Inbound Travel Insurance in Tanzania: The USD 44 Entry Condition Under GN 256

What changed on 1 October 2026

The Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations, 2026 were published as Government Notice No. 256 of 4 September 2026. They are made under section 134A of the Insurance Act, Cap. 394, the provision added by the Finance Act, 2025. The Government's official notice to travellers, carried on the Tanzanian Embassy website, states that implementation begins on 1 October 2026.

The official notice sets out three numbers that matter for planning:

• Premium: USD 44 per visitor. Clyde & Co's reading of the Regulations is that it is payable in Tanzania Shillings (about TZS 116,000) and is non-refundable except on cancellation or in other specified cases.
• Cover period: up to 92 days. Clyde & Co reports that the policy allows multiple entries within that window.
• Issuer: the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) for Mainland Tanzania, and the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) for Zanzibar. Clyde & Co adds that registered insurers working with NIC may also issue cover.

NIC states that a visitor whose first point of entry is the Mainland can travel on to Zanzibar without buying a second policy, and the reverse also applies. The Regulations speak of entry into Mainland Tanzania. Zanzibar-first arrivals buy from ZIC under the arrangements the official notice describes, so check ZIC's portal for any Zanzibar-specific terms.

Who is affected

The rule falls on the traveller, but the cost of getting it wrong lands on the businesses that bring them in:

• Tour operators, safari companies and travel agents. Clients who land without cover face delay at the border. Clyde & Co reports that a visitor without the required cover may be refused entry.
• Hotels, lodges and camps that sell direct to foreign guests and handle their pre-arrival information.
• Companies bringing in foreign staff, consultants or directors on short visits: board meetings, site visits, audits and due-diligence trips. The visa, the investor invitation letter and the travel policy are now three separate items on the checklist.
• Airlines and ground handlers, who Clyde & Co says should update travel advisories and booking information.

The exemption turns on residence, not passport. The Embassy notice lists no exemptions, and NIC says only that cover is required "subject to applicable exemptions". Two readings of the Regulations' text, by Clyde & Co and by Streamline Feed, say the carve-out is for residents of East African Community and SADC partner states. Some press reports say citizens instead. On the reported wording, a Kenyan citizen living in Dubai may still need cover, while a British citizen resident in Nairobi may not. We have not seen the Gazette copy. Until you have, treat the exemption as reported, and do not tell a client or employee they are exempt without checking.

What NIC says the policy covers

NIC's announcement lists the benefits: medical treatment and emergency dental care, medical transport and evacuation or repatriation, checked luggage, personal liability and legal expenses, help after theft of travel documents, and repatriation of remains. NIC says the policy does not automatically cover pre-existing illness, routine medical check-ups or trips made to obtain medical treatment.

This is an entry-condition product, not full travel insurance. It does not replace cover for cancellation, delay or high-value equipment. If your company already buys group travel cover, ask your broker how the two policies interact on a claim. The official notice does not settle that question.

What to do now

1. Put the policy in the booking flow. Add the NIC link (inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz) or, for Zanzibar-first arrivals, the ZIC link (inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz) to confirmations, itineraries and pre-arrival emails.
2. Re-price packages and quotes. Decide whether the USD 44 premium is included or passed through, and say so in writing. Clients should not discover it at the airport.
3. Update your terms. Booking conditions should state that entry requirements, including inbound cover, are the traveller's responsibility unless your package says otherwise.
4. Brief your corporate travellers. Add the policy to the visit checklist for foreign directors, shareholders and consultants, next to the visa and any invitation letter.
5. Check exemptions in the Regulations before telling an EAC or SADC traveller that they do not need cover.
6. Keep proof. Ask travellers to carry the policy certificate in printed and digital form.

Key dates

• 4 September 2026: GN 256 of 2026 published.
• 1 October 2026: implementation date stated in the Government's official notice.
• Each trip: cover runs for up to 92 days. A longer stay, or a residence or work permit, needs separate planning.

How Zatra helps

Zatra's desk prepares the entry file for investors and their teams. We sequence the visa, the investor invitation letter, inbound cover and, where needed, work and residence permits, so that one missing document does not hold up a site visit. For tourism businesses, we map the licence layers, including activities reserved for citizens on the Mainland and the Zanzibar Commission's four layers, before you commit capital.

Zatra does not sell insurance, and it does not decide or guarantee any authority's outcome. NIC, ZIC and Immigration make those decisions.

Sources and status

Accurate as at 5 October 2026.

• Implementation of Inbound Travel Insurance for Foreign Visitors Entering Mainland Tanzania: Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania (official government notice), 27 Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
• Inbound Travel Insurance announcement: National Insurance Corporation of Tanzania (NIC), Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania Introduces Mandatory Inbound Travel Insurance for Foreign Visitors: Clyde & Co, Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania to Implement Mandatory Inbound Travel Insurance from 1 October 2026: Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania introduces mandatory travel insurance for foreign visitors: Citizen Digital, 18 Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
• Tanzania mandates visitor insurance, exempts EAC and SADC (reading of GN 256 text): Streamline Feed, Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
• Foreign visitors entering Tanzania must have $44 travel insurance from October: The Citizen, 26 Sep 2026. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.

Figures to confirm before you act

• Premium USD 44 per visitor: Embassy notice (verified 5 Oct 2026); NIC portal at purchase
• About TZS 116,000 equivalent: Clyde & Co; the NIC portal quotes the live shilling amount
• Cover up to 92 days, multiple entries: Embassy notice and Clyde & Co; GN 256 text
• EAC/SADC residents carve-out: GN 256 Gazette text (not retrieved this run)

This article is general information based on official sources available at the date of publication. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws and notices change. Verify with the issuing authority or consult Zatra before acting.