Tanzania Safari Visa Requirements: What Travelers Need to Know

Visa rules are one of the few genuinely boring parts of planning a safari, but getting them wrong can hold up a trip you've otherwise planned perfectly. Here's the practical version.

The e-visa is the easiest route

Most travelers apply online in advance through Tanzania's official immigration e-visa portal. A standard single-entry tourist visa costs 50 USD and is valid for up to 90 days; a multiple-entry visa (required for some nationalities, including US passport holders) costs 100 USD and is valid for a year. Processing is typically completed within about ten days of submitting a complete application, so applying at least two to three weeks before you travel gives a comfortable margin.

What you'll need to apply

• A passport with at least 6 months' validity remaining and at least one blank visa page.
• A recent passport-style photo meeting the portal's size and format requirements.
• Proof of a return or onward ticket.
• A completed online application and the visa fee, payable by card.

Visa-on-arrival still exists — but don't rely on it

Visa-on-arrival is still available at major entry points for eligible nationalities, and it's a reasonable backup if your travel dates changed too late to apply online. But immigration authorities now actively recommend applying through the e-visa portal as the primary method, and a handful of nationalities aren't eligible for arrival visas at all without prior approval. If you're not certain which category you fall into, it's worth checking rather than assuming.

One thing worth double-checking

Requirements do vary by nationality and change from time to time, so always confirm the current rules for your specific passport on Tanzania's official immigration site before you travel — treat anything else, including this post, as a starting point rather than the final word.

Questions about how visa timing fits your safari dates? Ask us — we deal with this for travelers from dozens of countries.