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Tanzania mandatory travel insurance: what changes on October 1, 2026

Digital painting of a small plane descending toward a Zanzibar beach, with giraffes on the Tanzania savanna and a dhow sailing between them

Written by

Roberto de Sibi

in

From October 1, 2026, Tanzania makes travel insurance mandatory for foreign visitors: if you arrive in the mainland by air, land or sea, you must hold a $44 policy from the state insurer, the National Insurance Corporation (NIC).

According to NIC, the policy exists to ensure visitors have access to emergency care, evacuation and repatriation during their stay. You buy it online on the NIC portal before you fly, or in cash on arrival.

Under the regulations, a visitor who arrives without it and doesn’t buy it at the border can be refused entry.

The requirement comes from the Inbound Travel Insurance Regulations, Government Notice No. 256 of 2026. The Ministry of Finance announced the start date on September 25, just 6 days ahead, so if you booked months ago you may not have heard about it yet.

A few details the headline figure leaves out:

  • Payment: in Tanzanian shillings, at the equivalent of $44
  • Children: free up to age 2, 50% off from 3 to 17
  • Groups of 10 or more: 10% off for adults
  • Validity: up to 92 days from arrival, multiple entries included

What the NIC policy covers, and what it doesn’t

The NIC policy is emergency coverage, not full travel insurance. NIC lists 4 benefits:

  • emergency medical expenses from illness or accident
  • emergency evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility
  • repatriation in case of serious illness, injury or death
  • loss of luggage

That’s the whole list. Trip cancellation, delays, theft and personal liability are not on it.

NIC also doesn’t publish the limits. As of September 29, 2026, nobody can tell you how much each benefit pays out.

So think of it as an entry requirement with a basic safety net attached. It is not protection for the trip you’ve paid for.

Do you still need your own travel insurance?

Yes. But a private policy alone won’t get you in: however complete it is, it isn’t accepted at the border in place of the NIC certificate. And the NIC policy doesn’t replace yours either.

The expensive problems on a safari are the ones the NIC policy leaves out: a cancellation a few weeks before departure, a missed connection, a hospital bill against limits you can’t check. That’s why our booking terms at Savannah Explorers already make travel insurance mandatory for every guest, and October 1 doesn’t change that.

If you want the wider picture on health and what actually goes wrong on a trip here, read my guide to Tanzania safety.

Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar: one policy or two?

The Zanzibar archipelago has its own mandatory insurance, sold by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC). You only need one of the two. In a public notice dated September 28, 2026, ZIC confirmed that it depends on where you first enter Tanzania:

  • Mainland first, through Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam or a land border: NIC
  • Zanzibar first, through its airport or seaport: ZIC

So if you land at Kilimanjaro, do your safari and then fly to the archipelago, your NIC policy is enough. In an emergency, you’re assisted by the insurer that issued your policy, wherever you are in Tanzania.

If you bought a ZIC policy before October 1, 2026 and your trip starts on the mainland, you don’t need to buy the NIC policy or cancel the ZIC one.

What travelers should do before departure

Buy the policy online before you fly. You apply for it yourself, the same way you apply for the visa: at Savannah Explorers we ask every guest to do it directly on the NIC portal. NIC also sells it at the entry points, but only for cash, and the Ministry advises buying in advance to avoid delays at immigration.

  1. Use the official NIC portal, inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz.
  2. Pay by debit or credit card. Coverage starts once the payment is confirmed.
  3. Save the certificate and its QR code on your phone and print a copy. Keep both for the whole trip: they can be scanned when you enter.
  4. Keep your own travel insurance, and carry its details too.

NIC’s 24/7 assistance line is +255 736 100 800. Save it before you land.

Read also: Things to Know Before Visiting Tanzania

What travel agents and tour operators should do

If you send clients to Tanzania, the work this week is communication. The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators has warned of possible delays at entry points in the first days, mostly from travelers who booked months ago and haven’t heard about the rule.

  • Every client arriving from October 1: add the requirement to confirmations, pre-departure notes and briefings
  • Official portal only: send clients the NIC link and ask for the certificate before departure
  • The right package: NIC sells individual (1–2 people), family (3–9) and group (10–100) packages, and adults in a group get 10% off
  • First point of entry: mainland arrivals need NIC, Zanzibar arrivals need ZIC, and one policy covers the whole trip. Clients who bought ZIC before October 1 for a trip that starts on the mainland don’t need NIC
  • Your insurance clause: keep it as it is, because the NIC policy doesn’t replace the travel insurance your terms require

Who is exempt

NIC publishes one exemption, with a few details to keep in mind:

  • EAC and SADC residents: people who live in East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) partner states are exempt on the mainland
  • Zanzibar: according to ZIC, this exemption doesn’t apply there, so these travelers may still need a ZIC policy
  • Residents of Tanzania: separate arrangements apply
  • Everyone else: for travelers from Europe, North America and most of the rest of the world, the rule applies in full

If you think an exemption applies to you, check with NIC directly.

Last verified September 29, 2026. This rule is new and the details may change in the coming days: where this page and the official NIC or ZIC portal disagree, the portal is right. Nothing here is legal or insurance advice.

Sources