Tanzania Passport Application: Requirements, Fees, Types & Processing Time (2026)

TL;DR

• Who can apply: Tanzanian citizens only (Tanzania does not recognize dual citizenship for adults).
• Cost: TZS 150,000 within Tanzania; $90 through embassies abroad. Losing it is expensive: TZS 500,000 to replace.
• Fastest route: Apply online at eservices.immigration.go.tz, pay via control number, then submit documents and biometrics in one immigration office visit.
• Validity: 10 years (ordinary passport). No page additions — full pages mean a new passport.
• Official processing: about 14 days. Realistic: 2 weeks to 3 months. Never book travel against a pending passport.

What the Tanzanian Passport Is Now

Since 2018, Tanzania issues only the biometric e-passport in the East African Community format — a chip-embedded, ICAO-compliant travel document storing your fingerprints, photo, and digital signature. All old machine-readable passports have been phased out; if you still hold one, you need a new e-passport before any international travel. Passports are issued by the Immigration Services Department under the Tanzania Passports and Travel Documents Act (Cap 42).

A passport is also the one Tanzanian ID that works internationally — many people apply with no travel plans at all, simply to verify accounts on platforms that accept only passports.

Scope note: applications are handled at Immigration regional offices, Immigration Headquarters, and the Zanzibar main office. This guide follows the mainland process; Zanzibar applicants use the same national system through the Zanzibar office.

Types of Passports and Travel Documents

Ordinary passport (pasipoti ya kawaida) — sky blue, valid 10 years, valid for all countries. This is what 99% of applicants need, and what the rest of this guide covers.

Service passport — green, valid 5 years, issued to government leaders specified under Cap 42. Surrendered when the holder leaves office.

Diplomatic passport — red, valid 5 years, for officials entitled under Cap 42. Also surrendered on leaving office; the holder then travels on an ordinary passport.

Three related travel documents exist for special situations:

• Emergency Travel Document (ETD) — TZS 20,000 in-country, about $20 abroad. Issued within 24 hours at any regional or district immigration office for genuine emergencies (medical travel, bereavement, stranded citizens). Valid for one trip only; you surrender it to an immigration officer on return.
• Certificate of Identity — TZS 10,000. For non-citizens in Tanzania who cannot obtain a passport from their country of origin or are stateless.
• Geneva Convention Travel Document — for refugees granted asylum, issued at Immigration HQ or the Zanzibar main office after confirmation from the Refugee Department. This and the Certificate of Identity are the only two that cannot be applied for online.

Who Can Apply

• Tanzanian citizens aged 18+ — by birth, descent, or naturalization.
• Minors under 18: a parent or legal guardian must accompany the child at submission and provide written consent for travel abroad. Tanzanians abroad are advised to apply for passports for their children born overseas, provided at least one parent still holds Tanzanian citizenship.
• Caution: Tanzania does not recognize dual citizenship for adults. Acquiring another nationality means ceasing to be a Tanzanian citizen — and the Commissioner General can revoke a passport on exactly that ground.

Requirements: Documents You Need

• Birth certificate (cheti cha kuzaliwa) or affidavit of birth — or certificate of naturalization if you are a citizen by naturalization
• Birth certificate, affidavit, or naturalization certificate of a parent (or both parents)
• NIDA National ID or NIN — no NIDA, no passport; sort that first (see our NIDA guide)
• Copy of a parent’s passport, if a parent has one
• One recent passport-size photo, clear, on a white or sea-blue background
• An application letter, plus proof supporting your purpose of travel: employer’s letter for workers, business licence for traders, admission letter for students, medical referral for treatment abroad — or a letter from your Ward Executive Officer if unemployed
• Old passport, if you have ever held one
• If your names differ across documents: an affidavit or registered deed poll resolving the mismatch (the same fix described in our NIDA guide)

The printed application form has two sections people miss: guarantors (section 7 — people who can vouch for you and be contacted in case of problems) and a legal stamp (section 9 — signed and stamped by a magistrate, judge, advocate, or the Administrator-General). Advocates around immigration offices provide the stamp for roughly TZS 10,000.

Tanzania Passport Fees (2026)

Within Tanzania, payment splits into TZS 20,000 (application) and TZS 130,000 (passport fee), both via government control numbers paid through mobile money or bank. Abroad, the $90 covers both parts and is paid by card or bank transfer. Immigration’s own guidance is explicit: never hand cash to an officer to “pay on your behalf.”

Budget realism: between the legal stamp, copies, photos, and transport for two or more office trips, plan for around TZS 200,000 total even though the government fee is 150,000.

The most expensive mistakes. Two errors cost you the entire fee with no refund: choosing the wrong application type online (new vs. renewal vs. lost — pay first, discover later), and submitting a form with wrong details that end up printed in the passport. A passport printed with your own typo means paying the full TZS 150,000 again for a correct one. Triple-check before paying, and remember you may correct the printed form by hand — ink pen, signed next to the change — any time before submission.

