Kilimanjaro – Don't Stop Living

visa at kilimanjaro airport — Getting a Tanzanian Visa at Kilimanjaro Airport

Being based in Hong Kong recently has been great for sorting out visas (I have got a Vietnamese, Myanmar, Chinese and North Korean all sorted in my time there). However I didn’t get my visa in advance for Tanzania, one of my recent trips. The main reason was time constraints, but also it’s the same price to get it on arrival. Here’s my advice on getting a Tanzanian Visa at Kilimanjaro Airport. I flew in from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

Getting a Tanzanian Visa at Kilimanjaro Airport

visa at kilimanjaro — You can get your visa on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport

Firstly, you’ll be in one of two situations when you land:

1. I Have A Visa.
2. I Don’t Have A Visa.
These two things are written on yellow signs in the arrivals and immigration area. If it’s number one, you can go straight through, once you have passed the Yellow Fever Certificate Check. If it’s number two, you need to fill in the form and join the queue. You’ll notice a massive queue if you don’t have a visa. Thanks to my travel buddy Raymond from Man on the Lam, for the amusing photo below. Yes, it really is like that!

visa queues at kilimanjaro — Thanks to Raymond from Man on the Lam for this photo which sums up the two queues on arrival in Kilimanjaro Airport!

You’ll Need Your Yellow Fever Certificate
So firstly make sure you have your Yellow Fever Certificate with you. They check them at the airport in Kilimanjaro. I got my Yellow Fever Certificate in Australia in 2010 and ALWAYS carry it. It’s a travel essential. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, you’re not completely screwed but it will cost you!! You tell them when and where you had your injection and they will charge you $20 or $30 US (depending on circumstances) for an on-the-spot new certificate issuance. If for some strange reason you haven’t even had your injection, then you need to get vaccinated in the airport. This will cost you $50 US and will take time. So please don’t forget to get vaccinated and carry your certificate with you. If you’re from Tanzania you will have to pay $20 US for an on the spot certificate and vaccination.

tanzania kilimanjaro airport yellow fever — Make sure you have your Yellow Fever Certificate on you – it will cost you otherwise!

Filling in the Blue Tanzanian Visa Immigration Form

tanzania visa form — Filling in the blue Tanzanian immigration form at Kilimanjaro Airport

After your Yellow Fever Certificate has been checked, you get the blue Tanzanian Visa Immigration form and fill it in. It’s easy to fill in – standard immigration form. After you have filled it in, head to booth number one and pay the visa fee. The visa fee is $50 US for most citizens, and $100 US for US citizens. That may be steep, but that’s the cost so pay it. Payment is ONLY in cash and in US Dollars. Euros and local currency would also be accepted, but trust me – pay in US Dollars. Then head to booth 2 to get your photo taken and the visa placed into your passport. The visa has a photo on it. You will also get your passport stamped at booth 2. Then head to booth 3 to get your fingerprints taken and you are good to go!

blue immigration form tanzania — The back of the blue immigration form. It takes just a few minutes to fill in.

So it’s a 6 Step Process when getting a Tanzanian Visa at Kilimanjaro Airport

1. Show your Yellow Fever Certificate
2. Fill in the Tanzanian Visa Immigration Form
3. Join the queue that says “I Don’t Have A Visa”
4. Pay $50 US (or $100 US if you’re from the USA) at Booth 1
5. Get your photo taken, passport stamped and visa placed in your passport at Booth 2
6. Get your fingerprints scanned.

tanzanian visa kilimanjaro — A deliberately blurred version of my Tanzanian Visa on arrival at Kilimanjaro

And that’s it – you’re in Tanzania!! You are there to enjoy this wonderful country. Be it climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, doing a safari, heading to Zanzibar or relaxing on a beach. I was in Tanzania as a guest of Shadows of Africa and would be on safari, as well as visiting a local school and an orphanage. So there you go – hope you enjoy my details on getting a Tanzanian Visa on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport. This is correct as of August 2013 by the way, and can change at any time.

