Visa Advice

As stated in the Travel Manual, Volunteer Africa organises Visa Exemption Certificates (VECs) for each volunteer.

This was a normal (and a smooth) practice until recently when the Tanzanian Government changed the regulations for issuing the VECs requiring Volunteer Africa to become registered NGO in Tanzania (in addition to us being registered in the UK) before Immigration are allowed to issue our volunteers with VECs.

Our application to register in Tanzania was submitted to the government over a year ago. We have been told every month for the past year that it is about to be approved but it is still held up in one government ministry. A lot of time has been spent chasing this up by ourselves and our Tanzanian colleagues.

Each month we expect to receive it but this is turning into an ongoing saga. Hence we have taken the decision to change our advice to volunteers as we can no longer rely on the VECs being issued. All the volunteers from this year have already entered on tourist visas.

Still send in all your visa documentation (4 passport photos, 2 passport copies, resume/CV) just in case the approval comes through but what we are doing in the meantime is getting volunteers in on tourist visas.

Tourist visas are bought on arrival at Dar Es Salaam airport.

DO NOT OBTAIN ONE IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY IN CASE THE VECS COME THROUGH.

Tourist visas usually cost US$50 so please budget and take this amount in US$ notes/bills. The good news for Irish passport holders is that you get in for free!

Tourist Visas are valid for a maximum of 90 days from the date you enter Tanzania. Therefore please do not arrive more than 1-2 days before the programme start date.

If you are planning to travel after volunteering beyond 90 days there are two ways you can extend your stay;
1. exiting and reentering Tanzania such as crossing into Kenya for a day
2. going to immigration office in Dar Es Salaam before your visa expires and asking for an extension. If provided there is a charge and there is no guarantee that one will be provided.

There is alot of information to take in here. It looks worse written down than it actually is! Basically you turn up at Dar airport and buy a tourist visa. (All this information will be repeated in your final arrival instructions email one month before your departure date).