Zanzibar Entry Requirements 2026

Tim Hennig manages Boutique Hotel Matlai on Zanzibar’s east coast. The rules below follow the official portals and notices listed under Sources, not the PDF from two years ago.

Quick reference · Visa: USD 50 on arrival (or online in advance) · ZIC Insurance (if Zanzibar is your first entry): USD 44 adult · USD 22 child (3–17) · Free under 3 · one policy per journey · Max stay: 90 days · Passport validity: 6 months beyond arrival · Last verified: October 2026 · 3+ independent sources

The one thing most guides miss: if Zanzibar is your first stop, buy ZIC before you fly

“It is better to do the ZIC and the eVisa before you travel. But if you forget, don’t panic. You leave the plane, your QR code is checked, and if you do not have one you go to a separate counter, apply, pay, and then continue to the visa and immigration counter. It is simple and easy. I have never seen a guest turned back for a missing ZIC.”

Tim, Boutique Hotel Matlai (October 2026)

This is the detail that isn’t in the brochure. Both the visa and the insurance can be sorted on arrival with minimal fuss. The only thing you lose is time in a queue after a long flight.

If you land in Zanzibar first, buy it at inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz before you leave home. It takes five minutes, costs USD 44 per adult, and you get a QR code by email. Screenshot it and keep it for the whole trip. If you land on the mainland first, you buy the NIC policy instead (see the mainland section below).

1. Passport

Valid for at least 6 months beyond your date of entry, with one blank stamp page. Not something to gamble on.

2. Tourist visa: USD 50

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so the Tanzania tourist visa covers your entry.

Online (recommended): The official portal says applications are processed within ten days, so apply at least two weeks before you fly at visa.immigration.go.tz. Bring the approval printout or have it on your phone.

On arrival: Available for most nationalities. Pay in USD, cash or card. Expect a wait at peak times.

Zanzibar is not a separate visa jurisdiction: the same Tanzania framework applies whether you fly direct or connect via Dar es Salaam.

Nationality exceptions: US citizens pay a different rate

Most passports pay USD 50 for a single-entry tourist visa. US passport holders are an exception with a higher fee.

Tanzania immigration requires US citizens to apply for a multiple-entry visa at USD 100, valid for 12 months. The standard USD 50 single-entry visa is not available to US nationals applying for tourism. This rule is confirmed by both the US State Department and the French foreign ministry’s Tanzania travel advisory.

The multiple-entry visa must be applied for online at visa.immigration.go.tz: it is not available on arrival. The same ten-day processing time applies.

This catches out US travellers who read “USD 50 visa on arrival” and plan accordingly. Apply for the multiple-entry visa online before you travel.

3. Mandatory ZIC insurance: USD 44

Since 1 October 2024, non-resident visitors whose first point of entry into Tanzania is Zanzibar must hold inbound insurance issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, regardless of any policy you already carry. The Zanzibar Insurance Corporation’s notice of 28 September 2026 sets out how this fits with the new mainland policy:

• Which insurer applies depends on your first point of entry. Zanzibar first means ZIC; mainland first means NIC (inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz).
• It is one policy per journey. Nobody buys two just because the trip includes both Zanzibar and the mainland.
• A valid ZIC policy within its 92-day period means no new one on a later entry to the mainland or Zanzibar. You need a new one only after it expires.
• A ZIC policy bought and paid before 1 October 2026 for a trip that starts on the mainland stays valid. No second policy, no cancelling.
• Qualifying EAC and SADC travellers are exempt from the mainland requirement only. Where Zanzibar is the first entry they still need ZIC.

Coverage lasts for the duration of your stay, up to 92 days. You receive a QR code by email. Keep the certificate and QR code, electronic or printed, for the whole trip, not only for the airport. It can be scanned at the relevant entry point (see step-by-step below).

This does not replace your own travel insurance. You need both.

If you have not bought it in advance, you can pay at the airport on arrival; the Zanzibar airport guide explains the full arrivals process step by step, including where the ZIC counter is and what the receipt is used for.

Contacts: inbound@zic.co.tz · zichq@zic.co.tz · 24/7 helpline: +255 659 072 500 (toll-free within Tanzania: 080 000 8005)

4. What happens at the airport, step by step

This is the bit no official page explains clearly.

Step 1: In the jetway, before the terminal Your insurance QR code is checked in the gangway tunnel immediately after leaving the plane. Have ready: passport, boarding pass (to confirm Zanzibar is your final destination, not a transit stop), and your ZIC QR code (or your NIC certificate if you came from the mainland). If you have all three → straight through to immigration. If not → there are purchase desks right there.

