Serengeti Safari PackagesTanzania Visa: Fees, E-Visa and On Arrival
The Tanzania visa is the first item on any safari checklist and a trip cost that several packages here list as not included. This page explains who needs a visa, what a tourist visa costs, how the e-visa portal works, where you can get a visa on arrival, what your passport must show, and how the yellow fever certificate, travel insurance and Zanzibar rules fit in. Every figure here comes from named sources, and where sources disagree, both are given. When the paperwork is clear, start comparing Serengeti safari packages and match the entry rules to your route.
The terminal at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Photo: Peter Makholm, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Visa costs and rules in brief
Most visitors need a Tanzania visa, and Safari-TZ and SafariFind list a single-entry tourist visa at $50, valid up to 90 days. Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer say US citizens pay $100 for a mandatory multiple-entry visa. Apply online at visa.immigration.go.tz/start or buy a visa on arrival at Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar airports.
Key takeaways
- A visa is not in any package price: the Zanzibar to Serengeti Safari lists it as excluded, so budget it separately.
- Processing is measured in business days, so apply before you book a tight start like the 3-Day Serengeti Camping Safari.
- Fee and season figures for park entry sit in the park and crater fees section of the homepage.
- The e-visa arrives as a printable Visa Grant Notice. Carry two copies, plus your return ticket and first-night booking, before a Serengeti Fly-In Safari.
Visa Types and Fees
Visa fees depend on the visa type and, for the single-entry tourist visa, on your nationality.
Tourist Visa Costs by Type
The table gathers the visa fees listed by Safari-TZ, SafariFind and Duma Explorer. Safari-TZ and SafariFind agree that a single-entry tourist visa costs $50 and is valid up to 90 days. The main conflict concerns US citizens: SafariFind and Safari-TZ list a multiple-entry visa at $100 valid 12 months with 90 days per entry, and Safari-TZ says US citizens must take it.
Duma Explorer states the same $100 but calls it a mandatory Multiple Entry Visa with no cheaper single-entry option for US passport holders. The exact banknote rules at the counter also vary by source: SafariFind says Series 2009 or newer bills with no tears, Duma Explorer says US bills printed since 2013 in $50 or $100 denominations, and Wikipedia's visa policy page says payment must be with notes of USD 50 or USD 100. The sources differ and none is official, so carry the newest clean cash you can.
| Visa | Fee | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Single entry tourist | $50, valid up to 90 days | Most nationalities (Safari-TZ, SafariFind) |
| Multiple entry tourist | $100, valid 12 months, 90 days per entry | Mandatory for US citizens per Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer |
| Transit | $30, valid 7 days per Safari-TZ or 14 days per Duma Explorer | Travelers passing through |
| Business | $250 | Business visitors (Safari-TZ, SafariFind) |
| East African Tourist Visa | $100, 90 days | Regional multi-country travel (Safari-TZ) |
Who Does Not Need One
Wikipedia's visa policy page lists visa-free entry for up to 90 days for ordinary passports from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, South Africa and others, with Angola added. Most safari travelers from Europe and the Americas do need a visa. Safari-TZ warns that third-party visa sites add $30 to $80 per traveler on top of the government fee, so use the official portal listed below.
- Single-entry tourist visa: $50, 90 days
- US citizens: $100 multiple entry, per Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer
- Third-party sites: an extra $30 to $80 per traveler, per Safari-TZ
Sources: Safari-TZ, SafariFind, Duma Explorer, Wikipedia, Visa policy of Tanzania
Applying Online or on Arrival
You have two routes: the government e-visa portal or a counter at the airport.
The E-visa Portal
SafariFind and Safari-TZ both name visa.immigration.go.tz/start as the official portal, and Tanzania introduced its e-visa on 26 November 2018 per Wikipedia. GOV.UK tells travelers to apply online before travelling and notes the Tanzanian High Commission in London no longer issues visas. Documents per Safari-TZ: a colour photo on a white background taken within the last 6 months and a copy of the passport biographic page.
Processing is where sources differ. Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer say 3 to 10 business days, with most decisions in 4 to 6 business days per Duma Explorer. SafariFind says 1 to 3 business days.
