The cost of a Tanzania visa depends on your nationality and the type of visa that matches your trip, with fees varying by category and the full breakdown below. Most visitors buy a single entry tourist visa online through the official e-visa portal or on arrival at the main airports. The visa is your legal permission to enter, and the system is simpler than it first looks once you find the category that applies to you.
Tanzania sets its visa rules through the national immigration department, and those rules apply to both the mainland and the islands. The country moved to an online system a while back, which changed how travelers apply and pay. Knowing the categories, the validity periods, and the special cases will help you plan your trip budget with confidence and avoid surprises at the airport. Let us go through each part in plain terms.
Understanding the Tanzania visa before your trip
A visa is simply the document that allows you to enter Tanzania for a set purpose and a set length of time. For the vast majority of holidaymakers, the purpose is tourism, and the visa that covers tourism is what most people mean when they talk about a Tanzania tourist visa. The country offers several categories, each built around a different kind of visit. There is the ordinary tourist visa for a standard holiday, the multiple entry visa for people who plan to come and go, a transit visa for travelers passing through to another destination, and a handful of special categories such as gratis visas for diplomatic passport holders.
The category you choose matters because it sets both the price and the rules around how long you can stay and how many times you can enter. Picking the wrong one can slow you down or cost you more than needed. Most travelers only ever deal with two categories, the ordinary tourist visa and the multiple entry visa, so those are the ones worth understanding well. The rest are useful to know about but rarely apply to a normal safari or beach holiday.
The ordinary tourist visa for most travelers
The ordinary tourist visa is the standard choice for someone coming to Tanzania for a holiday. It is a single entry visa, which means it lets you enter the country one time. Once you leave, the visa is used up, even if the validity period has not yet run out. For a typical trip built around a safari and perhaps a few days on the coast, a single entry is all you need, because you arrive, you travel around inside the country, and you fly home.
This visa suits the classic Tanzania itinerary. You land, clear immigration, spend two or three weeks moving between parks and towns, then depart. Because everything happens inside the country, you never cross a border and come back, so a single entry covers the whole trip. If your plans match that shape, the ordinary tourist visa is almost certainly the right pick and the most economical one. It carries a fixed price that applies to travelers of most nationalities, with one notable exception covered further down.
Before you apply, sketch out your route on paper. If you never leave Tanzania and return, a single entry visa is enough. If your plan sends you into Kenya, Rwanda, or another neighbor and back into Tanzania, you will want the multiple entry option instead.
The multiple entry visa and longer trips
The multiple entry visa is built for travelers who will cross into Tanzania more than once during the life of the visa. This is common on regional trips. Someone combining Tanzania with a gorilla trek in Rwanda, a Kenya safari, or business meetings across East Africa might enter Tanzania, leave for a neighbor, then come back. A single entry visa would force a fresh application on the second arrival, so the multiple entry visa saves both money and hassle over the course of a longer itinerary.
This visa carries a longer validity window than the single entry version and allows several arrivals within that window, though each individual stay is still capped. It costs more than the ordinary tourist visa, which makes sense given the added flexibility. For a straightforward one time visit it is more than you need, but for a multi country trip or repeat visits it is often the practical choice. It is also the category that applies automatically to one specific group of travelers, which brings us to the special case of the US passport.
Why the US passport visa works differently
Travelers holding a United States passport face a rule that catches many people by surprise. American citizens are not offered the ordinary single entry tourist visa. Instead, they are required to apply for the multiple entry visa, even when they only plan to enter Tanzania once for a single holiday. This is not a mistake or a loophole to work around. It is a deliberate policy tied to how the two countries treat each other’s citizens.
The reason comes down to reciprocity. When the United States grants Tanzanian citizens a longer, multiple entry tourist visa, Tanzania mirrors that arrangement for Americans. So a US traveler who only wants to see the Serengeti once still applies under the multiple entry category and pays the higher price that goes with it. There is no cheaper single entry route for American passport holders. The upside is that the visa stays valid for a full year and allows return trips within that period, so a traveler who expects to come back gets real value from it. If you carry a US passport, plan around the multiple entry visa from the start and build the higher figure into your safari cost so it does not throw off your numbers later.
