Australian and New Zealand passport holders have the same straightforward Tanzania visa setup as most Commonwealth nationalities — $50 for a single-entry tourist visa, $100 for a 12-month multiple-entry option. The application is online and can be completed from your kitchen table in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, or Wellington. The only catch is timing the application around AU/NZ time zones and Tanzanian business hours. Here's the 2026 walkthrough.
Short answer
- Single-entry tourist visa: USD 50. Valid up to 90 days for one entry.
- Multiple-entry tourist visa: USD 100. Valid 12 months from issue.
- Where to apply: visa.immigration.go.tz — the official portal.
- Processing time: 10–20 business days typical.
- Backup: visa on arrival at JRO, DAR, or ZNZ — same fee, cash only (USD).
For a single safari trip (the most common AU/NZ Tanzania trip shape), the $50 single-entry is what you want. If you're combining with Kilimanjaro on a later trip within 12 months, the $100 multiple-entry pays off.
Single-entry vs multiple-entry
The $50 single-entry visa covers one trip of up to 90 days. That's enough for any combination of safari, Kilimanjaro climb, and Zanzibar beach time on a single visit.
The $100 multiple-entry visa is valid 12 months. AU/NZ travellers most commonly choose it when:
- Planning a return trip within the year (e.g. a safari now and a Kilimanjaro climb later).
- Combining Tanzania with Kenya or Rwanda on a wider East Africa trip and wanting flexibility to dip back into Tanzania at any point.
- Using Tanzania as a hub during a longer Africa journey.
For most AU/NZ holidaymakers on a 14–21 day trip, the $50 single-entry is sufficient.
Note on Zanzibar: Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so the same visa covers it. No separate visa needed for the beach extension.
How to apply (e-visa, step by step)
Use the official portal: visa.immigration.go.tz. Skip third-party visa-service sites — they typically charge AU$80–AU$200 extra for the identical application.
The steps:
- Create an account at the portal using your email.
- Select "Ordinary Visa" → "Tourism" for the $50 option, or "Multiple Entry Visa" → "Tourism" for $100.
- Fill in personal details: passport number, expiry date, parents' names, employer, residential AU or NZ address, travel dates.
- Upload the required documents (next section).
- Pay by Visa or Mastercard — the portal accepts Australian and New Zealand cards directly. Pay in USD; your card will charge AUD or NZD equivalent plus your bank's FX fee (typically 1–3%, or 0% on travel-money cards like Wise).
- Receive confirmation email within 24 hours.
- Wait for the decision email — typically 10–20 business days.
- Print the approved e-visa PDF and bring it in your carry-on. Some airlines check at boarding (notably Qatar via Doha and Emirates via Dubai, the most common AU/NZ routings).
For the full universal walkthrough, see our Tanzania e-visa application guide.
Documents you need
Required uploads:
- Passport bio page — clear scan or smartphone photo, all corners visible, no glare or shadow.
- Recent passport-style photo — plain white background, face fully visible, no glasses or hat. JPEG, max 300KB.
- Flight itinerary showing your arrival and departure dates. A held-but-not-ticketed reservation works.
- Accommodation confirmation for the first few nights. Your Tanzania safari operator will provide a visa support letter on request — same day.
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate if you've been in a yellow-fever-endemic country in the 6 days before arrival. Most AU/NZ travellers don't need this; relevant only if transiting through a yellow-fever country.
Passport requirements: - Valid for at least 6 months from your Tanzania arrival date. - At least one blank page for the visa stamp.
Australian passport renewal takes 6 weeks standard (express service 2 days extra for around AU$255). New Zealand passport renewal takes 2–10 working days depending on type. If your passport is close to the 6-month mark, renew first — the e-visa system will reject otherwise.
When to apply (allowing for AU/NZ time zones)
Typical processing: - Standard e-visa: 10–20 business days (Tanzanian business days; Tanzania observes Saturday-Sunday weekends). - Visa on arrival: 15–45 minutes at the airport.
