VisaTanzania travellers should buy inbound insurance for their first entry point
October guidance explains when NIC or ZIC insurance applies, protects valid earlier policies and separates mandatory cover from visa and health-entry requirements.
Official source date: 2026-10-07
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Use the first arrival point to choose the insurer
Travellers combining a Tanzanian mainland safari with Zanzibar should check which destination they enter first before buying mandatory inbound insurance. The mainland requirement took effect on 1 October 2026. Zanzibar Insurance Corporation’s clarification of 7 October explains how the two designated insurance arrangements work together, including protection against duplicate payment for the same insured journey.
Where the mainland is the first point of entry, obtain the applicable cover through National Insurance Corporation, NIC. Where Zanzibar is first, use Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, ZIC. A valid applicable policy should not need to be purchased twice merely because the itinerary includes both destinations. Retain the certificate and QR code so validity can be checked when travelling between them.
Check the transition rule and the limits of exemptions
ZIC’s notice protects visitors who fully paid for a valid ZIC policy before 1 October but begin their itinerary on the mainland: they do not need to cancel it or purchase another policy for the same insured journey. A valid unexpired ZIC policy can also remain applicable to subsequent entry within its 92-day cover period, subject to its terms. That is not permission to keep using an expired policy.
The notice separately warns that a qualifying EAC or SADC exemption from the mainland requirement is not automatically an exemption for Zanzibar. NIC’s FAQ describes the mainland exclusion in terms of residents of those partner states. Travellers relying on that provision should establish their residence-based position, rather than infer eligibility solely from an airport connection or a visa-free entry entitlement.
Prepare the policy application and evidence of cover
NIC’s published FAQ gives the premium as the Tanzanian-shilling equivalent of US$44 per person and describes cover for up to 92 days, with the dates shown on the certificate controlling the coverage period. It asks for passport information, travel dates, visit purpose and basic personal details. Check those fields against the itinerary before payment, especially when the mainland and Zanzibar legs have different dates.
The FAQ directs travellers to obtain cover before arrival, while also describing purchase facilities at entry points. Advance purchase reduces dependence on resolving payment at the border. NIC issues a digital or printed certificate for verification. It says an extension can be arranged through NIC before policy expiry, ensuring continuous cover; an extended immigration stay does not itself extend an insurance contract.
Keep insurance, visas and permitted activities separate
The Tanzanian embassy in Kuala Lumpur’s visa resource explains that most visa-required tourists use the ordinary visa, priced at US$50, while United States passport holders travelling for tourism must use the US$100 multiple-entry visa. The multiple visa can be valid for twelve months, but the embassy limits each stay to three months. Twelve-month visa validity therefore does not authorise twelve months of continuous residence.
That embassy resource also explains referral cases: applicants in those categories cannot rely on an arrival visa, should apply online at least two months before travel and must wait for approval before beginning the journey. Check the live referral list because it can change. The visa category and insurance purchase are separate decisions; buying the policy does not establish eligibility for entry or employment.
Check the remaining entry conditions before departure
The UK government’s current Tanzania entry page confirms that designated government inbound cover is required even where the visitor already has a personal policy. Travellers should retain personal insurance suited to their own needs as well, rather than assume every activity or medical circumstance is covered by the mandatory product. Claims and exclusions remain governed by the actual policy.
For British citizen passport holders, that entry resource specifies six months’ validity after arrival and a blank passport page, and says return or onward travel evidence must be available at border control. It also records heightened Ebola screening announced on 17 October and directs all travellers to the health-surveillance form before departure or on arrival. Complete that separate health step through the linked official form. The relevant deadlines are departure, the visa’s authorised stay and the insurance certificate’s expiry; none substitutes for the others.
