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As undoubtedly one of the world’s most fascinating tourist destinations, Zanzibar is located on the coast of East Africa. It is home to splendid beaches perfect for swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, or both!
Most tourists entering Tanzania (Zanzibar) are required to present a visa during their arrival, visas are issued at any Tanzanian embassy.
Zanzibar is a part of the United Republic of Tanzania that being the case, there is no need of having a separate visa for visiting Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
Who Needs a Tourist Visa When Traveling to Zanzibar for Tourism?
Most tourists entering Tanzania are required to present a visa, an ordinary visa (also known as a tourist visa) issued at any Tanzanian embassy. It grants tourists the authorization to enter the country through designated entry points on the border, through airports and harbor stations.
Tourists who are not citizens of the following countries inclined to travel to Zanzibar for tourism purposes might be required to apply for a visa under “tourist” specification.
Antigua & Barbuda Anguilla Ashmore & Cartier Island
Bahamas Barbados Bermuda
Belize Brunei British Virgin Island
Botswana Cyprus Cayman Island
Channel Island Cocos Island Cook Island
Christmas Island Dominica Falkland Island
Gambia Ghana Gibraltar
Grenada Guernsey Guyana
Heard Island Isle of Man Jamaica
Jersey Kenya Kiribati
Lesotho Malawi Montserrat
Malaysia Madagascar Malta
Mauritius Mozambique Nauru
Niue Island Norfolk Island Namibia
Papua New Guinea Rwanda Romania
Ross Dependency Samoa Seychelles
Singapore Solomon Island South Sudan
Swaziland St. Kitts Nevis St. Lucia
St. Vincent St. Helena South Africa
Trinidad & Tobago Turks & Caicos Tokelan
Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Documents Required When Applying for a Visa
When applying for Zanzibar Tourist Visa, you must submit the following documents:
Applicant’s valid Passport (at least 6 months before expiration).
A completed visa application form (duly filled in)
2 passport size photographs (for those lodging their applications through embassies)
Proof of departures such as a computer-generated flight itinerary from the airline or a travel agency or copy of your airline ticket.
Visa applications for children under 18 years, should be accompanied by a notarized letter from an advocate, which is jointly signed by parents or legal guardians approving the child to travel alone. This requirement doesn’t apply when traveling with parents.
However, a person coming from a country with no access to a Tanzanian embassy or where it is reasonably distant can apply for a visa online. Since November 2018, an official tourist visa can be applied online and shall be issued at their arrival in the country. Online visa Applicants are strongly advised to apply for Visa through the Official Tanzania Immigration Services Website (https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa) ONLY and NOT through any other links.
To apply online for Tanzania tourist visa you will need to have the following documents:
Passport personal details
A copy of airline ticket
Passport size photo
A credit/Debit card or PayPal Account
How to Apply
When applying for a Zanzibar visa to Apply for Zanzibar Tourist Visa?
To complete your Tourist visa application successfully you have to follow these steps:
Find out where you need to apply. (Be it at the embassy or online)
Collect the required documents
Make an appointment at the embassy of your destination country, for online applicants they have to visit the Official Tanzania Immigration Services Website https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa )
Pay the tourist visa fee which is 50 USD for most nationalities and 100 USD for the USA citizens.
How to Upload Photos for Your Zanzibar Visa Application
When applying for a Zanzibar visa, you’ll need to upload three photos: one of yourself, one of your passport, and one of your return ticket. Each photo must be under 300 KB, which can be tricky if your phone’s camera produces larger file sizes. Here are some tips to help:
1. Use an Online Photo Resizer: Websites like ResizePixel or ILoveIMG allow you to compress images to meet the size requirement.
2. Adjust Phone Settings: Both iPhones and Androids have settings to reduce photo resolution. For iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Formats, while Samsung has options in its Camera app.
3. Email Resizing: You can email the photo to yourself, selecting a smaller file size before sending. Save the emailed photo to use for the application.
How long does it take to receive the visa?
The Visa application is usually processed within 10 days. After making payment the applicants are strongly advised to wait for approval of their visa application before starting their journey, approval notifications are usually being sent to applicants’ emails.
Cost of Tanzanian tourist visa
For most nationalities including the UK and Australia, the single-entry visa is $50USD. For citizens of the USA, it is $100USD. A double-entry visa is more expensive but allows you to re-enter the country. If you will be leaving Tanzania and then re-entering, it is recommended to purchase this visa as it will save you money in the long run.
Duration of Tanzanian tourist visa
Single entry visas are valid for 3 months, whereas double-entry visas are valid for up to 6 months.
Countries which are not required to apply for Visa
There are some countries whose nationals are not required to apply for a visa to enter Tanzania. They will undergo immigration formalities at the entry point upon arrival. The list of such countries is shown below:
Antigua & Barbuda
Barbados
British
Virgin Island
Botswana
Bahamas
Cyprus
Jersey
Dominica
Ghana
Jamaica
Kenya
Zimbabwe Gambia
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Madagascar
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Rwanda
Rwanda
Seychelles
Singapore
Swaziland
South
Africa
Uganda
Zambia
Sufficient funds
Other requirements for a visa include proof of onward travel such as return ticket and sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. It is advised to carry cash too even when you have your credit cards at hand.
