Julius Nyerere International Airport handles approximately 3.5 million passengers annually and sits 12 kilometers southwest of central Dar es Salaam. The airport expanded Terminal Three in 2019 to accommodate widebody aircraft on intercontinental routes. Kilimanjaro International Airport, serving Arusha and Moshi, operates 46 kilometers from each city on the Sanya Juu plateau at 896 meters elevation. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport on Unguja serves Zanzibar City and processes roughly 1.5 million passengers yearly. Mwanza Airport on the southern shore of Lake Victoria connects the western lake region with Dar es Salaam and regional destinations. Airlines operating direct long-haul routes into Tanzania include Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, Qatar Airways from Doha, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, KLM from Amsterdam, and Air Tanzania which resumed European service to Mumbai in 2022. Precision Air, a regional carrier partially owned by Kenya Airways until 2022, ceased operations in April 2023 after entering voluntary liquidation.
Visa on arrival became available for most nationalities in 2018 at a standard fee of 50 United States dollars for single entry. United States citizens pay 100 dollars reflecting reciprocal arrangements. The official immigration portal is https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/ where electronic visa applications process before travel. East African Community citizens from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan enter without visas under regional protocols established in 2000 and expanded in 2016. Citizens of Commonwealth countries including United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and South Africa receive visas on arrival. European Union passport holders similarly obtain entry permits at airport immigration desks. Chinese nationals received visa-free access in 2023 under bilateral agreements. Airport immigration queues at Julius Nyerere frequently extend 45 to 90 minutes during evening arrivals when multiple long-haul flights land within two-hour windows. Kilimanjaro International processes passengers faster with typical waits of 20 to 40 minutes. Zanzibar immigration separated from mainland protocols in certain administrative aspects but maintains identical visa fee structures.
Yellow fever vaccination certificates are mandatory for travelers arriving from or transiting through countries with yellow fever transmission risk as designated by World Health Organization lists updated annually. Officers check certificates at health desks positioned before immigration counters. The requirement applies strictly when arriving from endemic areas in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Travelers transiting Addis Ababa or Nairobi for under 12 hours without leaving the airport do not require certificates for Tanzania entry. Officers confiscate certificates deemed fraudulent or improperly administered, resulting in denial of entry. Tanzania does not require yellow fever vaccination for travelers arriving from regions without transmission risk regardless of nationality.
Currency exchange booths at Julius Nyerere International Airport offer Tanzanian shillings at rates approximately 3 to 5 percent below interbank rates posted by Bank of Tanzania. Bureau de change operators at arrivals include Forex Bureau Limited and Posta Kenya Exchange. ATMs operated by CRDB Bank, National Microfinance Bank, and Stanbic Bank occupy the arrivals hall and dispense shillings at daily withdrawal limits ranging from 400,000 to 1,000,000 shillings depending on card issuer agreements. Visa and Mastercard networks function reliably at airport ATMs. The official exchange rate published by Bank of Tanzania on December 2024 stands near 2,500 Tanzanian shillings per United States dollar. Airport forex booths typically quote 2,425 to 2,450 shillings per dollar. Mobile money services including M-Pesa and Tigo Pesa operate widely in Tanzania but require local SIM cards and registration procedures that consume several hours. SIM card vendors occupy arrivals halls at all three major airports selling Vodacom, Airtel, Tigo, and Halotel prepaid cards. Registration mandates passport presentation and biometric verification since 2020 regulations by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority.
Taxi services at Julius Nyerere operate through official ranks managed by airport authority. Metered taxis charge 40,000 to 60,000 shillings for transport to central Dar es Salaam hotels depending on traffic conditions. Ride-hailing applications Uber and Bolt launched in Dar es Salaam in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Uber quotes 25,000 to 40,000 shillings for identical routes from airport to city center. Drivers congregate in designated pickup zones separate from taxi ranks. Airport to Masaki Peninsula hotels costs 35,000 to 50,000 shillings via ride apps. The journey duration ranges from 35 minutes during early morning hours to 90 minutes during weekday evening traffic on Nyerere Road. Dalla dalla minibuses serve as public transport but do not enter airport grounds. The nearest dalla dalla stop sits 800 meters from the terminal along Airport Road where Route 100 vehicles charge 400 shillings to Kariakoo market district. Passengers must walk the access road carrying luggage as no shuttle connects terminal to public bus stops.
Kilimanjaro International Airport positions itself equidistant between Arusha and Moshi with no urban area in immediate proximity. Shuttle services operated by safari companies and hotels meet pre-arranged bookings. Independent taxis charge 60,000 to 80,000 shillings to Arusha and 50,000 to 70,000 shillings to Moshi. Riverside Shuttle runs scheduled passenger vans to Arusha for 20,000 shillings per person with departures coordinating with flight arrivals. Bobby Tours and Impala Shuttles offer similar services with advance booking. The drive to Arusha covers 46 kilometers on the A23 highway and requires 50 to 70 minutes. Moshi lies 42 kilometers east on the same highway with journey times of 45 to 65 minutes. Public buses do not serve Kilimanjaro airport directly. The closest transport hub operates in Usa River village 14 kilometers from the terminal where dalla dallas run to both cities for 2,000 shillings. No formal taxi or shuttle service connects airport to Usa River forcing budget travelers to negotiate informal rides.
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport sits 8 kilometers south of Stone Town on Unguja island. Taxis charge 25,000 to 35,000 shillings for the 20 to 30 minute drive to Stone Town hotels. Larger resorts on the northeast coast at Nungwi and Kendwa operate dedicated shuttle services included in accommodation rates. Independent travelers to these beaches pay 50,000 to 80,000 shillings for taxi service covering 60 kilometers over 80 to 100 minutes on roads that deteriorate north of Mahonda. Number 502 dalla dalla departs from points 600 meters outside airport grounds heading to Darajani Market in Stone Town for 1,000 shillings. Service operates irregularly with frequency decreasing after 6 PM. Rental car agencies including Green Car Rentals and Zanzibar Car Hire maintain desks in the arrivals area. Daily rates for compact sedans start at 80,000 shillings including basic insurance. Driving permits require presentation of home country license and international driving permit. Tanzania joined the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic making international permits valid. Police checkpoints between airport and Stone Town verify documentation.
Accommodation options within 5 kilometers of Julius Nyerere International Airport include Southern Sun Dar es Salaam, Protea Hotel by Marriott, and Colosseum Boutique Hotel. Rack rates range from 150,000 to 350,000 shillings per night. These properties cater primarily to transit passengers and business travelers attending meetings in airport vicinity industrial zones. The Mlimani City area 8 kilometers from the airport contains mid-range hotels like Africana Grand Hotel and Ubungo Plaza Hotel at 80,000 to 120,000 shillings nightly. Central Dar es Salaam hotels in Kivukoni and Upanga districts charge 100,000 to 600,000 shillings depending on international chain affiliation. Transit hotels inside airport secure areas do not exist at any Tanzanian airport.