A Tanzania visa is required for citizens of Azerbaijan, but it is one of Africa’s simplest visas. The online eVisa costs 50 dollars and is valid for 90 days.
The Zanzibar coast and the Serengeti safari have grown popular in recent years among those travelling from Azerbaijan. What confuses people, though, is not the visa but the compulsory insurance Zanzibar has applied since 2024. Even if you have your own insurance, you have to buy the government’s insurance separately when you enter the island.
In this article we explain the eVisa conditions, the visa-at-the-border option, the Zanzibar insurance, the yellow fever question and the flight options from Baku to Zanzibar.
Tanzania visa: brief facts
| Visa type | Online eVisa, ordinary tourist visa |
| Fee | 50 dollars single entry, 100 dollars multiple entry |
| Validity | Up to 90 days |
| Answer time | Up to 10 working days, usually 3–5 days |
| Zanzibar | The same visa, plus compulsory insurance of 44 dollars |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months |
| Direct flight | None, via Doha, Dubai or Istanbul |
How is the Tanzania visa obtained online?
The application is made on the official portal of the Tanzania Immigration Service: you fill in the form, upload a passport scan, a photo, the return ticket and the hotel booking, and pay the fee by card. The answer comes by email and the printed confirmation is shown at the border. The official address is the eVisa portal of the Tanzania Immigration Service; intermediary sites sell the same visa for 100–150 dollars. The official processing time is 10 working days, so apply at least 2–3 weeks before the trip.
Zanzibar is an autonomous part of Tanzania and the same visa is valid there; entering by ferry from Dar es Salaam or through Zanzibar airport needs no separate visa, but the passport is checked again.
Can the visa be obtained at the border?
Yes, a visa is issued at the border at Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar airports, the fee is the same 50 dollars and it is paid in cash. But the queue is long, the system sometimes does not work, and airlines are reluctant to let a passenger without a visa confirmation onto the plane. The eVisa is the more reliable way, and the visa at the border is a fallback.
Zanzibar insurance and yellow fever
From October 2024 every foreign tourist arriving in Zanzibar has to buy the government’s official travel insurance: 44 dollars, valid up to 92 days, bought on the online portal or at the airport. Having your own insurance does not cancel this requirement. The yellow fever vaccination, meanwhile, is required only of those arriving from a country where yellow fever is present; it does not apply to people flying from Baku via Doha or Istanbul, but it does apply to those crossing overland from Kenya. Malaria prophylaxis should be discussed with a doctor.
Read next: Kenya has no visa, it has an eTA: online permission for a safari in 72 hours
How do you fly from Baku to Zanzibar?
There is no direct flight. People fly to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam with Qatar Airways via Doha, with Emirates and flydubai via Dubai and with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, and the whole journey takes 11–14 hours. For a safari, Kilimanjaro airport is more convenient. Ticket prices to Zanzibar rise sharply in December-January and over the Novruz holiday, while June and October are good value months.
The classic route is a combination of safari and coast: Arusha, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, then Zanzibar. Zanzibar tour programmes are usually 7–10 days, with the visa and the island insurance included in the package.
Points to know before the trip
- Season. June–October is the dry season and the best time for a safari; March–May is the rainy season. For Zanzibar, December–February and June–October are good.
- Money. The Tanzanian shilling; dollars are accepted everywhere, and they want notes issued from 2009 onwards.
- Plastic bags. They are banned in Tanzania; do not carry a plastic bag in your luggage, there is a fine at the border.
- Medicines. Take malaria tablets, sun cream and mosquito spray.
- Insurance. The Zanzibar insurance is minimal; for a safari take separate insurance covering evacuation.
Frequently asked questions about the Tanzania visa
Can you cross into Kenya and come back on a Tanzania visa?
You cannot leave and return on a single-entry visa; you need a multiple-entry one. For Kenya a separate eTA is obtained.
Where is the Zanzibar insurance bought?
Online on the official insurance portal of the Zanzibar government, or at Zanzibar airport on arrival. Buying online shortens the queue.
Is the visa free for children?
No, a separate eVisa is obtained for every child and the fee is the same; the Zanzibar insurance is also required at every age.
In closing
The Tanzania visa is a 50-dollar online eVisa; the main subtleties are allowing for the 10-day processing time and not forgetting the Zanzibar insurance. The Viza.az team helps with the eVisa application, buying the island insurance and planning the safari–Zanzibar route.
You can read more about the Tanzania destination and the service fees or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is as of the publication date. The fees and the insurance rules can change, so look at the official portal once more before the trip.
