Field notes
Tanzania Visa for Indians 2026 — Complete Guide
Quick answer
The Tanzania visa for Indians is an e-visa applied entirely online before departure. Indian passport holders can stay up to 90 days at a time on a visa valid for one year with multiple entries. Lodge the application at least ten days before your travel date through the Tanzania e-Immigration Online Portal and carry the printed approval with your passport at the airport.
The Tanzania e-visa at a glance
The table below lists every confirmed detail for the Tanzania e-visa, verified from official government sources in October 2026. Use these figures for planning and recheck the official portal before you submit your application, as rules and fees can change.
| E-visa detail | Verified value |
|---|---|
| Visa category | e-Visa |
| Visa type | Ordinary / Tourist Visa |
| Maximum stay | 90 days at a time |
| Validity | One year, multiple entry |
| Fee (as of 2026) | USD 100 |
| Processing time | 10 days |
| Application channel | Online — Tanzania e-Immigration Online Portal |
Is the e-visa the only entry option for Indians?
For Indian passport holders, the e-visa is the confirmed entry route for Tanzania. According to official government sources verified for this guide, alternative entry routes — including visa on arrival or visa-free entry — are not confirmed for Indian travellers. Plan around the e-visa as your reference route.
Do not assume any other route applies without checking the official portal close to your travel date. This matters especially if you are booking non-refundable flights or safari packages well in advance. If your passport has recently been reissued, or your name differs across documents such as your PAN card and passport, verify your eligibility before confirming any booking.
Some travellers ask whether a business visa or a different category might apply to their trip. For a standard holiday — whether a northern safari circuit, a Kilimanjaro trek or time in Zanzibar — the Ordinary / Tourist Visa is the correct type. Selecting a different category without a clear reason to do so can cause the application to be queried or delayed.
How to apply for the Tanzania e-visa step by step
The entire application is completed online through the Tanzania e-Immigration Online Portal. There is no embassy visit, no biometrics appointment and no VFS or BLS centre involved. Set aside enough time to complete the form in one session, have your documents scanned and ready before you start, and keep copies of everything you submit.
- Online step 1: Open the official application. Go to the Tanzania e-Immigration Online Portal — the only channel named for this visa by the official government source. Search results sometimes surface third-party sites that look similar. Type the portal address directly or reach it from the Tanzania Embassy website. Start a new application rather than resuming an old draft, which may carry outdated details from a previous attempt.
- Online step 2: Complete the application form. Enter your personal and passport details exactly as printed on your Indian passport, including middle names, date of birth and passport expiry date. The visa type to select is the Ordinary / Tourist Visa. Cross-check every field against your passport before moving to the next screen — a single character difference between the form and the passport is one of the most common reasons an application is delayed or rejected. If you hold a recently reissued passport, use the new passport number throughout and ensure the old passport number is not carried over from a previous application.
- Online step 3: Upload your documents. Attach the scanned passport bio-data page, your two photographs and your travel proof as listed in the checklist section below. Scans must show the full page without cropping at the edges. A blurred image or a photograph that does not meet the specification is one of the most frequent causes of avoidable back-and-forth with the portal. Prepare your scans before you open the form so you are not rushing at the upload stage.
- Step 4 — Pay the fee. The visa fee is USD 100, paid only through the official portal at this step. Do not pay on any third-party site, even if it appears at the top of a search result. The rupee equivalent will depend on the exchange rate and the payment method your bank applies on the day — confirm the likely amount with your card issuer before you pay, and keep the payment confirmation.
- Step 5 — Submit and note your reference number. After submission, save or screenshot the reference number immediately. Processing is advised at 10 days, so lodge the application at least ten days before your expected departure. Applying two to three weeks out gives you a reasonable buffer if a correction is needed. Check the portal periodically for status updates rather than waiting for an email that may go to your spam folder.
- Step 6 — Download and carry the approval. Once the approval arrives, download it and print at least one copy to carry alongside your passport. Keep a digital copy on your phone as a backup. Immigration officers at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) or Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) may ask to see the printed approval. Do not assume that a digital copy on your phone will be accepted at every counter — a printed copy removes any doubt.
Document upload checklist for the Tanzania e-visa
The official government source lists five items for the online application. Upload each one as part of the portal form — do not send documents by email or post. Prepare clean, complete scans before you open the application.
| Upload | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Passport scan | Valid for at least six months beyond your travel date, with at least one unused visa page |
| Visa application form | Completed online as part of the portal application |
| Passport-size photographs | Two recent photographs |
| Travel proof | Flight itinerary, confirmed ticket, or tour-operator package receipt |
| Visa fee payment | USD 100, paid through the official portal during the application |
A few practical points on these documents. Your passport must have at least one completely blank visa page — a page with only a stamp in the corner does not count as unused in many immigration systems, so check carefully. For the photographs, use images taken recently against a plain background; a selfie cropped from a holiday photo is likely to be rejected. For travel proof, a tour-operator package receipt from a registered operator works as well as a flight ticket, which is useful if you are booking a safari package before confirming your exact flights.
Tanzania e-visa fee and processing time
The Tanzania e-visa fee is USD 100 as of 2026, according to the official government portal. This is paid online during the application. No additional levy or tax on entry or exit is stated in the official sources for this route.
