Are you planning a trip to Tanzania? Make sure you are well-prepared. Reading this article will help you with that. It describes how to apply for your Tanzania visa, which travel documents you need and which items you should include in your travel pharmacy.

First step: Tanzania visa application

To be able to travel to Tanzania, you will have to make a number of arrangements in advance, including booking flights and accommodation, possibly taking out travel and cancellation insurance and maybe applying for an international driving licence. If you wish to rent a car in Tanzania, you will need to be able to show the latter together with your national driving licence. Applying for a visa is no less important. Without a visa, you will not be able to enter the country. Applying for a Tanzania visa is fairly simple and can be done from home.

First, you must fill out an online application form. Then, you pay the fee of £84.95 per person. There are no consular fees, service charges or taxes added. After uploading the required documents, your application is first checked by one of our visa specialists. If everything is in order, the application will be processed by the Tanzania immigration service. The single-entry visa has a validity of 90 days from the moment of approval.

Travel documents and other necessities

Firstly, make sure your passport has sufficient remaining validity. It must be valid for at least 6 more months after your arrival in Tanzania. Take the same passport with you when you travel that you used to apply for your visa. This is because the Tanzania visa is electronically linked to it. Despite the fact that check-in counters at airports often only ask for the passport, it is advised also printing the flight tickets.

For security reasons, the use of debit cards in countries outside Europe is disabled by default. In order to be able to withdraw money or pay with your debit card in Tanzania, you will first have to contact your bank to activate your card for use outside Europe. You can often activate this function yourself using the bank’s mobile app or on your bank’s website. There are places in Tanzania where credit cards are not accepted, so make sure you carry both types of payment cards.

Tanzania travel pharmacy

Standard travel pharmacy

In case you should get hurt or fall ill while on holiday in Tanzania, it is handy to have a travel pharmacy with you. But what should it contain? Regardless of your travel plans, it is advised always carrying plasters of various sizes, blister plasters, ointment against scrapes and burns and against allergic reactions, tweezers, disposable gloves, disinfectant, sterile gauze bandages, pressure bandages and scissors.

A travel pharmacy often contains more than a normal first aid kit. It is also a good idea to take insect-repellent and insect-bite protectants (such as DEET and, for example, a pair of tick’s nippers). It can also be useful to have a thermometer with you and a cream to help with sore muscles, bruises or sprains. Sun cream, after-sun lotion and sunglasses are also essential.

Additional requirements for a holiday in Tanzania

It is not always easy to get the right medicines abroad. This may be due to the language barrier, but it can also happen that the desired medicine is not in stock or that there is no pharmacy nearby. The quality of medicines is not always guaranteed, especially in certain African countries; there are many counterfeits on the market. In addition to your vaccination booklet and medicines, take painkillers with you. Before you leave, discuss with your doctor which precautions (and possibly vaccinations) you should take in view of your personal situation, and check whether the medicines you wish to take with you meet the requirements for the free import of medicines into Tanzania.

What else you need in your travel pharmacy differs per destination.There is an increased risk of malaria, especially in the lower-lying areas of Tanzania. Malaria pills, which have to be prescribed by a doctor, can therefore be very useful here. The disease can be cured if treatment is started in time. In case of symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and headaches, consult a doctor immediately. There are also different types of snakes in Tanzania. Pack a snakebite remedy and wear high shoes and long trousers when travelling in Tanzania.

Please note: this news article about the visa for Tanzania is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Tanzania.