Tanzania is refreshingly direct about flights. Its official visa guidelines say, in capital letters, that visitors MUST show their return ticket when they arrive. The online Ordinary Visa lists a "Return ticket" among its four documents. And then, for one group of nationalities, the same guidelines tell applicants not to pay for flights before approval and to upload an itinerary instead. That mix makes Tanzania a useful case for understanding when a held reservation fits and when it does not. This guide covers both the mainland and Zanzibar, with Indian passport holders as the main example.
Tanzania visa key facts for 2026
| Question | What Tanzania Immigration says |
|---|---|
| Do Indians need a visa? | Yes. India is one of the Commonwealth countries excluded from the visa exemption, and it is on the list eligible for both online and on-arrival visas.[1] |
| Tourist visa type | Ordinary (single entry) Visa, USD 50, valid up to 90 days. US citizens get a Multiple Visa instead, USD 100 for one year.[1] |
| Documents for the Ordinary Visa | Copy of the passport bio page; "Return ticket"; the online application and declaration form; the fee.[1] |
| At the border | "Visitors MUST show their Return Ticket upon arrival (at the entry point) in Tanzania".[1] |
| Online processing | Within ten days, except referral cases.[1] |
| Referral nationalities | Must apply online, about two months ahead, and may upload a "trip itinerary instead of flight ticket".[1] |
| Passport | At least six months' validity and one unused visa page.[1][3] |
| Zanzibar | One visa covers mainland and Zanzibar. Arriving in Zanzibar first means buying ZIC travel insurance.[1][3] |
Who needs a visa for Tanzania?
The guidelines exempt three groups: citizens of East African Community states, of SADC states except Comoros, and of Commonwealth countries, with seven named exceptions. Those exceptions are the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand.[1] So Indian passport holders need a visa despite India being in the Commonwealth.
The good news for Indians is that India sits on the list of countries eligible for both the online visa and the visa on arrival.[1] Nationals of a separate list, which includes Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Somalia among others, cannot get a visa on arrival without special permission from the Commissioner General of Immigration. Stateless people and refugees also have to apply in advance.[1]
Should you apply online or on arrival?
Tanzania offers both and recommends the online route.[1] For most Indian travellers we agree. Online, you know the answer before you spend money on a safari deposit, and you avoid an extra queue after a long flight. A visa on arrival is a reasonable fallback if your trip comes together at short notice, and GOV.UK confirms it is available at the main entry points.[3]
Two points about the online approval itself. First, what you get is a Visa Grant Notice, which the guidelines say is "not a final authority to enter"; the officer at the entry point can still refuse someone who does not meet the conditions. Second, once an application is submitted it cannot be changed, so get the dates right.[1]
What does "return ticket" mean for your application?
The Ordinary Visa list says "Return ticket", and the arrival rule says visitors must show their return ticket. Neither says "reservation" or "itinerary".[1] We think it is fair to read the two stages differently:
- At the border: you are already travelling, so you hold real tickets. Show the paid return or onward flight. A held reservation is not what this rule asks for, and it may have lapsed by then anyway.
- In the online application: the upload slot asks for a return ticket. A reservation with a live PNR shows the same route and dates, but it is not an issued ticket. Tanzania does not say whether it accepts one for non-referral applicants, so we will not claim it does.
Practical advice from our desk: if your trip is fixed, buy a refundable or changeable return fare and upload that. If your dates are still moving, you can upload a verifiable reservation and buy the matching ticket once the grant notice arrives, accepting that an officer may ask for more. Either way, the dates must match what you type on the form.
Do not skip this: whatever you upload, you will need a paid return or onward ticket in your hand on arrival. Plan your money for that from the start.
The referral rule: where an itinerary is officially enough
For referral-category nationalities, the guidelines say something we rarely see in official wording. Applicants in this group "are not advised to pay for flight tickets or accommodation or make other reservations until their visa are approved", and so "are allowed to upload their trip itinerary instead of flight ticket".[1]
The same section asks these applicants to apply at least two months before travel, to fill in local host details including a physical address, and to upload invitation letters addressed to the Commissioner General of Immigration.[1] For a Nigerian or Pakistani passport holder, a clear trip itinerary, ideally backed by a reservation that can be looked up, is exactly what was asked for.
