Since 2018, it’s possible to apply for an online visa when traveling to Tanzania. No need to spend your days at the embassy anymore or wait in line for hours when trying to get your visa upon arrival.
We’ve tested the online visa Tanzania and gave you a thorough description on how to get it, including the pro’s and the cons.
Applying for the eVisa is (luckily) not too hard. To start your application, you’ll need to visit this website (click here)
Now make sure to apply on THAT website, as this is the official website from the government. You might be able to apply on different websites, that offer extra service, but also for quite the extra price. We noticed that some of the other websites try to scare you by telling the official website doesn’t work well or has slow service, but in our experience it works perfectly fine and the process is very fast.
To apply for the online visa Tanzania, you’ll need to fill in the necessary details and have a scan (or good photo) of your passport. The government states the following about the application: “Applicant must ensure that his/her passport has a validity of at least six months and at least one unused visa page while making application. Applicant is expected to apply for a right category of visa. If the applicant is not sure about the type of visa he requires, he is advised to seek guidance through the e-mail info@visatanzania.go.tz. Most countries are eligable for an online visa. Applicants are required to review the List of countries (from our website) which fall under Referral Visa from time to time as there might be some changes.“
After making sure you have a valid passport, submitted for the right eVisa and your country is eligable for an online visa, you can submit the application for your online visa Tanzania. That’s it! No need to visit the ambassy anymore and be without your passport for X-amount of days. This is very usefull for travelers who are on the road frequently (like us) and can’t miss their passports for too long. Don’t forget that you’ll also need a updated international certificate of vaccination or vaccination card with yellow fever stamp to enter the country. Ask your doctor for advice on this.
Within a few days you will get an email and you’ll Recieve your online visa. Make sure to print this and also have it downloaded on your phone as backup, in case something happens. We also advice to have a back-up photo of your passport on your phone.
This paper is proof of your application for the online visa Tanzania and need to be brought on your trip. Make sure to print it.
If you have not yet received a confirmation on your visa and want to know the status of your application, you can check the status on the website by entering your ‘Application ID’ and your e-mail address.
Upon arrival in Tanzania you can now skip the long, tiring VOA line and go straight to passport controll/registration with your online visa Tanzania and recieve your stamp.
The official website states that it takes up to 10 days for the visa to be processed. From our experiences, the process to recieve your online visa Tanzania is usually done faster. We recieved our visa within 3 days. We do however, usually travel outside of the peak season. We’ve heard that in the peak season it takes a bit longer, as many people apply for the visa.
To be safe it’s best to apply for the visa AT LEAST two weeks before traveling to Tanzania, to prevent any unnecessary stress or headaches. This way your visa will be on time. Best would be to apply a month before, because the immigration office states that the application for your online visa might be rejected if you have wrongly applied (for example made a spelling mistake). To avoid any headaches, always double check your application.
The cost of the online visa Tanzania is the same as any other visa for Tanzania. For most countries this costs 50USD, except for America, which costs 100USD. The visa is valid for 3 months. It’s a tourist visa, so you’re not allowed to work in any way. Volunteering is also considered as work.
