Every country exercises special permission for its tourists to enter its borders. This permission is known as a Tanzania visa. Tanzania has several types of visas that can be used based on the purpose of the visit. Each of these visas serves different purposes and one can not be used for any other purpose than the one it is assigned to. Here are the types of visas that can be issued for a visit to Tanzania.
There are 2 types of visas available in Tanzania on the basis of application method. These are:
Ordinary visas for foreign tourists are issued for the purpose of visits, tourism, holiday, or family visits. This is the most common type of visa for travelers visiting Tanzania for tourism purposes, such as sightseeing, safari trips, or beach vacations. The ordinary visa in Tanzania is issued for a duration of three months (90 days) or six months (180 days) depending on the application. For a single entry, the visa limit is three months. And for multiple entries, the visa can be extended up to six months. Ordinary visas can be issued at any Tanzanian embassy as well as from the website. You can also issue a Tanzanian tourist visa through the online process.
This visa grants you to enter Tanzania through appointed entry ports, harbor stations, and airports. To obtain an ordinary visa, you have to submit a valid passport with biographical data pages, a return ticket flight, a completed visa application form, and a fee payment receipt.
Tanzania multiple entry visa is provided to foreigners for different purposes. This type of visa is issued mainly for foreigners who have businesses, investments, and establishments in Tanzania and who are required to visit Tanzania frequently.
The validation of multiple entry visas in Tanzania ranges from 3 months to 12 months. But the condition of this visa is that foreigners must leave Tanzania every three months, hence they cannot live in Tanzania for consecutive 12 months. The visa fee for foreigners is determined by the administration, thus it is imperative that you consult appropriate authorities to obtain a Multiple Entry Visa.
To obtain a Multiple Entry Tanzania Visa, you need a valid passport or a host living in Tanzania, a cover letter explaining the objective to visit Tanzania, a marriage certificate if you are entering Tanzania to meet your spouse, a return flight ticket, and a fee payment receipt.
The visa that is to be collected from the airport after reaching Tanzania is known as a visa on arrival. Generally, for emergency purposes, a visa on arrival is issued. After reaching Tanzania, the required documents are to be shown to the office and the visa is to be issued upon arriving in Tanzania. For the Tanzanian visa on arrival, you will not require to apply for the visa before starting for Tanzania. Visa on arrival is not available for all the nationalities. Before applying for a visa on arrival, you are suggested to check if your nationality has the access to a visa on arrival in Tanzania.
This type of visa is for individuals traveling to Tanzania for business purposes, such as attending meetings, conferences, or negotiating contracts. Tanzania Business Visa may be issued to persons for the purpose of temporarily conducting business, trade, professional, or assignment for a period not exceeding three months and it is not extendable.
If you want to apply for a Tanzania Business Visa, you have to submit a copy of a valid passport, a return ticket, a fee payment receipt, and a work contract or any document proving that the applicant will visit Tanzania for work purposes, Proof of sufficient funds for your stays in Tanzania, such as bank statements or a credit card, It is important to note that the requirements for a business visa may vary depending on your country of origin and the purpose of your visit. You should contact the nearest Tanzanian embassy or consulate to confirm the exact requirements for your business visa.
The process of obtaining a business visa to Tanzania can be complex and time-consuming, as you will need to provide a number of documents and meet certain requirements. It is important to start the visa application process well in advance of your planned trip, as it can take several weeks to obtain a business visa.
A transit visa for Tanzania is a type of visa that allows travelers to pass through the country on their way to another destination. This visa is typically valid for a period of up to 72 hours, and it allows travelers to stay in the country while they wait for their connecting flight.
A Transit visa will be granted to allow you to pass through the United Republic of Tanzania to any other destination in another country. This type of visa is only issued to persons with onward tickets, sufficient funds for transit, and an entry visa to the country of destination or any proof that prior arrangements have been made that satisfy this requirement. It is issued for a maximum period of fourteen (7) days. Transit visas are not extended after the period of transit.
To obtain a transit visa, you need to show an ongoing flight ticket, a fee payment receipt, and your passport with biographical data. A Tanzania transit visa is not applicable for tourism or other purposes. There are two types of transit visas available for Tanzania:
Tanzania Single Transit Visa: If you want to transit through Tanzania for one time, you will need to apply for a single transit visa. Generally, when you are visiting another country with the purpose of staying a long time or an undecided period of time, you should apply for a single transit visa.
Tanzania Double Transit Visa: If you need to transit through Tanzania more than once, generally twice, you will need to apply for a double transit visa. When you are visiting another country by stopping in Tanzania and have to return in the same way as making a stop in Tanzania, you should apply for a double transit visa.
If you are an international student in Tanzania, you are to obtain a Student Visa to study in Tanzania. However, the duration of acceptability of a Tanzanian Student Visa is 2 years. Along with fee receipt payment and properly fulfilled visa application, you need to provide a letter from the corresponding University in Tanzania to which you got admitted, providing proof that the university will host you and it should state the duration of the program which you will attend.
However, there are 4 types of student visas in Tanzania provided to aspiring students who are eager to study and research, these are as follows:
A Gratis visa is also known as a diplomatic visa. This type of visa is issued to you if you are a Diplomatic, Service, and Official Passport holder, except when traveling in an unofficial capacity in which you will be subjected to pay prescribed fees. Holders of UN, SADC, AU Laissez-Passer, and other International Organizations recognized by the United Republic of Tanzania are granted gratis visas, except when traveling in a non-official capacity in which they are subject to pay for prescribed visa fees. Gratis visa is issued for single or multiple entries.
An official visa is issued while traveling for official purposes. If you need to travel to Tanzania for the purpose of your official reasons, you will need to apply for an official visa. The visa does not have any different requirements. The official visa is not a work visa. The office visa is issued to an employer/employee who is working at a company in their home country and only requires traveling for the sake of that company.
If you need to go to Tanzania for medical purposes, you will require a Tanzania medical visa from Tanzania. You will need to display the necessary documents and medical certificates from referred doctors (if any) for the approval of a medical purpose. The requirements of a medical visa do not differ much from the other visas.
An employment visa is a type of visa that allows individuals to work in Tanzania for a period of more than three months, hence if you are interested in necessary documents such as employment letters, eligibility, and residence permit application for Tanzania as proof. There are specific rules that must be maintained while issuing a work visa to Tanzania. All the information about the business person, the business, and the employer/ employee in Tanzania are required for issuing a Tanzanian work visa. The work visa can not be issued online. One has to go to the airport office first and then submit all the documents required for the work visa. The work visa processing duration is comparatively longer.
There are some countries whose nationals require special clearance from the Commissioner General of Immigration or the Commissioner of Immigration (Zanzibar) prior to issuance of the Visa. These countries fall under the referral visa category.
If you are visiting Tanzania for documentation then you will need to apply for a visa for documentation. This visa will allow you access to places and give you permission to information that is exclusive only for documentation. There are specific requirements for a visa for documentation.
The visa policy of Tanzania and Zanzibar are one and the same. The same visa types that are applicable to Tanzania are also applicable to Zanzibar. And vice versa. That is why it is easy to travel to Zanzibar as long as you are familiar with the Tanzanian visa.
These are the most commonly used types of visas while traveling to Tanzania. There are some other specific types of visas for Tanzania. If your purpose of travel does not fall under the categories of visas that are mentioned above, you are requested to visit the nearest embassy of Tanzania in your home country and explain your situation.
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