Expired visa

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a visa
in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want to know
if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when reporting for a
flight back to england, or would they just let me go on my way?

TIA
Adam

Technically they should let you go, its like a deportation without
one. They most of the time look at your outgoing visa/documents which
you'd have a passport for so thats not a problem. In extreme cases
some extra cash in a handshake will work out

Take care.

"Adam Carter" writes:

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a visa
in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want to know
if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when reporting for a
flight back to england, or would they just let me go on my way?

TIA
Adam



--
pyr

Adam Carter wrote:

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a visa
in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want to know
if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when reporting for a
flight back to england, or would they just let me go on my way?

This happened my girlfriend while we were vacationing in Tanzania
last year. She had a already spent some time in the country for her
job (a Swedish NGO) when I came after for some holiday together.
Shortly before we were bound to leave Tanzania she realized that
her visa had expired. This caused a bit of consternation, but in
the end nothing happened... they just waved her through at the
airport passport control. Mind you, this was an overstay of just
a few days, not "a considerable length of time".

// Marten

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 12:28:09 +0100, Adam Carter wrote:

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a
visa in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want
to know if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when
reporting for a flight back to england, or would they just let me go on
my way?

The immigration official will explain to you at great lengths how naughty
this unlawful behavior is, and he will try to explain to you that you have
put yourself in really deep trouble by being so disrespectful of the rules
of his country that has welcomed you as a guest. In fact this is so bad
that a fine shall be paid to punish you. Don't expect any receipt beside
the stamp on your passport because on top of trying to bore you to death
the immigration official is also trying to pull a blatant attempt at
extracting a bribe from you. So depending on how much energy and time you
have at that particular moment you either ride it out and go on your way
after much time and hassle, or answer that surely a fine will repair the
tort and then go on your way fast a few moments later after having made a
small financial contribution to the welfare of the officialdom .

If you chose the second way, make sure that it is the official who brings
up the subject and proposes an amount from which you may attempt to
bargain gently by playing a nice little act of contrition. If you make a
proposal yourself you run the risk of facing an offended official who may
take advantage of the situation by playing up your blatant attempt at
corrupting an honest man who will then make sure he takes home a really
large bribe after having explained you at length how intolerable your
arrogance is. If he is not offended it probably means you proposed an
amount too high, so don't try it at all, be a little more patient and let
him lead the dance. I very rarely pay bribes, but I cracked a few times
including exiting Rwanda with an expired visa and entering Malawi with no
visa at all.

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 17:30:39 +0200, Jean-Marc V. Liotier wrote:
On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 12:28:09 +0100, Adam Carter wrote:

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a
visa in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want
to know if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when
reporting for a flight back to england, or would they just let me go on
my way?

[..]

On the other hand, immigration officials at the airport of a major tourist
destination will be less corrupt than the ones at an obscure inland border
post. So I guess you should be fine without having to put up with too much
hassle.

"Jean-Marc V. Liotier" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 17:30:39 +0200, Jean-Marc V. Liotier wrote:
On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 12:28:09 +0100, Adam Carter wrote:

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a
visa in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want
to know if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when
reporting for a flight back to england, or would they just let me go on
my way?

[..]

On the other hand, immigration officials at the airport of a major tourist
destination will be less corrupt than the ones at an obscure inland border
post. So I guess you should be fine without having to put up with too much
hassle.

Hopefully I will be able to successfully obtain an approprite visa, I'm just
considering the fallback options.

Thanks for the very detailed advice!

Adam

In message , Adam Carter
writes

"Jean-Marc V. Liotier" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 17:30:39 +0200, Jean-Marc V. Liotier wrote:
On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 12:28:09 +0100, Adam Carter wrote:

What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a
visa in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want
to know if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when
reporting for a flight back to england, or would they just let me go on
my way?

[..]

On the other hand, immigration officials at the airport of a major tourist
destination will be less corrupt than the ones at an obscure inland border
post. So I guess you should be fine without having to put up with too much
hassle.

Hopefully I will be able to successfully obtain an approprite visa, I'm just
considering the fallback options.

Thanks for the very detailed advice!

Adam



Adam,
If you decide to stay longer than your visa allows, why not go to
immigration and obtain an extension to your visa? That way everything
will be in order and you will have remained within the law, plus having
peace of mind, as it`s not impossible that you could encounter someone
who insists on implementing the immigration laws.
Pat
--
Pat Anderson

"Adam Carter" wrote in message ...
What would most likely happen if a British citizen were to over-stay a visa
in Tanzania by a considerable length of time? In particular I want to know
if I would have trouble with the Tanzanian authorities when reporting for a
flight back to england, or would they just let me go on my way?

TIA
Adam

Adam,

After pressure from the governments of the UK and USA to crack down on
potential terrorists, the current trends seem to make illegal entry
and overstay a bit more serious that it may have been taken. I think
my first question would be, why do you want to take such risks to save
the $20-$50 for a visa extension taking a trip to Namanga and back
with a fresh visa?

My immediate feeling is, you are planning on doing more than
sightseeing in Tanzania and you either have some work lined up or plan
on looking for work. I can assure you that this is what the Tanzania
authorities will think as well if you overstay a tourist visa.

If you work without proper permits, you will get caught. Why, because
someone in the company you work for will turn you in. I have done a
number of consulting projects in Tanzania and without fail, it only
took the Immigration Department a week to come and inspect my papers.
As they were always in order, it was never a problem, but you expect
you can stay without a proper visa for months without being noticed.
Trust me, you cannot.

Let me tell you about a young man who arriving to Dar es Salaam by
train. At the border crossing, he was asleep and did not get his
passport stamped on arrival. Whe he arrived in Dar es Salaam, he
expected to find immigration at the train station and did not.

As it was a Saturday afternoon and the immigration office in Dar was
closed, he took his bus to Arusha. On Monday morning, he went to
Immigration and told them he wanted to buy a visa.

After more than a month in jail, he was released by the courts and
told to leave the country in 24 hours. But, because they stamped his
passport as a prohibited imigrant for Tanzania, the Kenya authorities
refused to admit him into Kenya. This had been pre-arranged by the
border authorities because they had been upset that he was released by
the courts.

The only thing that saved him from being re-arrested (which is what
they were hoping for), was that he did not return to Arusha but
continued on to Dar es Salaam and got the Embassy to assist in getting
him on a fight from Dar direct to his home country.

Get the proper visas and save yourself the headaches.

Gary
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