Do You Need Proof of Onward Travel for Tanzania in 2026?

If you’re flying to Tanzania on a one-way ticket in 2026, you should plan as if you will be asked for proof that you’re leaving the country. Sometimes travelers aren’t asked at all. Other times, it’s the airline at check-in that insists on seeing an onward ticket before they’ll issue your boarding pass. The safest approach is simple: arrive with verifiable evidence of onward or return travel you can show quickly on your phone (and ideally as a PDF printout).

Tanzania’s own Immigration guidance lists “return ticket or evidence of onward travel arrangement” among the items a foreign national may be required to show on entry. The UK government’s Tanzania entry requirements page also warns travelers they must be ready to show a return or onward ticket at border control.

What “proof of onward travel” means in practice

“Proof of onward travel” is documentation that shows you have a plan—and a booked departure—out of Tanzania within the time your entry permission allows. It does not have to be a ticket back to your home country. It can be a flight, ferry, bus, or other booked transport leaving Tanzania, as long as it is credible and matches your itinerary.

Immigration and airlines typically care about three things.

One: it leaves Tanzania (or sometimes the wider region) before your allowed stay ends.

Two: it looks legitimate and can be verified (booking reference/PNR, airline confirmation number, carrier name, date).

Three: your name matches your passport.

Who is most likely to ask: the airline or immigration?

In many cases, the first “gatekeeper” is your airline at departure. Airlines can be fined and forced to fly you back if you’re denied entry, so they often enforce entry rules more strictly than the officer who stamps your passport. That’s why you’ll hear stories like “immigration never asked,” yet travelers still needed an onward ticket to board their flight.

Immigration officers in Tanzania can also ask on arrival. Tanzania Immigration explicitly includes return/onward travel evidence in its listed entry formalities.

What documents can count as onward travel for Tanzania?

The strongest proof is a paid, confirmed ticket out of Tanzania with a booking reference.

Other options can work too, depending on your route and how strict the check is. This is where travelers get tripped up: an unverified screenshot or a vague “plan” might be accepted once, and rejected the next time.

Here’s a practical comparison table of common options.

Proof option	Usually accepted by airlines?	Usually accepted by immigration?	Pros	Cons	Best for
Fully paid onward flight ticket	Yes	Yes	Highest credibility, instantly verifiable	Can be expensive or nonrefundable	One-way flyers who want zero stress
Refundable onward flight	Yes	Yes	High credibility, can cancel later	Refund rules can be tricky; refunds may take time	Flexible travelers who can front the cost
Flight reservation/hold with PNR	Sometimes	Sometimes	Cheap and quick	Some airlines/agents can’t verify; may expire fast	Short window needs (check-in within 24–72 hrs)
Bus/ferry ticket to a neighboring country	Sometimes	Sometimes	Fits overland itineraries	Harder to verify; some borders/routes are informal	Regional overlanders with a clear route
Proof of onward travel service (time-limited ticket/booking)	Often	Sometimes	Designed for verification, fast	Validity window may be short; choose reputable providers	Digital nomads and “not sure yet” itineraries

The big takeaway: for flights into Tanzania, a verifiable flight out is the most universally accepted form of onward proof.

Timing rules: when should your onward ticket be dated?

Tanzania’s entry duration depends on your nationality and visa/permit type, and rules can change. Instead of guessing a specific number of days, align your onward date with the maximum stay you expect to receive (for many tourists this is often up to 90 days, but not always). If you’re using a visa type with a shorter validity (for example, transit permissions), your onward travel should be sooner.

Tanzania’s eVisa guidelines for transit-related entry explicitly note that a traveler may be required to provide an onward ticket (and sometimes a visa for the next destination). If you’re truly transiting, don’t book an onward ticket that makes it look like you intend to stay for weeks.

Where Tanzania trips people up: eVisa uploads and check-in checks

Many travelers first encounter the onward-ticket question during the eVisa process or airline check-in because it’s easier to enforce there than at the arrival desk.

If your eVisa application flow asks for onward travel evidence, treat it as a requirement even if someone online says “I skipped it.” Inconsistent enforcement is exactly why it’s worth being prepared.

At the airport, expect the check-in agent to want something they can understand quickly: a normal itinerary receipt with your name, dates, and route.

Zanzibar note for 2026: insurance is separate from onward travel

If your Tanzania trip includes Zanzibar, be aware that Zanzibar authorities have introduced a compulsory inbound travel insurance requirement purchased through Zanzibar’s official system. This is separate from onward travel, but it’s the kind of “extra requirement” that can catch travelers off guard in the same way onward ticket rules do.

In other words, having an onward ticket doesn’t replace Zanzibar insurance, and having Zanzibar insurance doesn’t replace onward proof.

What to do if you don’t know your next destination yet

A lot of people land in Tanzania for a safari, Kilimanjaro trek, or beach time and want to decide later whether they’ll go to Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, or back through the Gulf/Europe. That’s normal. The trick is to keep flexibility while still satisfying the “you will leave” requirement.

A practical approach that minimizes risk.

Book a refundable onward flight that you can cancel.

Or book a low-cost onward flight to a nearby hub you wouldn’t mind using anyway (Nairobi and Addis Ababa are common regional connectors, depending on your route).

Or use a reputable temporary onward solution that produces a verifiable reservation, then replace it with your real plan once you’re in-country.

What happens if you show up with no onward proof?

Best case, nobody asks.

Medium case, you’re pulled aside and questioned, asked to open your banking app, show accommodation plans, or buy a ticket on the spot.

Worst case, the airline refuses boarding before you even depart, because they won’t risk flying you without what they believe Tanzania requires. That’s why it’s smart to treat onward proof as a “departure airport problem,” not just an arrival airport problem.

Tanzania Immigration’s published entry requirements explicitly include onward/return proof as something you may be required to produce. So if you’re unlucky and get a strict check, you don’t have much room to argue.

Quick checklist for 2026 (the low-drama version)

Have a digital copy and a screenshot of your onward ticket confirmation.

Make sure the name matches your passport exactly.

Make sure the departure date is within the period you expect to be allowed to stay.

Use something verifiable: an airline confirmation number, PNR, or e-ticket number beats a random screenshot.

If you’re going onward overland, have whatever booking evidence you can plus a clear written plan—but understand that flights are still the easiest proof.

Bottom line

Yes—you should assume you’ll need proof of onward travel for Tanzania in 2026, even if enforcement is inconsistent. Tanzania Immigration lists return/onward travel evidence as part of entry formalities that foreign nationals may be required to show, and official travel advisories also warn you to be ready with a return/onward ticket.

If you want the smoothest entry experience, arrive with a verifiable onward ticket you can pull up in seconds. That single document solves the most common one-way-ticket headache before it starts.