Our recommendation: apply 30–45 days before travel for the smoothest experience. Earlier than 90 days and processing slows; later than 21 days and you risk arriving without a decision.
Tanzania is GMT+3. AU/NZ time zones are GMT+8 to GMT+13 depending on daylight savings and location. When you submit at midnight in Sydney, it's mid-afternoon in Dar es Salaam, which is helpful — your application enters the queue on the same business day rather than overnight. The portal automatically timestamps in Tanzanian time.
If you've waited 21 business days with no decision, email evisa@immigration.go.tz with your application reference number. Responses typically come within 3–5 business days.
Visa on arrival as a backup
Visa on arrival is reliably available at Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), Julius Nyerere International (DAR), Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ), and major land borders. Same fees: $50 or $100. Cash only, USD.
The bills must be crisp, post-2009 series, no marks, no tears. Tanzanian immigration is strict. Get clean bills from a Sydney or Auckland currency exchange before flying. The visa-payment queue at JRO runs 15–45 minutes when several flights arrive simultaneously.
The e-visa option is faster at the airport — you bypass the cash queue and go directly to passport control.
AU/NZ-specific things to know
Flight routing: The standard routes from Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane to Kilimanjaro (JRO) are via Doha (Qatar Airways), via Dubai (Emirates), via Addis Ababa (Ethiopian), or via Singapore + Addis (Singapore Airlines + Ethiopian). Total travel time 24–32 hours including connections. From Auckland it's typically via Sydney + Doha, or Auckland + Dubai. Direct Qatar flights from Auckland are bookable but rare.
Yellow fever requirement for AU/NZ travellers depends on routing. Doha and Dubai connections do not require a yellow fever vaccination certificate (the WHO does not classify the UAE or Qatar as endemic). However, if you transit through Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines is common) the yellow fever certificate is required for entry to Tanzania. Get the vaccination at least 10 days before travel; valid for life under current WHO rules.
Travel insurance: AU travellers should check their insurance covers East Africa specifically. Some Australian policies exclude or restrict adventure activities like Kilimanjaro climbing or balloon safaris — add adventure cover separately. Recommended supplements: AMREF Flying Doctors annual membership (USD 40 for 30 days), which covers medical evacuation specifically in East Africa.
Medical: Anti-malarial prophylaxis is essential for the safari portion. Australian and New Zealand GPs can prescribe doxycycline, Malarone (atovaquone-proguanil), or Lariam (mefloquine). Doxycycline is the most common choice — cheap, daily tablet, well-tolerated. Speak to your GP at least 2 weeks before travel.
Currency: Bring USD cash for tips and visa fees. Tanzania accepts USD widely but at safari lodges only. Tanzanian shillings (TZS) for any local purchases. Australian and New Zealand dollars are not accepted anywhere in Tanzania.
Common rejection reasons and how to fix them
Rejections for AU/NZ passport holders are rare. The few common reasons:
1. Passport expires within 6 months of travel. Fix: renew first.
2. Photo doesn't meet specs. Use any passport-photo service in AU or NZ. Australian Post and NZ Post both offer compliant photos for AU$20-30.
3. Flight itinerary doesn't match application dates. Update one or the other.
4. Accommodation booking insufficient. Provide a real booking for at least the first 2–3 nights, or ask your safari operator for a support letter.
5. Personal details don't match passport. Re-apply with corrections.
6. Past travel to certain countries flagged. Recent travel to a small number of countries can trigger additional review. Adds 7–14 days. Nothing you can do.
Rejected applications are non-refundable. You can re-apply or use visa on arrival as a backup.
For the universal e-visa walkthrough, see our Tanzania e-visa application guide. US passport holders have different rules covered in Tanzania visa for US citizens; UK and EU in the UK/EU post.
When you're ready to plan, send us your dates — every booking confirmation includes a visa support letter on company letterhead, which speeds the application materially.
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