Tanzania entry requirements

There are strict entry and import regulations at the Tanzanian border that you must follow. Learn about all the necessary documents, processes, and guidelines for traveling to Tanzania and get practical tips for your entry.

If you want to enter Tanzania, you will need to present some documents to the responsible border guards upon arrival. These include:

• Your approved eVisa (confirmation printout) or visa
• Your passport that has at least six months of validity remaining and at least one blank visa page
• For regular family visits: passport details of the inviting relative and/or marriage certificate and passport details of the Tanzanian spouse
• A return or onward travel ticket
• For business travel: a proof of the necessity of your activity in the form of a letter from the inviting or sending company
• Proof of your completed Traveller's Health Surveillance (printout of the online form)
• Proof of sufficient financial means for the duration of your stay as well as your return journey
• Your completed Arrival Card

Depending on the case, you may be required to provide additional evidence to support the need for your travel to Tanzania.

If you are traveling to Tanzania with children, we recommend that you bring the following documents, in addition to travel passports and approved eVisas:

• Notarized consent to travel signed by legal guardians
• Copies of the ID cards of all legal guardians
• Notarized child's consent to travel (signature)

Before and during your trip, you will be asked to provide some information by your airline or shipping company, as well as by customs and border guards. Forms to be completed include, for example, a health declaration, a customs form, and the Arrival/Departure Card.

You will receive the Arrival/Departure Card during your journey or at the latest in the arrival hall shortly before the border crossing. On this card, you must provide the following information:

• Name
• Gender
• Nationality
• Place and date of birth
• Profession
• Residence address and country
• Mode of entry (airplane, ship, land) and (air)port of entry
• Reason for your trip to Tanzania
• First overnight address in Tanzania
• Passport data

Hand over the completed Arrival Card to the border official together with your other travel documents.

The health declaration for an entry to Tanzania is officially called "Traveller's Health Surveillance" and contains the following data:

• Passport number
• Name
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Gender
• Email address
• Method of travel (airplane, ship, land)
• (Air)port of entry
• Date of arrival
• Flight number (or ship) and seat number
• Reason for travel to Tanzania
• Length of stay in Tanzania
• Occupation
• Contact address in Tanzania (e.g., of the hotel)
• Where did your trip start (e.g., your hometown)
• Travel history of the last 21 days
• Do you have any symptoms of illness (e.g., fever, headache, etc.)?
• Have you taken any medications in the last seven days?
• Have you had any recent contact with anyone who is ill?

You must complete and submit the online form within 24 hours prior to your arrival in Tanzania. Print your confirmation and place it with the rest of your travel documents. Children also need their own Traveller's Health Surveillance form.

If you have been in a yellow fever zone before your arrival in Tanzania, you will need a yellow fever vaccination for entry. Vaccinations against COVID-19, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies, and meningococcal disease (ACWY) are also recommended.

There is no insurance required for entering Tanzania. However, we recommend that you purchase travel health insurance to provide you with adequate protection while you are there.

Upon arrival in Tanzania, you will apply for your entry permit with the border official in charge by presenting your travel documents at the counter. You might be asked some questions about your personal circumstances, the reason for your trip, your ties to your home country, and your future travel plans.

During the interview, answer briefly, accurately, and truthfully, and follow all instructions. If the border officials deem you suitable for entry, you will be issued a visitor's pass valid for a maximum of three months (or six months for citizens of EAC member states).

When entering Tanzania, be sure to follow the applicable import regulations. The bringing of means of payment, plants, and animal products is strictly regulated.

You are allowed to take the following amounts of goods into Tanzania free of duty:

• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco
• 1 l spirits or 2 l wine
• Perfume and eau de toilette (0,5 l in total)
• Personal items, including jewelry, and electronic devices up to $ 500

If you are taking currency equivalent to more than $ 10,000 into Tanzania, you must declare it on your customs declaration.

The importation of plants and animal products into Tanzania requires a permit. You can make an application to the Director of Agriculture and Food Security and the National Food Commission. This concerns:

• Fruit
• Plants and plant parts of all kinds
• Seeds
• Meat and meat products
• Vegetables
• Roots and tubers
• Nuts

If you are traveling to Tanzania with medications, always carry an English letter from the doctor, the prescription, and the original packaging. Medicines must have a use-by period of at least six months at the time of importation.

You may not bring the following items into Tanzania:

• Food containing cyclamates or cyclamate salts
• Weapons
• Narcotics
• Pornographic images
• Plastic bags