Processing time is 10 days. Applicants are advised to allow ten days, but whether delays beyond that period are possible — and what to do if they occur — is not confirmed in the official sources. The safest approach is to lodge the application as early as possible and not wait until the ten-day window has closed. If you are travelling during a peak period such as the dry-season safari months or the December holiday period, apply even earlier to account for any higher application volumes.
Because the fee is quoted in US dollars, the amount in Indian rupees will vary with the exchange rate on the day you pay. Your bank or card issuer may also apply a foreign currency transaction charge on top of the converted amount. Confirm the likely total at booking rather than relying on any figure quoted here. Keep the payment confirmation from the portal as proof of payment in case of any query.
No refund policy for the visa fee is stated in the official sources reviewed. If your travel plans change after you have paid, check the official portal for guidance on whether any refund or reapplication process exists.
Why Tanzania e-visa applications go wrong
Most rejections and delays come down to a small set of avoidable mistakes. Check each of these before you submit, and go through the list again before you hit the final submit button.
- Mismatched passport details. The name, date of birth and passport number on the form must match the passport exactly. A single spelling difference — even a missing middle name or an extra space — can stall the application. Copy details character by character directly from the passport bio-data page rather than typing from memory.
- Unreadable or cropped scans. Passport bio-data pages must be fully visible, not cropped at the edges or cut at the corners. Photographs must be recent and clearly show your face. A blurred, overexposed or partially cut image is one of the most common reasons an application is sent back for resubmission.
- Selecting the wrong visa type. For a holiday, safari or beach trip, the correct selection is the Ordinary / Tourist Visa. Choosing another category does not match a leisure trip and may cause the application to be queried or returned.
- Using unofficial lookalike sites. Search results and paid advertisements sometimes surface third-party sites that closely mimic the official portal. These may charge more than USD 100, add undisclosed service fees, or misuse your passport data. Apply only through the Tanzania e-Immigration Online Portal as named in the official government source.
- Applying too close to departure. Ten days is the advised processing window. If a correction is needed after submission, you need time to resubmit before your flight. Applying two to three weeks out gives a reasonable buffer, particularly if you are travelling during a busy season or have a complex itinerary with connecting flights.
Extending your stay in Tanzania
The Tanzania e-visa allows a maximum stay of 90 days at a time. Extension rules for the tourist stay are unclear based on the official sources reviewed for this guide. What options exist — if any — for staying beyond 90 days is not confirmed. If you are planning a longer trip, check the official portal before you travel rather than after arrival, as attempting to resolve this on the ground is far more complicated than planning ahead.
The visa itself is valid for one year with multiple entries. This means a return trip to Tanzania within that year — for example, a second safari or a follow-up visit to Zanzibar — does not require a fresh application, provided each individual stay remains within the 90-day limit. Keep a note of your entry and exit dates to track how many days you have used on each visit.
If you are combining Tanzania with a neighbouring country such as Kenya or Rwanda on the same trip, factor in that each entry into Tanzania counts as a separate stay. The multiple-entry validity is useful for this kind of regional itinerary, but the 90-day cap applies each time you enter.
Transit and layover rules for Tanzania
Transit rules for Indian passport holders are unclear for this route. If your itinerary includes a layover at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) before flying onward to another country, confirm with the official portal whether you need to clear immigration or hold a separate transit visa. Do not assume that an airside transit is automatically permitted without checking.
No pre-arrival registration or arrival card requirement is stated for this visa in the official sources. Carry your printed approval letter and passport together at all times during travel, as airport procedures can vary between entry points. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) in Zanzibar is a separate entry point from the mainland airports; if your itinerary enters through Zanzibar rather than Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro, confirm that the same e-visa approval covers that entry point by checking the official portal before travel.
No entry or exit levy or tax is stated in the official sources for this route. If a third-party site or an airport counter quotes additional charges not mentioned here, verify them against the official portal before paying anything.
Insurance for the Tanzania e-visa
Insurance requirements for this visa are unclear. The official document list does not name a travel insurance policy as a required upload for the Tanzania e-visa application. Whether cover is checked or required at the border is not confirmed in the sources reviewed for this guide.
Check the official portal before travel if you want a definitive answer on this point. Separately, Tanzania involves activities — safari drives in national parks, trekking on Mount Kilimanjaro, water activities in Zanzibar — where medical evacuation costs can be significant. Whether or not insurance is a visa requirement, it is worth confirming what cover your policy includes for these activities before you travel. No specific cover amounts or insurer names are stated here, as those figures are not part of the visa facts for this route.
Where to apply and how to verify current rules
Apply through the Tanzania e-Immigration Online Portal, which is the application channel named in the official government source for this visa. The official sources for this guide include the Tanzania Embassy visa pages and the Tanzania Immigration e-visa service portal. Verify the current fee, maximum stay and document requirements there before submitting your application.
The facts in this guide were verified on 15 October 2026. Visa rules, fees and document requirements can change without notice. Recheck the official portal close to your travel date, particularly if you are travelling several months after reading this. If the official portal shows a different fee or a different document list from what is written here, follow the portal — it is the authoritative source.
Tanzania has three main entry airports: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), about one hour from Arusha and Moshi; Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) serving Dar es Salaam; and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) for Zanzibar. Your e-visa approval should be carried to whichever airport you arrive at. If your itinerary moves between the mainland and Zanzibar, keep the approval accessible throughout the trip, not just on the first day.
If you need help planning your Tanzania trip around your visa dates — a northern safari circuit, time in Zanzibar, or a combination of both — Tripstor can put together an itinerary that fits your travel window.