Which flight document fits which situation?
| Situation | Official wording | Held reservation | Refundable or paid ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary Visa online (e.g. Indian passport) | "Return ticket" | Shows the plan; not literally a ticket | Matches the wording |
| Referral-category applicant | "Trip itinerary instead of flight ticket" | Good fit | Advised against before approval |
| Visa on arrival | Return or onward ticket at the border | Not suitable | Needed |
| Arrival with an e-Visa grant | "MUST show their Return Ticket" | Not suitable | Needed |
Applying online, step by step
- Start from the official site. The guidelines tell applicants to use only the Tanzania Immigration Services website and its e-Visa portal, not other online links.[1]
- Check your passport: six months' validity and an unused visa page.
- Pick the right visa. Tourism and family visits use the Ordinary Visa; short work tasks use the Business Visa. Each traveller, including children, needs a separate application.[1]
- Prepare a colour photo on a plain background, no larger than 45 mm by 35 mm and 500 KB, in JPG or JPEG format.[1]
- Attach the bio page and the flight document, and choose your first destination (mainland or Zanzibar).
- Pay by Visa or Mastercard and submit.[1]
- Track the application and download the grant notice from the status page if the email does not arrive.[1]
- Buy your real tickets to match the approved dates.
Leave the full ten days for processing, plus a margin. The guidelines also warn that you may be called for an interview at the nearest Tanzanian embassy.[2]
Mainland, Zanzibar and the East Africa loop
One visa covers both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. If you plan both, select the place you will reach first on the form; you can visit the other without a new visa.[1] If Zanzibar is your first stop, GOV.UK says you must buy travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation for the length of your stay, up to 92 days.[3] Your flight document should show which airport you land at, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar, because that decides the insurance question.
Many travellers combine Tanzania with Kenya or Uganda. The guidelines say an Ordinary Visa holder who visits another East African country after arriving in Tanzania may use the same visa to come back, as long as it is still valid.[1] If you fly Nairobi to Kilimanjaro, for example, the Kenya side has its own rules, which our Kenya eTA guide covers.
Meetings, conferences and short work tasks
Not every work-related trip needs a business visa. The guidelines say the Ordinary Visa can also cover attending a meeting, visiting friends or relatives, and taking part in a workshop or exhibition, though holders must not work or conduct business.[1]
The Business Visa is for something more hands-on. It can be issued for up to 90 days for tasks such as fixing or repairing machines, running short training, auditing, feasibility studies, setting up business contacts, or arranging investments while a company starts up.[1] If an engineer from Pune is flying to Dar es Salaam to commission equipment, that is a business visa trip, not a meeting.
The flight evidence works the same way for both: dates that match the invitation or work order, a return that falls inside the permitted stay, and a booking that can be checked. Our guide to flight evidence for business visas covers cover letters and date planning in more depth.
If your flight or dates change
Safari plans move all the time. The guidelines are clear that a submitted application cannot be edited. If a flight change affects your arrival or departure date, or details on the issued visa do not match, you are expected to contact the immigration authority for guidance.[1] Do that before you fly, using the email on the portal.
Say your grant notice is based on arrival on 5 July and departure on 15 July, and your operator moves the safari a week later. A short email to immigration with the new booking is far better than turning up with a ticket that contradicts the file.
What the airline and the border officer look at
At check-in in India the airline will want the grant notice (or confirmation that your nationality can get a visa on arrival), a passport that meets the six-month rule, and a return or onward ticket. GOV.UK tells travellers they "must be ready to show your return or onward ticket at border control", and that proof of the return journey may be requested for visas on arrival.[3]
Yellow fever is the other check. GOV.UK says Tanzania asks for a certificate if you arrive from a country listed as a transmission risk.[3] Check how that rule treats your whole route, not just your starting point, especially if you connect through Addis Ababa or Nairobi or arrive overland from Kenya or Uganda.
Flying home to India
Tanzania itself is not on India's yellow fever endemic list.[4] That changes if your trip also touched an endemic country, which includes Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. India's rule, as the Indian High Commission in Accra describes it, is that travellers arriving from an endemic country need a certificate that has been valid for at least 10 days, or face up to six days of quarantine.[5] A classic Kenya and Tanzania safari, or a flight home through Addis Ababa, can bring you under it, so read the Health Ministry page before you finalise the route. Our Ethiopia visa guide covers that connection in more detail.
