Travel Information

Passports & Visas: A passport is required that is valid for six months after your date of departure. At least three clean pages are advisable.

A visa is required by most international travelers for entry into Tanzania. For most overseas travellers, including those of the US, a visa is required to enter Tanzania. Theoretically all citizens of commonwealth countries, with the exception for the UK, India and Nigeria are visa exempt.

A single entry tourist visa can be obtained at your port of entry. It usually costs the equivalent of US$50. If you feel inclined you can get your visa ahead of time at your nearest Tanzanian Embassy, but this is not strictly necessary. It is a great idea to travel with a handful of passport type ID photographs, since sometimes these are required and sometimes not. They are always very useful to have. For anything other than a single entry tourist visa, for example a multiple entry or business, is required you will need to apply for this before travel. You will only need a transit visa if you move from one port of entry/exit to another. For international flight transfer these are not required.

Visa application form

Credit Cards & ATMs: Credit cards are widely accepted in the mid to upper range accommodation sector, and in mainstream shops and restaurants, but when traveling remotely it is advisable to carry cash, ATM machines are confined ot the main cities, and are not a reliable option generally.

Changing Money: There is a minimal advantage to changing on the street. Street deals are risky, and Tanzanian fraudsters are extremely slick. Money changers congregate at borders and transit points, and if you use one of these make sure you carefully observe the transaction and count your change. Never accept cash slipped into an envelope. This will almost always turn out to be newspaper cuttings.

Religion: Islam and Christianity. Traditional animist belief merge with both, and in some instances are untouched by either. Islam is particularly strong along the coast and is prevalent among the Swahili. Christianity is more common inland.

Politics: Tanzania is a representative democracy with a unicameral national assembly with members elected alongside a national president every 5 years. The president elects a prime minister who serves as government’s leader in the national assembly. Zanzibar exists as part of Tanzania but enjoys a considerable degree of independence. Laws passed by the national assembly are valid for Zanzibar only in specific areas.

The Tanzanian judiciary combined the jurisdiction of tribal, Islamic and British Common Law.

Ex-colonial Power: Germany/Britain

Sport: Soccer is the largest spectator sport in the country, although residual interest in rugby and cricket remain from the colonial period.

Food: The staple food is Ugali, or Posho, which is a stiff cornmeal porridge eaten with various meat or vegetable relishes. Tea is very popular. Coastal influences lend more spice to food, and very popular are various kinds styles of Indian food.

Holidays and Festivals:

New Year’s Day, January 1

Eid el Haj, January 21

Union Day, April 26

Saba Saba, July 7

Independence Day, December 9.

Christmas, December 25

Kiswahili Greetings:

Jambo (Hello)

Hujambo? (How are you?)

Sijambo. (I am fine.)

Jina langu ni … (My name is …)

Ahsante. (Thank you.)

Kwa kheri (Goodbye)

Bei gani? (How much is this?)

Demographics: The population of Tanzania is overwhelmingly of Bantu origin, with some 126 ethnic groups sharing the nation. Strong Arabic/Swahili influence is evident along the coast on the islands.

Belguim: 363 Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. Tel.: +32 2 640 6500/640 6527, Fax: +32 2 646 8026, Telex: (046) 63616, E-mail: tanzania@skynet.be

Canada: 50 Range Road, Ottawa, Ontario KIN 8J4, Canada. Tel.: +1 613 232 1500 /1509, Fax: +1 613 232 5184, Telex: (021) 533569, E-mail: tzottawa@synapse.net

China: No. 53 Dong Liu Jie, Beijing(Peking), China. Tel.: +86 10 5321491, 5321719, Fax: +86 10 5324985, Telex: 22749, E-mail: tzbejing@info.iuol.cn.net

Congo: 142 Boulevard 30 Jin B. P. 1612, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Tel.: +242 34364, Telex: (0982) 21400

Egypt: Abdel Hamid Loutfy, Street, Dokki Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt. Tel.: +20 2 704155, 704286, Telex: (091)) 23537, E-mail: tanrepcairo@infinity.com.eg

