation bookings and return ticket
- Apply for a TCAA permit if bringing a drone
- Carry US dollars in cash for any fees payable on arrival
Arrive with your documents organised and answer questions directly. Immigration and customs procedures in Tanzania are straightforward when your paperwork is in order.