Tanzania Enacts New Visa-On-Arrival Process

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In August 2019 the Tanzanian government enacted a new visa-on-arrival handling process at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), effective immediately. The process is cumbersome, and involves standing in three different lines, adding a significant amount of time to arrivals. With this change in place, it is our recommendation that all clients entering through JRO obtain a visa prior to departure, either by applying at the embassy or consulate, or processing the visa online.

With Ker & Downey’s VIP arrival services, you will be assisted through customs and immigration lines. Every attempt will be made to mitigate long wait lines if you choose not to obtain your visa in advance. However, there is no guarantee that wait time will be shortened because of our service. Therefore we strongly encourage our clients to obtain visas in advance for a smoother start to your safari.

Obtain a Tanzania Visa in Advance

To apply for your visa, you will need the following:

• Passport details, with a JPEG photograph of the passport biometric pages
• A photograph of yourself – JPEG small than 300kb. It does not need to be an official passport photograph, just a clear photography against a plain wall/background.
• Copy of return flight ticket – either PDF of JPEG
• Contact for first destination – your first hotel.
• Most and father’s names and nationalities

Click here to obtain your visa online in advance of arrival. You can expect your E-visa to be issued in two to three weeks. We recommend checking on the status of your application after 10 days. If approved, you may print the confirmation document to take with you on your safari. Printed documents are preferred, not a mobile screenshot.

It is important to note that not all ports of entry in Tanzania are equipped to accept the online visa. Currently, the following five ports of entry are equipped to accept online visas:

• Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR)
• Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
• Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ)
• Namanga (road border between Arusha & Nairobi)
• Tunduma (road border between Tanzania & Zambia)

The only exception to the advance visa is for clients entering Tanzania via the Tarime-Migori border crossing. E-visas are not available for this crossing at the present time, but the procedures have changed at the crossing, making visa-on-arrival perfectly acceptable for clients who can’t obtain their visa at the embassy.

You can find more information about the Tanzania visa options available and required information at the Tanzania immigration office website. Your Ker & Downey designer is also happy to help you understand these new regulations; reach out and we can help.

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