giraffes in tanzania — So get your Tanzanian Visa and get up close and personal to giraffes!!

hong kong to addis ababa — Hong Kong to Addis Ababa to Kilimanjaro flights

If you read Don’t Stop Living in its early days, I used to just write about exactly what I was doing, and in some kind of logical order with no frills. And despite my more recent posts on tips, advice and visa issues etc., it’s time for a return to the “old school Don’t Stop Living”. So after a busy week in Myanmar and passing through Bangkok for the umpteenth time, I made my way to Hong Kong Airport for a new adventure. I was off to Africa again. But for only the second time. This time, I felt I was slightly more worldly, eager and inspired. I got to the airport 3 hours early. I needn’t have bothered as it took an hour to queue for my Ethiopian Airlines flight direct to Addis Ababa.

arrival in ethiopia — Welcome sign at Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia.

I hadn’t planned to go to Addis Ababa or Tanzania this year, but an opportunity came up and off I went. What lay ahead would be the Serengeti, the chance to visit local schools and check out some volunteer options as well as visiting an orphanage in Arusha in Tanzania. While Tanzania blew my mind, it would have to wait. I had a four hour layover in Ethiopia, and this time, I wouldn’t be leaving the airport.

Jonny Blair in Ethiopia — The first photo of me in Africa since 2011!! Just at Addis Ababa Airport though…

The flight was your normal one to Ethiopia. Full of buoyant Africans, but I ended up sitting beside the most annoying Chinese guy ever on the flight. This dude, from mainland China didn’t eat any of his meals and left them sitting for hours. He dug his elbow into me at every given opportunity as he fell asleep like some spoilt school kid who had never been on a plane before. I guessed he was about 46. I ordered a beer, curled myself up into a ball, read up on Ethiopia and fell asleep. Arrival in Addis Ababa was calm and efficient. It was surprisingly cold and misty.

bus transfer at addis ababa — Bus transfer at Addis Ababa Airport

I had to change terminals for my connecting flight and a bus escorted me from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. No visas or passport stamps were needed of course, I was in transit. Arrival at the small lounge in Ethiopia around 7am meant doing nothing for a few hours. With no internet, I could type up some blog posts offline and sort some of my travel photos. I opted for an ice cold St. George Beer, an Ethiopian special, for $3 US not too badly priced either for an airport beer and I enjoyed my first ever Ethiopian beer. Then I was joined by an Italian guy who I gladly went halters on breakfast and another beer with.

jonny blair beer ethiopia — With Fabio my “airport buddy” at Addis Ababa having some beer and food while waiting on our connections.

He was Fabio from Milano, a travelling man with a professional career too. While he was heading to the Kenyan coast and safari for 3 weeks, I would be heading to Tanzania for 6 days then back to Ethiopia. We chatted about AC Milan, his team of choice and as we parted ways, he headed for Mombasa in Kenya, while my latest adventure was taking me to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

over africa flying — Flying over African skies

My flight was slightly delayed and as I stared out at African clouds, my heart was beating at the thought I was back in Africa for the first time since 2011. Arrival in Kilimanjaro was fabulous, and strangely the flight was FULL of tourists. It was peak season for Safari, and I was there for the same reason. I was so excited at being a guest of Shadows of Africa and just pumping. We stepped off in Tanzania and Visa formalities were about to occur.

kilimanjaro airport — Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania! Visa time!

It was great to be back in Africa. Expect a ton more posts on this latest adventure when internet permits it!

Airports Visited – Hong Kong, Addis Ababa, Kilimanjaro

Strange Currencies – Hong Kong Dollars, US Dollars, Ethiopian Birr, Tanzanian Shillings

Nationalities Met – Ethiopian, Chinese, Hong Kongese, Tanzanian, Italian.

Key Song –

Red Hot Chili Peppers – ETHIOPIA:

Category: Kilimanjaro

Getting a Tanzanian Visa at Kilimanjaro Airport

Back in Africa: Hong Kong to Addis Ababa to Kilimanjaro