Tanzania Removes Nigerians From Referred Visa Category, Easing Travel Process

Tanzania has removed Nigerian passport holders from its Referred Visa Category, ending a special clearance process that previously required Nigerians to obtain additional approval before travelling to the East African country.

The change was announced by Tanzania’s Immigration Services Department in a public notice dated September 25, 2026, and follows amendments published in Government Gazette No. 246 of 2026. The department said the change took effect immediately and that Nigerian travellers would now use Tanzania’s standard visa application procedures.

Under the new arrangement, Nigerians travelling to Tanzania can submit visa applications through the country’s official immigration online portal or at designated entry points, without the additional referral clearance previously required for nationals on the restricted list.

The decision removes an extra layer of immigration processing that had made travel planning more complicated for Nigerian visitors.

Tanzania's referral system applied to nationals of selected countries whose visa applications required special clearance from the Commissioner General of Immigration or the Commissioner of Immigration in Zanzibar. Applicants under the system were advised to obtain approval before making firm travel arrangements and, according to Tanzania's immigration guidance, to submit applications well ahead of their intended travel dates.

Nigeria was previously included on that list alongside countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Syria and Uzbekistan. Nigeria has now been removed from the category, while the other listed nationalities remain subject to the applicable referral rules.

The practical effect is that Nigerian applicants will now be processed under Tanzania's ordinary visa procedures rather than waiting for the additional referral approval.

However, the change does not make Tanzania visa-free for Nigerians. Nigeria remains outside Tanzania's visa-exempt categories, meaning Nigerian travellers still need to obtain the appropriate visa before travelling where a visa is required. Tanzania's immigration guidance lists Nigerians among Commonwealth nationals who require visas.

For travellers, the removal of the referral requirement could make trips to Tanzania easier to organise, particularly for tourists, business visitors, conference participants and Nigerians travelling to destinations such as Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Zanzibar and the Serengeti.

The standard visa process is also considerably different from the referral procedure. Tanzania's immigration guidance provides for online applications and, for eligible nationalities, visa-on-arrival facilities. Nigerian nationals are not automatically included in the visa-free category, so travellers should confirm their specific requirements through Tanzania's official immigration system before booking or departing.

For ordinary tourism, Tanzania's visa information indicates that an Ordinary Visa is available for stays of up to 90 days, with a stated fee of US$50 for the applicable category. Applicants are also expected to meet standard passport and entry requirements.

The Tanzanian government has not publicly described the removal as a new visa-free arrangement or provided a detailed explanation of why Nigeria was taken off the referral list. The official announcement instead focuses on the legal amendment and the immediate change to the visa procedure.

The immigration decision comes as Tanzania and Nigeria continue to maintain economic and diplomatic engagement.

Tanzania's High Commission in Abuja recently highlighted investment cooperation between the two countries. In August, a Tanzanian government delegation led by Investment and Planning Minister Kitila Mkumbo visited Lagos as part of efforts to strengthen the country's investment relationship with Nigeria, including engagement with the Dangote Group.

The timing does not by itself establish that the visa change was directly linked to those investment discussions, and Tanzanian authorities have not made such a connection. But easier visa processing can reduce an administrative barrier for people travelling between the two countries for tourism, business, conferences and other legitimate purposes.

For Nigerian travellers, the immediate message is straightforward: the additional referral clearance is gone, but the visa requirement remains. The change therefore represents an easing of Tanzania's entry process rather than a complete removal of immigration requirements.

The broader significance lies in what the adjustment could mean for movement between two of Africa's major economies. By bringing Nigerian travellers back into Tanzania's ordinary visa process, the country has removed a procedural hurdle that had required additional scrutiny and longer planning. Whether that translates into more tourism, business travel and investment links will depend not only on the new visa process but also on the wider strength of Tanzania-Nigeria economic and people-to-people relations.