Tanzania is a favourite destination for travellers from all over the world, but a trip to the country requires a visa. While a few years ago, only the classic visa was eligible for entry into this country, it is now possible to benefit from the e-visa procedure, which significantly reduces the processing time while simplifying the procedure. As we will explain on this page, this procedure allows you to receive your visa for Tanzania in only a few days and without the need to travel.
What is the average processing time for the Tanzania eVisa?
Before 2018 and the implementation of the Tanzania e-visa procedure, obtaining a visa for Tanzania took many weeks or even months when the tourist season was in full swing.
In order to reduce these delays, the Tanzanian government decided to implement an electronic online visa application system that saves precious time both in applying for and receiving the precious visa.
By taking advantage of this electronic procedure, the average time taken to obtain a visa generally varies from 11 to 15 working days.
The service provider through whom we recommend that you apply indicates a processing time of 15 days for a standard application, but also allows you to receive your visa urgently within 13 days or even 11 days, subject to payment of an additional fee.
In the end, it will usually only take you a week and a half or a few days longer to get your Tanzania visa and complete your trip.
How to get a visa for Tanzania as soon as possible?
If you dream of travelling to Tanzania or Zanzibar very soon, you should ideally apply for an eVisa online. European travellers as well as other nationalities can indeed benefit from this new online procedure since November 2018.
The Tanzanian government has set up a digital portal to receive e-visa applications, but there are also online service providers specialised in this field, such as our partner, who guarantee a fast processing of your visa application. All you have to do is log on to the website and access the Tanzania visa application form.
In this form, you will simply have to fill in information about your identity, your professional and personal situation, your passport number and a valid email address.
You will then be asked a series of simple questions about your health and previous travel history.
Once the form has been completed, all you have to do is check it thoroughly before validating it. Do not neglect this step, as a simple mistake can lead to a delay in processing your application and a longer waiting period.
Then pay the required fees by credit card online. Without payment of this fee, your application will not be processed and you will not be granted a visa to Tanzania.
Once accepted by the authorities, your visa will be sent to you by email and you will just have to print it to take it with you during your trip.
What documents should I bring for a faster visa application?
If you want your Tanzania e-visa application to be processed quickly, you should make sure that you prepare the documents you will be asked for online in advance. In particular, you should have with you:
- A valid passport with a validity of at least 6 months after the date of your arrival in Tanzania. It will be necessary to scan the identity page of your passport in colour so that the passport number, your full name and date and place of birth are visible.
- A passport photo: this must also be recent, in colour and in the correct size. The photo must be clear and shadow-free.
- Proof of return: Finally, you must also have a plane or train ticket proving that you have returned home after the trip or left for another destination.
When should I apply for a visa for Tanzania online?
To ensure that you can travel to Tanzania on time and on the date you planned, you should of course apply for your e-visa at the right time.
As we have seen above, it usually takes no more than ten days for an e-visa application for this country to be processed. However, this does not mean that you should wait until the last moment to apply.
In fact, ideally, you should do it a little in advance in order to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.
It is possible that you may make a mistake when filling in the application form and that your e-visa will be refused. In this case, you will have to start the process again from the beginning and wait for the legal processing time.
It is also possible that you will be refused by the Tanzanian authorities because of an incompatibility with the rules of the e-visa system. In this case, in most cases, it will still be possible to travel to the country through a regular visa procedure. But this will of course take even longer and you should allow for this extra time so that you do not find yourself without a visa on the day of departure.
Therefore, to ensure that you get your visa in time for Tanzania, we recommend that you apply at least one or two months before your departure.
Apply for your Tanzania e-visa!
