Tanzania Introduces Mandatory Travel Insurance Fee for Foreign Visitors in 2026
- Mainland Tanzania published new regulations on September 4, 2026, setting out the rules for a compulsory travel insurance scheme for foreign nationals
- The $44 policy covers emergency medical treatment, evacuation, repatriation, and baggage loss for stays of up to 92 days
- Travellers combining a mainland Tanzania trip with Zanzibar could face a total insurance cost of $88, though no official confirmation has been made
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Mainland Tanzania has published detailed rules for a new mandatory travel insurance scheme that will require foreign visitors to hold a valid policy before they can enter the country.
The Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations, 2026, appeared in Government Notice No. 256 on September 4, 2026.
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According to Tanzanian government, they were issued under Section 134A of the Insurance Act, a provision introduced through the Finance Act 2025, which first established the principle of compulsory insurance in Tanzanian law.
What the insurance covers and costs
Foreign nationals entering mainland Tanzania by air, sea, or land will be required to hold an Inbound Travel Insurance policy worth the shilling equivalent of $44.
The policy can be bought before departure or at the point of entry, after which the insurer must issue a certificate in either electronic or paper form.
Coverage runs for up to 92 days from the date of arrival and allows multiple entries within that window. Visitors staying beyond 92 days must buy a new policy.
The four minimum areas of coverage set out in the regulations are emergency medical treatment, emergency medical evacuation, emergency repatriation, and loss of baggage.
The National Insurance Corporation (NIC), Tanzania's state-owned insurer, sits at the centre of the scheme. Other registered insurers may participate only in partnership with the NIC, and their systems must be linked to relevant authorities to allow policy verification. Visitors who arrive without valid coverage may be refused entry.
Who is exempt
The regulations define a "foreigner" as anyone who is not a Tanzanian citizen, but carve out residents of East African Community (EAC) Partner States and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States. Notably, the exemption is tied to residency in those states, not nationality. Visitors from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia will therefore be subject to the requirement once it takes effect.
The Zanzibar question
One issue yet to be resolved is how the new mainland scheme will interact with Zanzibar's own mandatory insurance policy, which has been in place since October 1, 2024. That policy, issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC), also costs $44 per adult and covers up to 92 days.
The September 4 regulations define the required mainland policy as one issued by the NIC or a partner insurer, which means a ZIC policy does not automatically satisfy the mainland entry requirement. No mutual recognition arrangement between the two schemes has been announced.
For a traveller combining a safari on the mainland with a stay in Zanzibar, the total insurance cost could reach $88 if the two systems remain legally separate.
Source: Getty Images
How to check Tanzanian visa application status online
Legit.ng earlier reported that Tanzania has released guidance on how visa applicants can track the progress of their applications online in 2026, pointing users to the country's official visa portal as the primary tool for checking updates.
Source: Legit.ng