Safari-TZ advises applying at least 2 weeks ahead. The decision arrives by email as a Visa Grant Notice, and Safari-TZ says to carry two printed copies, a return ticket and first-night accommodation confirmation. Officers can still refuse entry.
- Portal: visa.immigration.go.tz/start
- Documents: colour photo, white background, last 6 months, passport biographic page
- Processing: 3 to 10 business days (Safari-TZ, Duma Explorer) or 1 to 3 business days (SafariFind)
Visa on Arrival
SafariFind says visa on arrival is available at Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports. Duma Explorer adds Zanzibar airport and major land borders such as Namanga. GOV.UK says arrival visas are single entry only and that multiple-entry visas cannot be bought on arrival, which is worth checking if you are a US citizen, since Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer say US citizens must take the multiple-entry visa.
Safari-TZ says the fee is paid in exact USD cash, and Wikipedia's visa policy page says notes of USD 50 or USD 100. Queues run 30 to 60 minutes per Safari-TZ, and Duma Explorer says 15 to 60 minutes with longer waits in peak travel months. By contrast, e-visa clearance at Kilimanjaro takes 15 to 30 minutes, up to 60 at peak, per Safari-TZ, so the online route is faster at the counter even if slower to obtain.
| Route | Where | Time at entry |
|---|---|---|
| E-visa | Kilimanjaro (per Safari-TZ) | 15 to 30 minutes, up to 60 at peak (Safari-TZ) |
| Visa on arrival | Kilimanjaro, Julius Nyerere (Dar es Salaam), Zanzibar, Namanga land border | 30 to 60 minutes (Safari-TZ), 15 to 60 minutes (Duma Explorer) |
Extensions
Safari-TZ says extensions are handled by immigration offices inside Tanzania, not through the e-visa portal, and are not guaranteed. GOV.UK warns that overstaying can lead to arrest, detention, a fine and deportation. Plan your safari dates inside the 90 days.
A route like the 8-Day Serengeti Migration Safari fits comfortably within a single-entry stay, and the migration moves with the rain, so dates are set by the herds more than by paperwork.
How to Complete the Tanzania E-Visa Application
The Tanzania e-visa form filled in screen by screen. Third-party video by Catherine | Travel Made Easy. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Passport, Yellow Fever and Zanzibar
The visa is only one check at the border. Passports, certificates, insurance and cash rules all apply.
Passport Validity and Blank Pages
The passport rules agree in substance across sources. SafariFind says the passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the intended departure date with at least one blank page. Duma Explorer says six months of validity from the date of entry plus one blank page.
GOV.UK says at least 6 months after the date you arrive plus one blank page. Whichever phrasing you follow, the practical test is the same: check the expiry date and the empty pages before you book a departure. Duma Explorer and GOV.UK both add that a return or onward ticket must be shown at border control.
Yellow Fever Certificate
The CDC says the yellow fever vaccine is generally not recommended for travel to Tanzania, but arrivals from countries with transmission risk must be vaccinated. The trigger is your routing, not your nationality. Wikipedia's visa policy page lists Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, DR Congo and Ethiopia among risk countries, and says the certificate is required after transit of over 12 hours or leaving the airport in such a country.
SafariFind gives the same 12-hour transit rule and says the original WHO yellow booklet is needed, photocopies are not accepted. Duma Explorer flags Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda as risk countries, so a Kenya-to-Tanzania route requires the certificate. Check your connection, because the rule follows the countries you arrive from.
Insurance and Money Rules
Two insurance rules apply. GOV.UK says non-residents must buy Tanzanian government inbound travel insurance covering stays up to 92 days, bought for the first port of entry from NIC on the mainland or ZIC in Zanzibar. Wikipedia says that since late 2024 all visitors to Zanzibar must hold travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, and Safari-TZ prices it at about $44 for 92 days, bought at visitzanzibar.go.tz before travel.
The Zanzibar to Serengeti Safari lists the Zanzibar government travel insurance as not included. On cash, SafariFind says up to $10,000 can be brought in or out without declaration, non-residents may not import or export Tanzanian shillings, and may take out up to $100 equivalent without a permit. GOV.UK adds that animal skin accessories must not be brought in and wildlife items such as horns or shells need a certified export permit.
