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UAE residents get a Tanzania visa according to the passport they hold, not the Emirates ID. The tourist Ordinary visa costs USD 50, is valid up to 90 days and is applied for online with Tanzania Immigration. We file it, check the photo and passport page and track the grant notice. Tanzania says applications are processed within ten days.
Your passport decides
Tanzania publishes three lists in its visa guidelines, and residence in the UAE does not move you between them.
- No visa needed. Citizens of East African Community states, SADC members except Comoros, and Commonwealth countries except the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, India, Australia, New Zealand and one other. Kenyans and many South Africans land with their passport.
- Online or on arrival. Includes India, the Philippines, Egypt, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Jordan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Tanzania recommends the online route.
- Special permission needed. Nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and others cannot get a visa on arrival without approval from the Commissioner General of Immigration. They apply online, ahead.
Nigeria is excluded from the Commonwealth visa free rule. We did not find it on the on arrival list either, so a Nigerian resident should apply in advance.
Fees
| Visa | Fee | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary (single entry), tourism | USD 50 | Up to 90 days |
| Multiple entry | USD 100 | 1 year, 90 days per visit |
| Business | USD 250 | Up to 90 days |
| Transit | USD 30 | Up to 7 days |
Source: Tanzania Immigration Services, Visa Guidelines, checked . Fees are paid by Visa or Mastercard. US passport holders must apply for the Multiple visa for tourism.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa agencies publish about AED 280.50 to AED 300 for the tourist e-visa (published prices of 2 Dubai agencies, checked ). That covers the government fee and the agency's service. One agency shows a lower starting price, but it is below the USD 50 government fee, so we do not count it.
Documents
- Passport valid for at least six months, with one unused page
- A colour photo, JPG, no larger than 500KB, 45mm by 35mm
- A copy of the passport page with your details
- A return ticket (Referral cases may upload an itinerary instead)
- Your own application for each traveller, children included
How long it takes
Tanzania lists ten days for online applications. The Referral category should apply at least two months before travel. Agencies in Dubai show anything from five to twenty days. The grant notice arrives by e-mail and you can track it on the portal.
The grant notice is not a final right of entry. The officer at the border can still refuse you. Carry a return ticket, because visitors must show one on arrival.
Zanzibar and the embassy
One visa covers the mainland and Zanzibar, and you choose your first destination on the form. The Tanzanian embassy in Abu Dhabi posted an advisory, dated , about mandatory inbound travel insurance for Zanzibar effective . The details sit in a PDF that we could not read, so check the embassy notice before you buy flights.
The embassy serves the UAE. Its site lists visa processing, passport services and diaspora registration. Tanzania's guidelines say the nearest embassy may ask an applicant to attend an interview.
Why applications fail
- A passport with less than six months left
- A photo over the size limit or not on a plain background
- Missing return ticket
- One application filed for a whole family
- Wrong visa type, for example a tourist visa for work
How it works with us
Send us a photo of your passport page, the photo and your dates on WhatsApp or the form on this page. A visa adviser looks up your passport in Tanzania's lists and tells you which route applies. If an e-visa is needed, you get one total price before you pay. The team completes the form, pays the fee, tracks the status and sends you the grant notice to print. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, and Tanzania Immigration decides every application.
If an application is refused, Tanzania keeps its fee. Before you pay, the adviser tells you in writing what part of our price, if any, would come back.
Official sources
- Tanzania e-visa portal: application, status checks
- Tanzania Visa Guidelines: lists, fees, documents, timing
- Tanzanian embassy in Abu Dhabi: services and notices
More from the UAE: Kenya visa for UAE residents, Mauritius visa for UAE residents, visas from Dubai. Travelling the other way? See the Dubai visa for Tanzanians.
