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Last checked: October 2026.
Two things can cost you an hour: the queue at the arrival desk, and a yellow-fever card you do not have when it is asked for at check-in in Nairobi. Rules checked 7 October 2026. The rules below follow the order in which travellers usually raise them.
The detail
One country, one visa — with a Zanzibar immigration desk
Zanzibar is semi-autonomous but shares Tanzania's immigration law: a Tanzanian visa is valid for Zanzibar, and there is no separate Zanzibar visa or fee. What Zanzibar does keep is its own immigration service. Arriving from the mainland — by ferry from Dar es Salaam or on a domestic flight from the Serengeti, Arusha or Dar — you will usually pass a Zanzibar immigration desk, where you show your passport and the visa already in it. It is a check, not a second visa; what the officers are looking for is a valid Tanzanian entry and, for non-residents, the inbound insurance certificate.
E-visa or visa on arrival?
The e-visa. Apply on the official Immigration Services portal (eservices.immigration.go.tz / visa.immigration.go.tz) with a passport scan, a photo and your flight details; pay by card; receive an approval by email to print and carry. Official processing is quoted at around 3 to 10 working days, longer in peak months, and the portal has had outages — so apply well before you fly, allowing for the full 3 to 10 working days. An expedited service at US$20 for three working days is listed by the Washington embassy. Apply only on the government portal: third-party sites charge more for the same form.
On arrival. Available to UK, EU and US passport holders at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (and at the Zanzibar seaport and the mainland airports). You fill a form, queue, pay, and are stamped in. It works, though US passport holders get a single-entry visa this way (see the note under fees), and it is the fallback when an e-visa has not come through — but it is slow after a long-haul landing and the card machines are unreliable, so carry the fee in clean US dollar notes printed in 2013 or later.
Fees by nationality
| Passport | Visa | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| UK and most EU | Ordinary single-entry | US$50 |
| USA and Ireland | Single-entry on arrival (GOV.UK; see note below) | US$100 |
| Transit | Transit, up to 7 days | US$30 |
Multiple-entry, arranged in advance:
| Passport | Visa | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| USA and Ireland | Multiple-entry, valid 12 months (per the Washington embassy) | US$100 |
GOV.UK says visas issued on arrival are single-entry only. Tanzania Immigration's multiple-entry page says US citizens travelling for tourism are required to apply for the 12-month multiple-entry visa, and the Washington embassy lists the same. The two sources conflict on the US entry type, though not on the fee, so apply in advance on the government portal before you fly.
The higher US fee is reciprocity, not an upgrade. Nationals of a list of "referral" countries cannot take the visa on arrival and must apply well in advance — not an issue for UK, EU or US passports. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda only; Tanzania is never included.
Passport validity
Six months' validity from the date you arrive, and at least one blank page. Airlines usually check both at check-in, before Tanzania ever sees your passport.
Yellow fever, by routing — the part that catches people
Tanzania requires a yellow-fever vaccination certificate from travellers arriving from a yellow-fever endemic country, or who have transited one for twelve hours or more. The Tanzanian list names Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. The published lists differ on Rwanda and on the transit threshold, so confirm with your airline before you fly. Travellers under one and over sixty, and those with a medical exemption letter, are excused the certificate. So:
- Direct or via the Gulf and Europe (Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Zurich, London) → no certificate required.
- Via Nairobi or Addis Ababa, airside, under 12 hours → not required under the rule as written, but officials and airlines apply it unevenly. Carry the certificate if you have one, and keep connections short. For the connection detail itself, see Nairobi to Zanzibar.
- A Kenya safari first, then Zanzibar → you are arriving from Kenya: certificate required, and airlines on that route may request it at check-in.
- Uganda or Ethiopia first → same: certificate required.
- A Tanzania safari first → nothing changes; you are already in the country.
For the vaccine itself, timing and what it means for other East African trips, see Health in Zanzibar.
This is general information, not medical advice — consult a travel clinic.
The two other documents immigration requests
Insurance is needed for your first port of entry only: the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation certificate if you land on the island first, or the National Insurance Corporation certificate if you land on the mainland first, for example after a safari. Price and detail are on the mandatory insurance page; keep the certificate on your phone.
Key facts
Visa: Tanzanian visa valid for Zanzibar; no separate Zanzibar visa. Fee: US$50 single-entry (UK, most EU) · US$100 (USA, Ireland), where the entry type differs by source: single-entry on arrival per GOV.UK, 12-month multiple-entry per Tanzania Immigration · transit US$30. How: e-visa on eservices.immigration.go.tz (3–10 working days) or on arrival at ZNZ, paid in clean USD printed in 2013 or later. Passport: 6 months' validity, one blank page. Yellow fever: certificate only if arriving from, or transiting 12 h+ in, a risk country; Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia are on the Tanzanian list; sources disagree on Rwanda and on the transit threshold. Insurance: one certificate, for your first port of entry: Zanzibar (ZIC) if you land on the island first, mainland (NIC) if you land on the mainland first. From the mainland: Zanzibar immigration checks passport and insurance; no second visa. Current as of: read against GOV.UK on 7 Oct 2026; other sources as listed in the claims table.
Planning it with Nobu
A travel designer can send a dated entry note for your passports and exact flights, covering the visa route, the fee and whether your transit triggers the yellow-fever rule. A London–Doha–Zanzibar honeymoon and a Nairobi–Mara–Zanzibar family trip get different answers, so the rules are worked through against your own routing before you fly.
Is it right for you?
Flying direct or via the Gulf on a UK or EU passport → apply for the e-visa well before you fly, or take it on arrival with US$50 in cash; no yellow-fever certificate needed. US passport → the same, at US$100. Combining Kenya and Zanzibar → get vaccinated and carry the certificate; the alternative is a problem at check-in. Transiting Nairobi or Addis → keep it under 12 hours and airside, and carry the card if you have it. Relying on the visa on arrival is a poor plan for a long-haul landing, a family with small children or a tight connection, where the queue and card machines can cost you the day. Travelling on a passport outside the UK, EU or US → ask us; the referral list and fee schedule differ.
Journeys to consider
- Shores of Zanzibar — direct to the island; the simplest entry case. → See the Shores of Zanzibar journey
- Southern Safari & Spice — one visa for mainland and island; the Zanzibar desk is a check, not a second application. → See the Southern Safari & Spice journey
- Bush to Beach — the Kenyan-coast alternative, which avoids the Tanzania visa altogether; Kenya's eTA is a separate requirement for the Kenya leg. Since 5 October 2026 the eTA application also includes compulsory travel health insurance; check the price and cover on the official portal when you apply. → See the Bush to Beach journey