Packages from Zanzibar or Kilimanjaro
Your entry airport shapes the border experience. Two listings here start at Kilimanjaro airport: the 5-Day Serengeti Ngorongoro Safari starts at Kilimanjaro Airport at $2,845 per person and does not state whether park fees are in the price. Zanzibar entry brings the ZIC insurance rule and a direct flight to the plains: the Zanzibar to Serengeti Safari at $1,875 per person includes return flights to Seronera and park fees but excludes landing fees, the visa and the insurance.
For the widest route, the 10-Day Serengeti Migration Safari starts at Kilimanjaro International Airport at $7,112.83 per person and excludes the flight to Serengeti North, which must be booked in advance.
The Stone Town waterfront in Zanzibar. Photo: Erasmus Kamugisha, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Visa Tips: Dos and Don'ts
Do
- Do apply on visa.immigration.go.tz/start, the official portal, because Safari-TZ says third-party sites add $30 to $80 per traveler to the government fee.
- Do apply at least 2 weeks ahead because Safari-TZ gives e-visa decisions of 3 to 10 business days and SafariFind only 1 to 3, so the cautious figure protects a fixed departure.
- Do carry two printed copies of the Visa Grant Notice, a return ticket and first-night accommodation confirmation, because Safari-TZ says officers can still refuse entry even with an approved e-visa.
- Do bring clean US cash in $50 and $100 notes because Safari-TZ and Wikipedia say arrival visas are paid in cash and SafariFind says worn or old series bills cause problems.
- Do carry the original WHO yellow fever booklet if you route through Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia or DR Congo, because SafariFind says photocopies are not accepted.
Don't
- Don't plan to buy a multiple-entry visa on arrival, because GOV.UK says arrival visas are single entry only and Safari-TZ says US citizens must take the multiple-entry visa.
- Don't overstay, because GOV.UK says overstaying can lead to arrest, detention, a fine and deportation.
- Don't rely on the e-visa portal for an extension, because Safari-TZ says extensions go through immigration offices inside Tanzania and are not guaranteed.
- Don't skip the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation policy when flying to Zanzibar, because Wikipedia says all visitors must hold it and the Zanzibar to Serengeti package lists it as not included.
Tanzania Visa Questions
How much does a Tanzania tourist visa cost?
A single-entry tourist visa costs $50 and is valid up to 90 days, per Safari-TZ and SafariFind. US citizens pay $100 for a mandatory multiple-entry visa. Safari-TZ notes third-party sites add $30 to $80 to the government fee, which is why the official portal is the cheaper route.
Who qualifies for a tourist visa?
Most nationalities qualify and pay the $50 single-entry fee, and US citizens pay $100, per Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer. Passport holders from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, South Africa and other listed countries enter visa-free for up to 90 days, per Wikipedia's visa policy page. If you do need one, build the wait into a plan like the 3-Day Serengeti Camping Safari and apply 2 weeks ahead.
What is the official website for a Tanzania visa?
SafariFind and Safari-TZ both name visa.immigration.go.tz/start as the official e-visa portal, where the decision arrives by email as a Visa Grant Notice. Once approved, plan your game drives with the best time to visit Serengeti guide before locking in dates.
Can I get a Tanzania visa on arrival?
Yes. SafariFind lists Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports, and Duma Explorer adds Zanzibar and the Namanga land border. GOV.UK says arrival visas are single entry only. Queues run 30 to 60 minutes per Safari-TZ, so print your safari packing list with the Visa Grant Notice copies at the top.
How long does the Tanzania e-visa take?
Safari-TZ and Duma Explorer say 3 to 10 business days, with most decisions in 4 to 6 business days, and SafariFind says 1 to 3 business days. Safari-TZ advises applying at least 2 weeks ahead. That buffer matters for a fixed pickup like the 4-Day Serengeti Mid-Range Safari, which starts from Arusha.
Do I need a visa for Zanzibar?
Zanzibar adds its own insurance rule: Wikipedia says all visitors must hold travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, priced at about $44 for 92 days per Safari-TZ. The Zanzibar to Serengeti Safari lists that insurance, the visa and landing fees as not included.