Tanzania visa requirements for US passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Confirmed for this scope

Holders of US passports coming for tourism must apply for the Multiple visa, even for a single trip. Diplomatic and official passports fall under the separate gratis visa.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

The multiple-entry visa for US nationals covers holiday or tourism, visiting friends and relatives, and attending a conference. Business assignments need the business visa.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Age Conditions to check

Every passport holder needs a separate visa application, including minors traveling on a parent's trip. No separate child fee is stated.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Residence Conditions to check

Online applications are open wherever you live, but an interview, if asked for, takes place at the Tanzanian embassy nearest to where you are when you apply.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Other visas or residence permits Not stated in the cited guidance

The guidelines do not mention any residence permit or visa from another country that replaces the Tanzanian visa.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check

Travelers passing through Tanzania to another country can apply for a transit visa of up to seven days, with an onward ticket or the destination country's visa.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Stay and visa validity Confirmed for this scope

The multiple-entry visa is valid for up to 12 months, but each visit may last at most three months (90 days); you cannot stay for the full year in one go.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Which visa US tourists need

Under a bilateral arrangement, US nationals are not given the ordinary single-entry visa. Tourists apply for the multiple-entry visa, which the guidelines price at USD 100 and which stays valid for up to 12 months. Each visit can last up to 90 days, and the visa covers trips to both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.

The documents for a holiday are short: a recent passport photo, a copy of your passport's photo page, your return flight ticket and the fee. Your passport must be valid for at least six months and have at least one unused visa page when you apply.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

Online or on arrival

The Immigration Service recommends the online e-Visa. Its guidelines do not say that a multiple-entry visa can be bought on arrival, and the UK government's advice says visas on arrival are single entry only, so arrange the US multiple-entry visa online before you fly.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Applying online

Apply only through the Immigration Services e-Visa portal, which covers both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar with one visa; pick your first destination on the form. Upload a color photo, the photo page of your passport and your return ticket, then pay by Visa card or Mastercard. Every passport holder, children included, needs a separate application.

Applications are processed within ten days, so lodge them at least ten days before you travel. You cannot change an application once it is submitted, and you should not arrive before it is approved. Fees are prepaid and not refundable, even if the visa is refused. The Immigration Service may ask you to attend an interview at the Tanzanian embassy nearest to you.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz); Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz).

At the border

An approved e-Visa arrives as a Visa Grant Notice by email, and you can download it again from the portal. It is not the final authority to enter: the immigration officer at the entry point decides. Carry your return or onward ticket, as you must show it on arrival.

All visitors except residents must also hold the government inbound travel insurance, bought online or on arrival from the National Insurance Corporation if you land on the mainland first, or from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation if you land in Zanzibar first. If you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever, bring proof of vaccination.

Official sources: Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz); Immigration Services Department, United Republic of Tanzania (visa.immigration.go.tz); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Government of Canada.