Nigerians no longer need special visa to travel to Tanzania

Nigerians going to Tanzania won't need extra immigration checks anymore. Tanzania has removed Nigeria from its “referral visa” category.

The Tanzania Immigration Department shared this news in a statement last Friday. They confirmed that Nigerian nationals have been officially taken out of the Referred Visa category.

The department stated this change follows updates to its immigration rules. “The Immigration Department informs the public that citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have been officially removed from the Referred Visa Category, following published amendments in the Government Gazette number 246 of 2026,” the statement said.

This means Nigerians only need to get a visa for travel. They will not have to get any extra clearance.

The department said this new rule starts immediately. “With immediate effect, Nigerian nationals traveling to the United Republic of Tanzania are no longer subject to referral visa restrictions and will follow standard visa application procedures through the official immigration online portal or designated entry points,” they added.

This update should make it easier for Nigerians to travel to Tanzania for tourism, business, school, or other allowed reasons.

Tanzania's referral visa system usually requires extra clearance for foreigners from certain countries. Besides Nigeria, there are 27 other countries on this list.

People from these countries cannot use the usual visa-on-arrival process. They must apply ahead of time and wait for approval before they can travel.

Countries included in this list are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Lebanon.

Others on the list are Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Somaliland, Sierra Leone, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.