1. Home
  2. Visa requirements
  3. Tanzania
  4. United States passport
Entry requirement · United States passport

Do American citizens need a visa for Tanzania?

Passport United States
Destination Tanzania

United States passport holders can get a visa on arrival in Tanzania, so no application is needed before travelling.

Answer Visa on arrival

Visa on arrival

Entry requirement
Visa on arrival
Maximum stay
Check on entry
Apply before travel
No
Last updated
February 2026

How to apply

Checked November 2026

⚠️ Tanzania Immigration tells applicants to apply only through its official website (immigration.go.tz / visa.immigration.go.tz) and not through any other online links. Use only the official links below.

Official route

Visa on arrival

Fee
Same visa categories as online (ordinary visa US$50; US citizens US$100 multiple-entry)
Stay
Up to 90 days
Notes
Available at official entry points to nationals on the portal's on-arrival list (includes most of Europe, the US, UK, Canada, Australia); not available to referral-category nationals, refugees or stateless persons. Immigration recommends applying online instead.

At the border

  • Passport needs at least six months of validity and at least one unused visa page.
  • A return ticket must be shown at the point of entry.
  • Nationals of EAC states, most SADC states (except Comoros) and most Commonwealth states (except the UK, Canada, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand) do not need a visa.
  • One visa covers both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar; each traveller, including children, needs a separate application.
  • A Visa Grant Notice does not guarantee entry; the border officer makes the final decision.

Official source: Tanzania Immigration Services Department · Not yet confirmed officially: voa.fee: the guidelines do not separately state the on-arrival fee; assumed equal to the online visa fee, recentChanges: no dated 2025-2026 change confirmed on an official source, yellow fever certificate requirement (not shown on the e-Visa guidelines page)

What United States passport holders need to do

  1. Bring a passport with enough validity and at least one blank page.
  2. Have the visa fee ready, often in cash, plus passport photos if they are requested.
  3. Carry proof of onward travel and accommodation to show the immigration officer.

United States is one of 126 passports in the “visa on arrival” group for Tanzania. See the full Tanzania visa requirements for every passport.

Other easy destinations in Africa for United States passport holders

Tanzania is one of 36 destinations in the “visa on arrival” group for the United States passport, which ranks #10 worldwide with a mobility score of 158. Of 54 destinations in Africa, 34 need no visa arranged in advance; the easiest are listed below.

DestinationRequirementMax stay
Angola Visa-free 30 days
Botswana Visa-free 90 days
Cape Verde Visa-free 30 days
Eswatini Visa-free 30 days
Lesotho Visa-free –
Malawi Visa-free 30 days
Mauritius Visa-free 90 days
Morocco Visa-free 90 days
Mozambique Visa-free 30 days
Namibia Visa-free 90 days
Sao Tome and Principe Visa-free 15 days
Senegal Visa-free 90 days

All visa-free countries for the United States passport

Frequently asked questions

Do American citizens need a visa for Tanzania?

United States passport holders can get a visa on arrival in Tanzania, so no application is needed before travelling.

Do Tanzania citizens need a visa for the United States?

Tanzania passport holders need to obtain a visa from an embassy, consulate or visa centre before travelling to the United States.

Tanzania visa requirements for other passports

Data last updated February 2026. This page covers short visits such as tourism. Rules can change at short notice and differ for work, study or long stays. Confirm with the embassy or official immigration website of Tanzania before you book.