Required Documents for a Tanzania eVisa

Quick Checklist: Core Documents Everyone Needs

Regardless of your visa category, every Tanzania eVisa application requires:

• A clear scanned copy of your passport's biographic (photo) page
• A recent digital passport-style photograph that meets the official specifications
• Proof of a return or onward travel ticket
• A fully completed online application form
• Payment of the applicable visa fee by card

These five items form the baseline. From here, the exact supporting paperwork depends on why you're travelling and which visa category you're applying under.

Documents for the Standard Tourist (Ordinary) eVisa

If you're applying for the Ordinary Visa - the category most leisure travellers, safari-goers, and people visiting Zanzibar use - the core checklist above is generally sufficient. You won't usually need to prove your itinerary in detail, but it's good practice to have your accommodation booking and a rough day-by-day plan on hand in case an immigration officer asks for it at the port of entry, even though it isn't a formal upload requirement on the application form itself.

How the Document List Changes by Visa Category

Beyond the core checklist, several visa categories require extra paperwork:

• Business Visa - a letter or contract confirming the business assignment, audit, or feasibility study you're undertaking in Tanzania, often alongside a letter from the host company.
• Multiple-Entry Visa - the extra document depends on your reason for applying. U.S. citizens travelling for tourism don't need anything beyond the core checklist since the category itself is mandatory for them, but applicants visiting family need proof of relationship (such as a marriage or birth certificate), and non-resident company directors need a BRELA company search document confirming their directorship.
• Referral Category applications - a detailed trip itinerary in place of a confirmed ticket (since booking flights before approval isn't advisable), and in many cases an invitation or application letter addressed to the Commissioner General of Immigration.
• Student Visa - an admission or enrolment letter from the Tanzanian institution, along with proof of sponsorship or funding for the course.
• Transit Visa - proof of onward travel to your final destination, since a transit visa is only valid for passing through Tanzania rather than staying.

For a full breakdown of these category-specific documents, see our dedicated guide to Supporting Documents for a Tanzania eVisa.

Document Format and Upload Guidelines

When preparing your files for upload, keep a few practical points in mind:

• Scans should be clear, legible, and in colour where the original document is in colour - a blurry or partial scan of your passport page is one of the most avoidable causes of processing delays.
• Documents should be uploaded in the file format the portal specifies at each step (typically JPG or PDF); check the exact accepted format and size limit shown on the upload field itself, since this can vary slightly by document type.
• Your passport photo has its own strict specifications (dimensions, background, and file size) - covered in full on our Photograph Requirements page, since this is the document most likely to cause a rejection if done incorrectly.
• Every detail on your uploaded documents must match what you enter on the application form exactly. A mismatched name, date, or passport number between your documents and your form entry is a common - and entirely preventable - cause of delay.

Common Documentation Mistakes to Avoid

• Uploading an expired or soon-to-expire passport scan instead of a currently valid one
• Submitting a passport photo that doesn't meet the plain-background and sizing rules
• Leaving out a required supporting document for your specific visa category (for example, a U.S. applicant selecting the wrong visa type, or a business traveller not including a company letter)
• Providing a return ticket booking that doesn't match the travel dates entered on the form
• Submitting documents in a language other than English or Swahili without a certified translation, where applicable

What Happens If a Document Is Missing or Incorrect

Since the Tanzania eVisa system does not allow edits after submission, an incomplete or incorrect document set typically means the application is delayed while the reviewing officer requests clarification, or in some cases rejected outright, requiring a fresh application and a new fee payment. Reviewing your document checklist carefully before you submit - ideally against your specific visa category rather than the general list - is by far the most effective way to avoid this.