Ethiopia: P. O. Box 1077, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tel.: +251 1 518155, Fax: +251 1 517358, Telex: (0980) 21268, E-mail: tanzania@addisababa_serverl.telecom.net.et

France: 13 Avenue Raymond, Pointcare, 75116 Paris, France. Tel.: +33 1 4755 0546 , Fax: +33 1 5370 6366 E-mail: tanzanie@infonie.fr

Germany: Theaterplatz 26, 53177 Bonn, Germany. Tel.: +49 228 358051-54, Fax: +49 228 358226, Telex: (041) 885569

India: 10/1 Sarv Priya Vihar, New Delhi 110016, India. Tel.: +91 11 6853046/7
Fax: +91 11 696408, E-mail: tanzrep@del2.vsnl.net.in

Italy: 9, Via Giambattista Vico, 00196, Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 36005234 ,
E-mail: tanzarep@pcg.it

Japan: 21-9, Kamiyoga 4, Chome Setagaya -Ku, Tokyo 158, Japan. Tel: +81 3 425 4531/3, Fax: +81 3 425 7844, Telex: (072) 122121, E-mail: tzrepjp@japan.co.jp

Kenya: Continental House, Harambee Avenue/Uhuru Highway, P. O. Box 47790, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel.: +254 2 331056/7, 331104, Fax: +254 2 721874, Telex: 25351, E-mail: tanzania@users.africaonline.co.ke

Mozambique: Ujamaa House, P. O. Box 4515, Maputo, Mozambique. Tel.: +258 1 490110, 490112/13, Fax: Telex: (0992) 6295 E-mail: safina@zebra.uem.mz

Nigeria: 8 Agoro Odiyan Street, Victoria Island, P .O. Box 6417 Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. +234 1 613594 , 613604, Fax: +234 1 618 908

Russia: Pyatnitskaya, Ulitsa 33, Moscow, Russia. Tel.: +7 096 231 8126, 231 5431, Fax: +7 096 230 2968, Telex: (064) 413352, E-mail: tanmos@wm.west-call.com

Rwanda: 15 avenue Paul VI, B.P. 3973, Kigali, Rwanda. E-mail: tanzarep@rwandatell.rwandal.com

Saudi Arabia: P. O. Box 94320, Riyadh 11693, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 1 04542839, 4542833, (0495) 406811, Fax: +966 1 454 9660, E-mail: tanzania@mail.gcc.com.bh

South Africa: P. O. Box 56572, Arcadia, 0007, Pretoria, South Africa. Tel.: +27 12 3424371/93, Fax: +27 12 434 383, E-mail: tanzania@cis.co.za

Sweden: Oxtorgsgatan 2 – 4, Box 7255, 103-89, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 244870, Fax: +46 8 109815, Tel.: (054) 10514, E-mail: mailbox@tanemb.se

Switzerland: 47 Avenue Blanc, CH, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel. +41 22 731 8920 , Fax: +41 22 732 8255, Tel.: (045) 412661, E-mail: mission.tanzania@itu.ch

Uganda: 6 Kagera Road, P. O. 5750, Kampala, Uganda. Tel: +256 41 256272
Telex: +256 41 61062, E-mail: tzrepkla@imul.com

UK: 3 Stratford Place, London, W1C 1AS. Tel.: +44 207 499 8951 & 491 3600
Fax: +44 207 491 9321

USA: 205 East 42nd St., New York City, N.Y. 10017, USA. Tel.: +1 212 972 9160,
(023) 234702, Fax: +1 212 682 5232, E-mail: tzrepny@aol.com

USA: 2139 R. Street, Washington D. C. 20008 U .S. A. Tel: +1 202 9939 6129
Fax: +1 202 797 7408, Telex: (032) 64213, website

Zambia: Ujamaa House, No,5200, United Nations Avenue, P. O. Box 31219, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia. Tel: +260 1 227698/227702, Fax: +260 1 254861, E-mail: tzreplsk@zamnet.zm

Zimbabwe: Ujamaa House, 23 Baines Avenue Harare, Zimbabwe. Tel: +263 4 721870, Fax: (0907) 24557, E-mail: tanrep@icon.co.zw