Tanzania Will Require Travel Insurance for Visitors Starting October 1

Heading to Tanzania for a safari, a Kilimanjaro climb, or a few days in Zanzibar? You’ll need to add another item to your pre-trip checklist.

Starting October 1, 2026, most foreign visitors will need to buy a government-mandated travel insurance policy costing the equivalent of $44 per person. It won’t dent a safari budget, but show up without it and you could be turned away at the border.

Here’s what you need to know, and how to purchase, before your trip.

What Tanzania’s New Insurance Rule Actually Requires

The requirement comes directly from the government, as published in Government Notice No. 256 of 2026, and it applies to foreign visitors entering Tanzania by air, land, or sea.

There are exemptions, though. Certain residents of East African Community and Southern African Development Community states, along with diplomats, transit passengers, and some work or residence permit holders, don’t need it. Most Americans and other leisure travelers should plan on paying, though.

The policy is valid for up to 92 days and allows multiple entries, so 1 purchase can cover a longer trip during which you leave Tanzania and return later. Coverage includes emergency medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, medical repatriation, and lost or damaged checked luggage.

There’s a confusing element, though.

Your first point of entry decides which insurer you use. Enter through mainland Tanzania first, such as flying into Kilimanjaro (JRO) or Dar es Salaam (DAR), and you buy from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC). Enter through Zanzibar first, and you go through Zanzibar’s separate system. That’s bound to create problems for travelers who have the wrong policy for their arrival point.

What It Costs and How To Buy

The price is the Tanzanian shilling equivalent of $44 per person. Children ages 0 to 2 are free, ages 3 to 17 get 50% off, and groups of 10 or more get a 10% discount on qualifying adult premiums. The NIC portal offers 3 packages — Individual, Family, and Group — based on the size of your party.

Depending on your first destination, mainland arrivals use inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz, and travelers entering through Zanzibar use inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz. You can pay online with Visa or Mastercard, and you’ll want your passport number, travel dates, nationality, and first point of entry handy when you apply.

You can buy the mainland policy on arrival, but I wouldn’t. After a long flight to East Africa, the last thing I want is another line to contend with at the airport, so I’d handle this before departure.

Final Thoughts

I don’t love another mandatory arrival fee, especially for travelers who are already carrying far better insurance. Still, $44 won’t change the math for a trip that can run into the thousands of dollars per person if you’re climbing Africa’s highest peak or taking a multi-day safari.

Add it to the same checklist as your passport and visa, pay attention to where you first enter if your itinerary mixes the mainland and Zanzibar, and buy it before you fly. It’s a formality, not a reason to reconsider one of the continent’s best destinations.