How to Apply for a Tanzania Passport Online

1. Go to https://eservices.immigration.go.tz and create an account.
2. Choose the correct application type: new (first passport, or replacing an old-format or full/expired passport), lost, or damaged. This choice determines your fee — get it right before paying.
3. Fill the form carefully in capital letters: personal details, old passport details if any, guarantors, and next-of-kin contacts.
4. Upload your photo and attachments.
5. Receive a control number and pay (mobile money or bank).
6. Print the form. Get section 9 stamped by an advocate or magistrate, and complete the guarantors section.
7. Submit the printed form with original documents at the nearest Regional Immigration Office, Immigration HQ (Dodoma), or the Zanzibar main office. Arrive early — 7:00 am is not an exaggeration in Dar es Salaam.
8. Attend a short interview about your application and travel purpose, then biometric capture: all ten fingerprints, digital photo, digital signature. Personal attendance is mandatory — nobody can do this step for you.
9. Wait for the collection notice, then collect in person with your receipt and ID.

Applying from abroad: fill the same online form, pay the $90 in full, then attend your nearest Tanzanian embassy or high commission in person for biometrics. The application is forwarded to Immigration in Tanzania for processing, so expect 6–12 weeks.

Processing Time: Official vs Reality

Officially, a passport takes about 14 days after biometrics. In practice, documented experiences range from two weeks to three months, with regional applicants waiting longer because passports are printed centrally and shipped to regions. Peak seasons stretch queues further.

Practical rules: apply months before any planned travel; treat the collection date you’re given as an estimate, and confirm by phone before travelling to collect — showing up to a passport that “hasn’t arrived yet” is a common and avoidable waste of a day. For true emergencies (medical evacuation, bereavement), the Emergency Travel Document exists precisely so you don’t have to bribe anyone to rush a passport.

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passport

A lost passport is treated seriously — and priced accordingly (TZS 500,000 first time, 750,000 second time). The process:

1. Report to police and obtain a Police Loss Report.
2. Announce the loss in two newspapers — one English, one Swahili.
3. Prepare a sworn legal declaration (tamko la kisheria) describing how the passport was lost.
4. Report the loss to Immigration: lostpassport@immigration.go.tz, or +255 262 323 542 / +255 262 323 532.
5. Apply afresh online under the “lost passport” category, pay, and attend an interview with the Passport Control Officer, who must be satisfied with the circumstances before a replacement is approved.

A damaged or burnt passport follows the normal application route (TZS 300,000) with one addition: you surrender the damaged passport when applying.

When Your Passport Can Be Revoked

The Commissioner General of Immigration can cancel a passport at any time if the holder:

• allows another person to use it;
• is deported or repatriated to Tanzania at government expense;
• ceases to be a Tanzanian citizen;
• engages in drug trafficking, money laundering, migrant smuggling, terrorism, or other illegal activity;
• or where national interest or security requires it.

Making false statements to obtain a passport is a criminal offence under the Penal Code. This matters for the guarantor section too — guarantors vouch with their own names.

Do You Need an Agent?

Less than for NIDA. The passport process is more centralized and the online portal does most of the navigation for you; biometrics and the interview require you in person regardless of who helps. Where assistance genuinely earns its fee: document preparation when your records have mismatched names, and the legal stamp logistics. The same vetting rules from our NIDA guide apply — registered firms or advocates only, government fees paid through control numbers in your own name, and walk away from anyone promising faster processing for cash. Reports of officials soliciting “facilitation” money exist; the correct response is the official complaint channels, not payment.

FAQ

How much is a Tanzanian passport? TZS 150,000 within Tanzania, $90 through embassies abroad. Replacing a lost passport costs TZS 500,000 the first time.

How long does it take? Officially around 14 days after biometrics; realistically two weeks to three months. Apply well before you need it.

How long is it valid? The ordinary passport is valid for 10 years. Service and diplomatic passports are valid for 5 years.

Can I renew online? Yes — the same eservices portal handles renewals, expired passports, and full passports, at the same fee as a new passport. There are no page additions; a full passport means a new one.

Can I apply without NIDA? No. The National ID (NIN) is a core requirement. Get NIDA first — see our guide.

I have dual citizenship — can I keep my Tanzanian passport? Tanzania does not recognize dual citizenship for adults. Acquiring another citizenship is grounds for passport revocation.

What’s the fastest option in an emergency? The Emergency Travel Document: TZS 20,000, issued within 24 hours at regional and district immigration offices, valid for a single emergency trip.

My child needs a passport — what’s different? A parent or legal guardian must attend submission with the child and provide written travel consent. Children of Tanzanians born abroad can apply through embassies if at least one parent remains a Tanzanian citizen.

Official Contacts

• Online application: eservices.immigration.go.tz
• Main site: immigration.go.tz
• Lost passports: lostpassport@immigration.go.tz, +255 262 323 542 / +255 262 323 532
• General: info@immigration.go.tz
• In person: Regional Immigration Offices countrywide, Immigration Headquarters (Dodoma), Zanzibar Main Office, or Tanzanian embassies abroad

Part of our Identifications in Tanzania series: NIDA · TIN · Residence Permits · Voter’s Card · Birth Certificate · Driving Licence.