Tanzania

The Tanzanian electronic visa is accessible to more than 100 different nationalities, including French, Belgian, Swiss and Canadian nationals. Only a few nationalities, mostly from East and Southern Africa, are exempt from a visa to enter Tanzania. If your nationality is not on the list of nationalities eligible for the e-Visa, you will need to contact the Tanzanian embassy in your country to apply for a standard visa.

To be eligible for the e-Visa, you must be outside Tanzania at the time of your application. You must not hold a valid Tanzanian residence permit. Finally, you must be able to provide proof of a means of leaving Tanzanian territory (return flight ticket or onward ticket to a third country). It is not necessary to have local contacts in Tanzania to complete the process.

The Tanzania e-Visa application process is entirely paperless. You do not need to go to an embassy or send your passport by post. Everything is done online, from filling in the form to receiving the visa electronically. Preparing your documents in advance is key: the Tanzanian form is known to be lengthy and its requirements precise regarding the format and file sizes to be uploaded.

It is important to note that if you leave Tanzania to travel to a neighbouring country (Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, etc.) and wish to return to Tanzania, your initial e-Visa — valid for a single entry — will not allow you to re-enter. You will need to submit a new e-Visa application from abroad. If your itinerary includes a multi-country circuit with a return to Tanzania, take this constraint into account from the planning stage of your trip.

For travellers wishing to transit through Tanzania without staying for an extended period, a transit visa is in theory available, allowing a stay of up to 7 days on the territory. It is necessary to hold an onward ticket to a third country. For this type of visa, you should contact the Tanzanian embassy directly.

The consular fees for the Tanzania e-Visa differ depending on the purpose of the stay. For a tourist, humanitarian or medical stay, the consular fees amount to 50 USD per traveller. For a professional trip (business or conferences), the consular fees are 235 USD per traveller. These amounts are set by the Tanzanian authorities and are exclusive of any service fees.

Once issued, the Tanzania e-Visa authorises a stay of a maximum of 90 days. This period is counted from the date of actual arrival on the territory, not from the date of visa issuance. However, the actual authorised duration depends on the stay dates you entered when making your application: if you indicate a 30-day stay, the visa issued will only cover those 30 days, even though the regulatory maximum is 90 days.

If your stay dates change after the visa has been issued, it is preferable to submit a new e-Visa application with the correct dates, as the visa is issued in accordance with the dates initially declared and cannot be modified once issued. It is also impossible to correct an error made in the form after the visa has been issued.

Regarding extension of stay: it is possible to extend your visa at the Tanzanian Immigration Bureau if you are already on the territory and wish to stay beyond the initially authorised duration. This procedure must be initiated before your current visa expires.

Tanzania is an exceptional destination in East Africa, often called the "pearl of Africa" for its remarkable biodiversity. It is particularly known for its vast wild regions preserved from mass tourism, the presence of the famous big five (elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes and rhinoceroses), as well as Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, located entirely on Tanzanian territory.

To make the most of your stay, the ideal period is the dry season, from June to October: temperate climate, wildlife visible on safaris, and favourable swimming conditions in Zanzibar. Avoid the summer holiday period and end of year to limit tourist crowds. Beyond the e-Visa, several prior steps are essential for travelling to Tanzania in the best conditions.