Tanzania sits outside the East African Tourist Visa scheme, so it always needs a separate visa regardless of whether you are also visiting Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda on the same trip. This surprises a lot of people who assume the regional visa covers the whole of East Africa.

Visa on arrival is technically available for many nationalities at major entry points, including Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro International Airport, and the main land borders, but relying on it in 2026 is not the smoothest option. Queues can be long, payment sometimes needs to be in exact US dollars cash, and processing can take a while during busy arrival windows when several flights land close together.

Applying online in advance through Tanzania’s official eVisa portal is the more reliable route and what we would recommend for almost everyone. It removes the uncertainty, lets you pay by card in advance, and means you go through a faster lane on arrival rather than the on-arrival visa queue. Processing typically takes a matter of days, so applying a couple of weeks before travel gives a comfortable buffer.

Whichever route you use, you will need a yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from, or have transited through, a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, which includes most of East Africa. Immigration officers do check this, and it is worth carrying a physical copy even if you have it saved digitally.

If your trip includes Zanzibar, note that Zanzibar’s immigration checkpoint is separate from the mainland’s even though both fall under the same Tanzanian visa, so keep your documents to hand for that leg too.