The eVisa system versus visa on arrival
For years, travelers could show up at a Tanzanian airport, pay at a counter, and receive a visa on the spot. That option, known as visa on arrival, has been phased out. Tanzania now runs an online eVisa system, and applying in advance is the expected route for most visitors. You complete the application on the official immigration eVisa portal, upload your documents, pay online with a card, and wait for approval before you travel.
This shift matters a great deal for planning. Turning up without an approved visa is no longer a safe bet, and travelers who arrive without one risk being turned away at check in or at the border. The safe approach is to apply well ahead of your departure date, because processing takes several business days and can occasionally take longer during busy periods. Treat the visa as one of the first tasks in your trip preparation rather than a last minute errand. Our broader Tanzania travel tips cover the wider paperwork and health steps that pair well with sorting the visa early.
The online process is straightforward. You will need a passport with enough remaining validity, a passport style photo, your travel details, and a payment method that works for international charges. Once approved, you carry a copy of the visa grant to show on arrival. Keeping a printed copy alongside a version on your phone is a sensible habit, since connectivity at borders is not guaranteed.
Visa validity and how long you can stay
Two numbers shape any visa, the validity period and the permitted length of stay. They are not the same thing, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion. Validity is how long the visa itself remains usable from the date it is issued. Length of stay is how many days you are actually allowed to remain in the country on a given entry.
The single entry ordinary tourist visa is valid for a set number of days and allows a stay that fits comfortably around a normal holiday. Because it is single entry, once you leave the country the visa is finished regardless of any days left on the clock. The multiple entry visa is valid for a full year and permits several visits, with a cap on each individual stay and a cap on the total number of days across all visits combined. That structure lets a regional traveler dip in and out over twelve months while still keeping each stay within limits.
One more point on validity concerns your passport itself. Tanzania asks that your passport hold a minimum amount of remaining validity at the time the visa is issued, and the multiple entry visa carries a longer passport validity requirement than the single entry version. Check the expiry date on your passport early. If it is close, renew it before you apply, because a passport that runs short can block the visa even when everything else is in order.
Zanzibar and its separate travel arrangements
Zanzibar sits within Tanzania, so your Tanzania visa covers the islands just as it covers the mainland. You do not buy a separate visa to fly from Dar es Salaam or Arusha over to Zanzibar, and you do not need a second entry stamp for the archipelago on a normal trip. One Tanzania entry visa carries you across the whole country, beaches included.
There is, though, a separate arrangement travelers to Zanzibar should know about. The islands require every visitor to hold a specific Zanzibar travel insurance product sold through the official government portal, and this applies whether or not you already carry your own travel insurance from home. It is a mandatory purchase tied to entering Zanzibar, and it is priced and paid separately from the visa. Think of it as a distinct island requirement rather than part of the visa cost, and budget for it on top of your visa when your plans include the coast. This catches many travelers off guard, so read up on it before you fly out to the islands. If you are still working out your route in, our guide to flying to Tanzania lays out the main airports and how the Zanzibar hop fits in.
Which travelers need a visa and which do not
Most nationalities need a visa to enter Tanzania, so unless you fall into a specific exempt group, plan on applying. A limited set of travelers can enter without a visa, and these tend to be citizens of neighboring and partner states rather than long haul visitors. Members of the East African Community, most Southern African Development Community states, and a portion of Commonwealth countries fall into the visa free group, though several large Commonwealth nations are carved out of that exemption and do still require a visa.
Because the exempt list has exceptions built into it, the safest move is to check your own nationality against the current rules on the official immigration eVisa portal rather than assume. A traveler from a Commonwealth country, for example, cannot simply assume free entry, since several of the biggest Commonwealth nations are excluded from the exemption and their citizens must apply like everyone else. When in doubt, treat yourself as needing a visa and confirm otherwise before you rely on visa free entry.
There is also a transit category for travelers merely passing through Tanzania on the way to another country. It covers a short window rather than a full holiday and usually asks for proof of onward travel. It is a niche option that suits a stopover, not a stay, and most visitors will never use it. Knowing it exists is enough for most trip planning.