Common Tanzania visa mistakes
- Arriving with no paid return ticket, relying on an old reservation.
- Applying on a look-alike website rather than the immigration portal.
- Choosing the wrong first destination and missing the Zanzibar insurance step.
- One application for a whole family. Every passport holder, including minors, needs their own.
- Changing dates without telling immigration after submitting.
- A "ticket" from a generator with a PNR that does not exist. Tanzanian officers who search for it find nothing, and that can sink the application.
A verifiable reservation for your Tanzania application
Referral applicants, and anyone uploading a reservation while safari dates settle, can order one from us. We hold a seat under your passport name into Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar and send the booking reference, which opens on the carrier's own site. No fare is paid, so it supports the application and is useless at a boarding gate.
A single or a return costs the same per traveller. An East Africa loop such as Mumbai to Nairobi, Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, then home is billed by each pair of legs. After a Razorpay payment (UPI, cards, netbanking) the booking normally reaches you in around ten minutes, and the tracking page shows its status. Holds survive up to 2 weeks; the carrier sets the precise end. Referral applicants applying two months ahead should therefore expect to refresh it if the officer asks. Pricing is on the price page, and we also do hotel bookings for lodges and city hotels.
Planning Tanzania or Zanzibar?
Live PNR reservation for your application. ₹699 / $9 per passenger.
Check the booking with our verification steps before uploading. For border rules elsewhere, see our onward ticket page and proof of onward travel guide; for visa checklists by country, see requirements by country or the home page. West African trips are covered in our Nigeria and Ghana guides.
Tanzania visa questions answered
Do I need a return ticket to enter Tanzania?
Yes. Tanzania's own guidelines make the return ticket a must at the entry point, and the UK government's advice repeats the point for border control. By then you are travelling, so carry the paid return or onward booking, printed or on your phone, together with your visa grant notice.
Can Indians get a visa on arrival in Tanzania?
Yes. India is on the list of countries whose nationals can use both the online visa and the visa on arrival. Tanzania recommends applying online, and we agree for most trips, because you get the decision before paying for safaris or lodges. If you rely on arrival, carry your return ticket and accommodation details for the officer.
How much does the Tanzania tourist visa cost?
The guidelines list USD 50 for the Ordinary Visa, valid for up to 90 days, which covers tourism, meetings, workshops and visiting friends or relatives. US passport holders must take the Multiple Visa at USD 100 for one year. Payment online is by Visa card or Mastercard.
Can I upload a flight reservation instead of a ticket?
For referral-category nationalities, yes: the guidelines explicitly allow a trip itinerary instead of a flight ticket and advise against paying before approval. For other applicants the list says "Return ticket", and Tanzania does not say whether it accepts a reservation. A refundable fare meets the wording exactly; a reservation shows your plan but is not a ticket.
Does one Tanzania visa cover Zanzibar?
Yes. A single visa lets you visit both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar; just select your first destination on the form. If you land in Zanzibar first, GOV.UK says you must buy Zanzibar Insurance Corporation travel cover for your stay, up to 92 days, so show the right arrival airport on your booking.
How long does the Tanzania e-Visa take?
The guidelines say online applications are processed within ten days, except referral cases, which should be submitted at least two months before travel. You might also be called for an interview at the nearest Tanzanian embassy. We would apply three to four weeks ahead to leave room for any follow-up questions.
What if my flight changes after the visa is approved?
A submitted application cannot be edited. If a flight change moves your arrival or departure date, or details on the visa do not match, the guidelines ask you to contact the immigration authority for guidance. Email them before you travel and keep the reply with your documents.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Tanzania Immigration Services, Tanzania visa guidelines: entry conditions, exemptions, visa on arrival lists, referral cases, Ordinary Visa requirements and fees.
- Tanzania Immigration Services, Electronic Visa Application System.
- GOV.UK, Tanzania travel advice: entry requirements.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India, International Health Ports of Entry, Yellow fever vaccination and endemic countries.
- High Commission of India, Accra, Important notice for travellers: yellow fever entry requirements (PDF).
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · how to verify a PNR.