Tanzania is a country of geographical superlatives. It hosts Africa's highest mountain, has shares in Africa's three biggest lakes, and gives birth to three of Africa's most important rivers. Tanzania's lower coastal plains rise inland to a central plateau of 1150 m / 3 800 ft with mountains in the north and in the south, featuring Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro (5 892 m / 19 331 ft). The country's borders run through Lake Victoria in the north, Lake Tanganyika in the west and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) in the south. The Nile, the Zaire and the Zambezi River all originate in Tanzania. 

Tanzania's climate varies from tropical along the coast (including the Pemba, Zanzibar and Mafia islands) to hot and dry on the central plateau and cooler in the highland areas due to altitude. The country sees two rainy seasons, the short one with less rain in November and December, the longer one from April to June when most of the rain comes down.

Most nationalities need a visa in order to enter Tanzania; excluded from this are citizens of Commonwealth countries (except for people form the UK who need to apply for a visa) as well as passport holders of the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Romania. If a visa is required, it can be obtained upon arrival in most cases. The passport needs to be valid for at least six more months after your departure and you need two passport pictures. Children ID's are accepted. 

Diplomatic Embassies and High Commissions of Tanzania
.

Germany Eschenallee 11 14050 Berlin German .	Tel. ++49 30 3 03 08 00 Fax ++49 30 30 30 80 20 www.tanzania-gov.de
United Kingdom 43 Hertford Street London W1Y 8DB United Kingdom .	Tel. ++44 20 74 99 89 51 4 Fax ++44 20 74 91 93 21 Balozi@tanzania-online.gov.uk www.tanzania-online.gov.uk .
United States 2139R St, NW Washington, DC 20008 USA	Tel. ++1 202 884 1080, ++1 202 939 6125 Fax ++1 202 797 7408 www.tanzaniaembassy-us.org

Diplomatic Embassies and High Commissions in Tanzania
 

Germany Umoja House, 2nd Floor Mirambo Street / Garden Ave Dar es Salaam Tanzania Postal Address: Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, P.O. Box 95 41, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania .	Tel. ++255 22 211 74 09 15 Fax ++255 22 211 29 44 german.emb.dar@raha.com www.german-embassy-daressalam.de . . . ,
In Zanzibar:  Kiembe Samaki Kijijini Zanzibar Tanzania Postal Address: Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, P.O. Box 1787, Zanzibar, Tanzania .	Tel. ++255 24 223 36 91 (before noon), ++255 24 223 40 62 (afternoon), ++255 747 41 00 45 (mobile) Fax ++255 24 223 36 91 sepetu_family@yahoo.com . ,
United Kingdom Umoja House Garden Avenue Dar es Salaam Tanzania Postal Address: P.O. Box 9200, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania .	Tel. ++255 22 211 0101, ++255 744 242 242 (Duty Officer, out of hours number, for emergencies only), ++255 211 0303 2216 (crisis hotline; only available in times of crisis)  Fax ++255 22 211 0102  bhc.dar@fco.gov.uk .
United States 686 Old Bagamoyo Road Msasani Dar es Salaam Tanzania  Postal Address: P.O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania .	Tel. ++255 22 266 8001  Fax ++255 22 266 8238 embassyd@state.gov http://usembassy.state.gov/tanzania . .

Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)

You can exchange cash (preferably US Dollars) or traveller cheques at banks and foreign exchange bureaus in major cities. There is no import limit on foreign currencies. Credit cards are accepted in bigger hotels only.

Banks are usually open Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 17.00 as well as Saturday from 9.00 to 12.00.

Country code: ++255. City code Dar es Salaam: 051. Code for Zanzibar: 054
International access code from Tanzania: 00
Internet code: .tz

Generally, the telephone system in Tanzania is rather poor. However, it is possible to make local and international calls in major cities by use of either phone cards or communication shops. Sending letters and parcels can be done from post offices and it should not take longer than 2 weeks for overseas mail. 

Post offices usually are open Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 17.00 as well as Saturday from 9.00 to 12.00.

Electricity

Tanzania uses 230 V / 50 Hz.
The plug either has round pins with ground or is a rectangular blade plug.

Plus several variable Muslim holidays; note that the celebration of Christian / Muslim holidays depends on the region you are in.

Air

Dar es Salaam Airport is located 15 km / 9 miles out of Dar es Salaam. Air Tanzania offers flights to / from other African countries. From overseas, Air France, KLM (via Kilimanjaro) and British Airways (via Nairobi) offer flights to Dar es Salaam from their respective country of origin. If you want to fly directly into Zanzibar, you can do so on Gulf Air. Upon departure, an airport tax of 20 US$ or 15 £ has to be paid in foreign cash. 

Overland

Driving

The main border crossings are: 

From Kenya: Namanga - Longido, Lunga Lunga, Taveta, Isebania und Masai Mara National Reserve - Serengeti  National Park

From Malawi: Songwe Bridge

From Mozambique: Namoto - Kilambo and Moçimboa do Rovuma

From Zambia: Nakonde - Tunduma

If you enter Tanzania with a vehicle that is not registered in Tanzania, you have to get a temporary import permit (TIP) and third party insurance at the border. The TIP is multiple entry and valid for three months. 

Bus

From Kenya: Direct buses and minibuses (matatus) run between Nairobi and Arusha using the Namanga - Longido border crossing. You can also take a minibus from Nairobi to the Kenyan side of the border and then continue on the Tanzanian side to Arusha. If you are coming from Mombasa, buses and minibuses will take you directly to Dar es Salaam via Tanga and the Lunga Lunga border crossing. It is also possible to split the trip and take matatus between Mombasa, the border crossing, Tanga and Dar es Salaam. Between Voi and Moshi, you can use buses and minibuses to cross at the Taveta border crossing. To go from Kisumu via Kisii and the Isebania border crossing to Musoma you would need your own transport as well as for crossing from the Masai Mara National Reserve into the Serengeti National Park. 

From Malawi: Minibuses run all the way between Lilongwe and Dar es Salaam with stops in Kyela, the Songwe border crossing, Karonga and Mzuzu. There is also a direct connection between Lilongwe and Dar es Salaam. 

From Mozambique: The land border crossing at Moçimboa do Rovuma can be reached by minibus from Mueda. From there you can take other minibuses to Newala.

From Zambia: The Nakonde – Tunduma border crossing can be reached by minibus. From there, minibuses will drive to Mbeya. 

Train

From Zambia: There is a connection between Lusaka and Dar es Salaam via Kasama and the Nakonde - Tunduma border crossing. 

Boat

From Kenya: Mombasa is connected to Dar es Salaam and Tanga on the mainland as well as the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba by dhow or catamaran. Note that there is no crossing from Tanzania into Kenya via Lake Victoria. 

From Malawi: The only route across the Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) is on the Songeya ferry from Nkhata Bay near Mzuzu to Mbamba Bay. 

From Zambia: At Lake Tanganyika, the Liemba ferry connects Kigoma with Mpulungu.