UK passport holders have the most flexible Tanzania visa setup of any major travel market — a choice between a cheap single-entry visa for one trip and a multiple-entry option if you'll be back inside 12 months. The application is online, takes 30 minutes, and costs less than dinner at a London restaurant. Here's how to get it done in 2026.
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, multiple entries allowed.
- Where to apply: visa.immigration.go.tz (the official portal).
- Processing time: 10–20 business days typical, sometimes 3–5.
- Backup: visa on arrival at JRO, DAR, or ZNZ — same fee, cash only.
For a single Tanzania trip (safari, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, or all three in one go), the $50 single-entry visa is what you want. The $100 multiple-entry is only worth it if you'll genuinely make a second trip within 12 months.
Single-entry vs multiple-entry
The $50 single-entry visa is valid for a single trip of up to 90 days from your entry date. The visa itself is technically valid 90 days from issue (so apply within 90 days of travel), but you can stay for the full 90 days from the date your passport is stamped on arrival.
The $100 multiple-entry visa is valid 12 months from issue, and you can enter and leave Tanzania any number of times during that year, with each stay capped at 90 days. UK travellers most commonly choose this when:
- They're planning two separate Tanzania trips within 12 months (e.g. a safari in March and a Kilimanjaro climb in October).
- They're combining Tanzania with Kenya and want flexibility to dip in and out of Tanzania mid-trip.
- They're working in Africa for a longer period and Tanzania is one of several countries.
For about 95% of UK leisure travellers, the $50 option is the right choice.
A note on Zanzibar: Zanzibar is part of Tanzania (United Republic of), so the same Tanzania visa works for Zanzibar — you do not need a separate visa. Your passport will be stamped on arrival to mainland Tanzania OR Zanzibar; flying between mainland and Zanzibar does not require re-entry processing for tourists.
How to apply (e-visa, step by step)
Use the official portal: visa.immigration.go.tz. Avoid third-party "visa service" sites — they typically charge an extra £30–£90 for the same application you can submit yourself.
The process:
- Create an account at visa.immigration.go.tz with your email.
- Select "Ordinary Visa" → "Tourism" for the standard $50 option, OR "Multiple Entry Visa" → "Tourism" for the $100 option.
- Fill in personal details: passport number, expiry, parents' names, employer, UK address, dates of intended travel.
- Upload required documents (see next section).
- Pay by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. The portal accepts UK-issued cards. Pay in USD; your card will charge the GBP equivalent plus your bank's foreign-exchange fee (typically 1–3%).
- Receive confirmation email within 24 hours.
- Wait for decision — typically 10–20 business days. Sometimes faster.
- Print the approved e-visa PDF and bring it in your carry-on. Some airlines (notably KLM and Qatar) check at boarding.
Common UK mistake: applying 4+ months ahead and then losing the email. Apply 30–60 days before travel for fastest processing and lowest risk of forgetting the reference number.
For the full universal walkthrough, see our Tanzania e-visa application guide.
Documents you need
Required uploads:
- Passport bio page (the photo page) — clear scan or photo, all corners visible, no glare.
- Recent passport-style photo — plain white background, face visible, no glasses or hat. JPEG, max 300KB.
- Flight itinerary showing arrival and departure dates. A held-but-unticketed reservation works.
- Accommodation confirmation for the first few nights. If you're booking with a Tanzania safari operator, ask for a "visa support letter" — they'll send it the same day.
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate if you've spent time in a yellow-fever-endemic country in the 6 days before arrival. Most UK travellers don't need this unless they're transiting through a relevant African country or coming via South America.
Passport requirements: - Valid for at least 6 months from your Tanzania arrival date. - At least one blank page for the visa stamp.
If your UK passport expires in October and you're travelling in September, you may need to renew first depending on issue date. The Home Office passport renewal turnaround is typically 3 weeks; expedited service available for £193 (one-day fast-track) or £207 (one-week premium).
When to apply and how long it takes
Typical processing times: - Standard e-visa: 10–20 business days. Some applications come back in 3–5 days. - Visa on arrival: 15–45 minutes at the airport.
Our recommendation: apply 30–45 days before travel. Apply too early (90+ days) and the portal seems to back-burner the application; too late (under 14 days) and you risk needing the on-arrival fallback.
If 21 business days pass with no answer, email evisa@immigration.go.tz with your reference number. Responses come within 3–5 business days.
Visa on arrival as a backup
Visa on arrival works at Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), Julius Nyerere International (DAR), Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ), and major land borders. Same fees: $50 single-entry, $100 multiple-entry. Cash only.
The cash must be crisp USD bills, post-2009 series, no marks or tears. Tanzanian immigration strictly rejects older or damaged notes. Bring £40-50 worth of new $5 and $10 USD bills exchanged at a UK bureau before flying. The on-arrival queue at JRO typically runs 15–45 minutes depending on the number of incoming flights.
The e-visa is faster at the airport because you skip the visa-payment queue entirely.
Common rejection reasons and how to fix them
Rejections are rare for UK passport holders but they happen. Most common reasons:
1. Passport expires within 6 months of travel. Fix: renew before applying.
2. Photo doesn't meet specs. Use a UK Post Office passport-photo machine or pay £8 at any Snappy Snaps — they meet Tanzania requirements automatically.
3. Flight itinerary doesn't match application dates. Update one or the other so they align.
4. Accommodation booking is "TBD" or appears generic. Provide a real booking for the first 2–3 nights, or ask your safari operator for a support letter on company letterhead.
5. Personal details don't match passport. Misspelled name, wrong middle name. Re-apply with corrections.
6. Previous Tanzania visa irregularity. If you've overstayed a previous visa or been deported, future applications may be rejected automatically. Email the Tanzania High Commission in London for guidance.
Rejected e-visa applications are non-refundable. You can re-apply with corrected information ($50 again), or travel and apply for visa on arrival, which has separate processing and frequently succeeds where the e-visa was bounced for clerical reasons.
EU, Irish, and other Schengen nationals
The same visa rules apply to most EU passport holders: - Single-entry tourist visa: USD 50. - Multiple-entry visa: USD 100. - Same e-visa portal, same documents, same process.
Exceptions and special cases:
- Republic of Ireland: same as UK — $50 single, $100 multiple. E-visa portal works.
- Switzerland: same as EU. $50/$100.
- South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe: visa-free for tourist visits up to 90 days. No e-visa or on-arrival fee required (passport must still be valid 6 months from arrival).
- Most African Union member states: visa-free or visa on arrival, varying terms.
- India, China, several others: classified as "referral" — must apply via Tanzania embassy in advance, processing time several weeks. Different rules apply.
For the universal step-by-step e-visa walkthrough, see our Tanzania e-visa application guide. US citizens have a different rule (multiple-entry mandatory) covered in Tanzania visa for US citizens; Australia/NZ travellers in the AU/NZ post.
When you're ready to plan, send us your dates — every booking confirmation includes a visa support letter, which speeds the e-visa process noticeably.
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