Tanzania Passport Application: Fees, Documents and How to Apply

Most people only think about their Tanzania passport once a trip is already booked, and then they're caught out that the fee doesn't come in one payment. Apply from inside Tanzania and an ordinary passport costs TSH 150,000 in total. Apply through a Tanzanian embassy abroad and it's a flat USD 90.

Service and diplomatic passports cost exactly the same as an ordinary one, so the real differences are in who qualifies and which extra letter you need to attach. Below is the full fee table, the documents Immigration asks for, and how the two-part payment works.

How much does a Tanzania passport cost?

An ordinary, service or diplomatic passport applied for inside Tanzania costs TSH 150,000 in total: TSH 20,000 when you fill in the form online, then TSH 130,000 when you submit your documents. Apply through a Tanzanian embassy abroad instead, and you pay a single USD 90, checked on Immigration's own fee page in November 2026.

Source: Tanzania Immigration Services Department's service fees page and its passport application fee notice, checked November 2026.

If you only remember one figure, make it this: TSH 150,000, or USD 90 abroad, covers an ordinary, service or diplomatic passport. The smaller fees in the table are for emergency and replacement travel documents, not a full passport booklet.

Ordinary, service or diplomatic: which one do you need?

Almost everyone applying for a Tanzania passport wants the ordinary one. It's open to any citizen, it's valid for 10 years, and it covers every country you'd want to travel to.

A service passport is for people entitled to one under the Tanzania Passports and Travel Documents Act, Cap 42, typically government employees travelling on official business. You'll also need an introduction letter from Utumishi Kuu (the Public Service Management office).

A diplomatic passport goes to diplomats and other designated state officials, backed by an introduction letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

Since all three cost the same TSH 150,000, there's no financial reason to pick service or diplomatic over ordinary. If nobody at your employer or ministry has told you to apply for one of those, you want the ordinary passport.

What documents do you need?

Every Tanzania passport application needs your birth certificate or affidavit of birth, your parent's birth certificate or naturalisation certificate, your National ID card from NIDA, one recent passport photo, and proof of why you're travelling. Anyone under 18 needs written consent from a parent or guardian too.

In full, Immigration asks for:

1. Your birth certificate, or an affidavit of birth if you don't have one.
2. Your parent's birth certificate, affidavit of birth, or certificate of naturalisation.
3. Your National ID card issued by NIDA. Check your NIDA number first if you're not sure your card is active; a suspended NIN can hold up your application.
4. One recent, clear passport-size photo, uploaded when you fill in the form online.
5. Proof of why you're travelling, which depends on the reason for your trip.
6. For applicants under 18, written consent from a parent or legal guardian, who must accompany the applicant.

Extra documents by reason for travel

Immigration asks for a different supporting document depending on why you're going:

Immigration can still ask for more documents than this list if your case needs it.

How to apply for a Tanzania passport online

1. Fill in the application form on Immigration's e-Immigration portal and choose your passport type.
2. Pay the TSH 20,000 advance (or the full USD 90 if you're applying through an embassy abroad) using the GePG control number the portal gives you. You can pay at a bank, by card, or through mobile money such as Airtel Money or Mixx by Yas; check what your network charges for a bill payment of that size on our Tanzania mobile money charges calculator before you choose a channel.
3. Print the completed form.
4. Take the printed form and your original documents to the nearest regional immigration office, Immigration Headquarters in Dodoma, the Zanzibar office, or your nearest Tanzanian embassy if you're abroad.
5. Pay the remaining TSH 130,000 balance when you submit your application. If you applied through an embassy, you're already done, since the USD 90 covers everything.

Immigration's own pages don't publish a fixed number of days for how long processing takes. Ask the officer at submission when to expect your passport, and keep your receipt and control number until you collect it.

Lost, stolen or damaged: replacing your Tanzania passport

Replacing a passport you've lost, had stolen, or damaged inside Tanzania needs more paperwork than a first-time application, and Immigration's pages don't list a separate, lower fee for it, so budget for the same TSH 150,000.

You'll need:

• A police loss report.
• A copy of a newspaper advertisement about the loss.
• A letter explaining the circumstances, addressed to the Commissioner General of Immigration, P.O. Box 1181, Dodoma.
• A sworn declaration describing how the passport was lost, stolen or damaged.
• Your birth certificate (or affidavit of birth) and your parent's birth certificate, affidavit, or naturalisation certificate.
• Evidence of your planned trip.
• One recent photo with a light blue background.

If your passport was lost outside Tanzania, you'll first need the Emergency Travel Document your embassy issues to get you home, then apply for a replacement once you're back. If it was burnt, you'll also need an introduction letter from your Ward Executive Office chairman and a report from the Fire Brigade and Rescue Force.

Losing your passport while applying through an embassy abroad costs more than a normal application: the control number for a lost-case replacement is USD 265, against the usual USD 90.

Mistakes that delay a Tanzania passport application

• Treating your NIDA number as optional. Immigration wants the physical National ID card, and a suspended or incorrect NIN will stall your passport application until NIDA sorts it out. Confirm your NIN is active before you start.
• Paying only the TSH 20,000 and assuming you're done. That's just the advance for filling in the form online. The TSH 130,000 balance is paid in person, when you submit your documents.
• Missing the extra document for your reason for travel. A business trip without your TIN, or a study trip without an admission letter, gets your file sent back.
• Forgetting guardian consent for a minor. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian to accompany them and sign off on the trip.
• Paying extra to a middleman or cyber café "for speed." The government fee is fixed at TSH 150,000 or USD 90. Anything charged on top of that for "help" with the form is a mark-up, not an official cost.
• Expecting same-day collection. Immigration doesn't publish a guaranteed turnaround, so apply with weeks of buffer before any booked trip, not days.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Tanzania passport cost?

TSH 150,000 in total if you apply inside the country: TSH 20,000 when you fill in the form, TSH 130,000 when you submit it. Apply through a Tanzanian embassy abroad and it's a flat USD 90. Ordinary, service and diplomatic passports all cost the same.

How long is a Tanzania ordinary passport valid?

Ten years, according to Immigration's own passport overview. Service and diplomatic passports aren't given a published validity period on the same page, so confirm that with the office issuing yours.

What documents do I need for a Tanzania passport application?

Your birth certificate or affidavit of birth, your parent's birth certificate or naturalisation certificate, your NIDA-issued National ID card, a recent passport photo, and proof of why you're travelling. Anyone under 18 needs written consent from a parent or guardian.

Can I apply for a Tanzania passport from outside the country?

Yes. Fill in the form online, then pay USD 90 in full through the GePG control number your embassy or High Commission gives you. If you're replacing a passport you lost while abroad, that control number rises to USD 265.

How do I pay the Tanzania passport fee?

Through a GePG control number, generated once you fill in the application online. You can settle it at a bank, by card, or through mobile money such as Airtel Money or Mixx by Yas, the same way you'd pay other government bills in Tanzania.

Does a service or diplomatic passport cost more than an ordinary one?

No. Immigration's fee matrix charges all three the same TSH 150,000, or USD 90 abroad. What's different is who qualifies: a service passport needs an introduction letter from Utumishi Kuu, and a diplomatic one needs a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.