Planning visa costs into your wider trip budget
The visa is one line in a much larger trip budget, but it is worth getting right early because it sits at the gateway of the whole plan. A traveler who mislabels their category or leaves the application too late can lose money or, worse, lose a departure. Start by fixing which category applies to you. If you carry a US passport, you are on the multiple entry track from the outset. If you plan to leave Tanzania and return during your trip, you also want multiple entry. Everyone else on a simple one way in, one way out holiday can use the ordinary single entry tourist visa.
Next, add the visa figure to your running costs alongside flights, park fees, accommodation, and transport. Park entry fees in particular tend to dwarf the visa, so while the visa is not trivial, it rarely dominates a Tanzania budget. If Zanzibar is on your list, remember the mandatory island insurance as a separate line so it does not slip through. Build a small buffer for currency and card charges, since paying online in a foreign currency can add minor fees depending on your bank.
The cheapest visa is the one you never had to reapply for. Match the category to your route, apply early, and the price becomes a small, predictable part of the trip.
Finally, keep in mind that visa rules and prices are set by the government and can change. Fees are revised from time to time, categories are adjusted, and requirements around insurance or passport validity can shift. Treat any figure you read anywhere, including in this guide, as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Before you pay, confirm the current amount and rules directly on the official immigration eVisa portal, which is the one source that always reflects the live position. A few minutes of checking there protects you from planning around an old number.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of a Tanzania visa
The figures below are provided to help you plan. Visa fees and rules change, so verify the current amounts on the official immigration eVisa portal before you travel.
How much does the ordinary tourist visa cost?
The ordinary single entry tourist visa costs 50 US dollars for travelers of most nationalities. It allows one entry into Tanzania and is the standard choice for a normal holiday that stays inside the country. Because it is single entry, it is used up once you leave, even if validity days remain. Always confirm the current figure on the official immigration eVisa portal, since fees are revised from time to time.
How much is the multiple entry visa?
The multiple entry visa costs 100 US dollars. It stays valid for twelve months and allows several entries within that period, with a cap on each stay and on the total days combined. It suits regional trips where you leave Tanzania and return, and it is the required category for US passport holders. Verify the amount on the official immigration eVisa portal before applying.
Why do US citizens pay more for a Tanzania visa?
American passport holders cannot buy the 50 US dollar single entry visa. They must apply for the multiple entry visa at 100 US dollars, even for a single visit. This is a reciprocity arrangement that mirrors how the United States treats Tanzanian citizens. The upside is a full year of validity and the ability to return within that window. Confirm the current price on the official immigration eVisa portal.
Is a visa on arrival still available, and what did it cost?
Visa on arrival has been discontinued. Travelers are now expected to apply online through the eVisa system before departure, and arriving without an approved visa risks being denied boarding or entry. When the on arrival option existed, the tourist fee matched the online rate of 50 US dollars, but relying on it today is not safe. Apply in advance and check requirements on the official immigration eVisa portal.
How much is the transit visa?
The transit visa costs 30 US dollars. It is meant for travelers passing through Tanzania on the way to another country for a short period, not exceeding seven days, and it may require proof of onward travel or a visa for your final destination. Most holidaymakers do not need it. Confirm the fee and conditions on the official immigration eVisa portal.
Does Zanzibar have a separate cost on top of the visa?
Yes. Zanzibar is covered by your Tanzania visa, so there is no second visa fee. But the islands require every visitor to buy a mandatory Zanzibar travel insurance product through the official government portal, priced around 44 US dollars, regardless of any insurance you already hold. Budget for it separately from the visa. Check the current amount on the official Zanzibar government portal before you travel.
How long is each visa valid and how long can I stay?
The single entry tourist visa is valid for up to 90 days and allows one entry. The multiple entry visa is valid for twelve months, with each single stay capped at 90 days and a total across all visits capped at 120 days. Your passport must also hold enough remaining validity, with a longer requirement for the multiple entry visa. Verify the exact rules on the official immigration eVisa portal.
Do all travelers need a visa to enter Tanzania?
Most nationalities need a visa, so plan on applying unless you belong to an exempt group. Citizens of East African Community states, most Southern African Development Community members, and some Commonwealth countries can enter visa free, though several large Commonwealth nations are excluded and still require a visa. Because the exemptions have exceptions, check your nationality on the official immigration eVisa portal rather than assuming free entry.