Step 2: Immigration hall Fill out the arrival card at a desk in the immigration hall. Then queue at the immigration counter for your visa stamp. If you have an e-visa, you go to the e-visa counter.

Step 3: Before baggage claim Your passport and visa are checked again before you reach the baggage belt. Keep both accessible rather than buried in your bag.

Step 4: Luggage collection Collect your luggage from the belt.

Step 5: Scanner All bags (hand carry and checked) go through a scanner before you exit to arrivals.

Step 6: Arrivals hall Taxi drivers and hotel transfer signs. Book your transfer in advance: it is considerably smoother after a long flight than negotiating in arrivals.

Arriving from a Tanzania mainland safari?

If you flew in from Arusha, Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti or anywhere else on the mainland on a Tanzania visa, you are already covered for Zanzibar entry. No second visa needed.

Insurance depends on where you first entered Tanzania. Since 1 October 2026 the mainland has its own mandatory policy (NIC), and it is one policy per journey. If you landed on the mainland and bought NIC, that policy covers your flight to Zanzibar and you do not buy ZIC. The same goes for a ZIC policy bought and paid before 1 October 2026 for a mainland-first trip. Keep the certificate and QR code with you, because it can be scanned when you arrive in Zanzibar. If you entered the mainland before 1 October 2026, when no mainland policy existed, the notice does not cover that case; ask ZIC at zichq@zic.co.tz before you fly. Mainland-first travellers who qualify as EAC or SADC are exempt on the mainland, but Zanzibar still needs a policy from them if it is their first entry.

The document many visitors overlook: proof of onward travel

Three documents are on every Zanzibar entry checklist: passport, visa, ZIC insurance. The fourth, which most guides skip, is proof of a return or onward ticket.

Tanzania immigration can refuse entry to travellers who cannot show that they have a confirmed departure from the country. This requirement is confirmed by both the Canadian and Australian government travel advisories for Tanzania. The check is not applied universally to every passenger in the queue, but it is a real and documented ground for refusal.

In practice:

• If you have a return flight booked, carry the booking confirmation (printed or on your phone) and have it accessible when you reach the immigration desk.
• If you are travelling with a one-way ticket and no confirmed onward booking, be prepared to explain your itinerary clearly. A printed schedule, a confirmed boat or bus booking out of Tanzania, or a safari itinerary that ends with a departure flight all satisfy the requirement.
• If you are on an open-ended trip and have no onward booking, consider holding at least a fully-refundable return fare as a placeholder.

5. Health

Yellow fever: A vaccination certificate is required only if you are arriving from (or transited for more than 12 hours through) a country with active yellow fever transmission. The requirement applies to travellers aged 1 year and over, not infants under one. The CDC notes that yellow fever vaccine is generally not recommended for Tanzania itself, because Tanzania’s domestic transmission risk is low; the certificate requirement is triggered by the country you are coming from, not the country you are going to.

If your routing includes a connection through a high-risk airport (certain West or Central African hubs), check the CDC Tanzania destination page for the current list. Carry the vaccination card (yellow booklet) with your passport if you need it: it is checked at immigration.

Malaria: Zanzibar has year-round malaria transmission. It is a real health risk that requires a decision before you travel. See a travel clinic or GP at least 4–6 weeks before departure to discuss prophylaxis options for your specific health profile and trip duration.

The ZIC insurance covers medical expenses during your stay but does not substitute for a decision on prophylaxis made before departure.

For a full health briefing (malaria prophylaxis options, first-aid kit list, medical facilities on the island, ocean risks, and how to match your own travel insurance to the ZIC coverage), see the Zanzibar health guide.

How to buy ZIC insurance online: step by step

Buying the ZIC in advance takes about five minutes. Here is the exact process:

1. Go to inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz: the official government portal. Avoid third-party booking sites charging above the official USD 44 rate.
2. Enter your details: name as it appears on your passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, arrival date.
3. Choose traveller type: Adult (18+) at USD 44, Child (3–17) at USD 22, or under-3 (free). Add all travellers in your group before checkout.
4. Pay by card: Visa and Mastercard accepted. You will receive a confirmation email within a few minutes.
5. Save the QR code: It is inside the confirmation email as both a printable PDF and an inline image. Screenshot it to your camera roll and keep it for the whole trip: you do not want to rely on mobile data in the jetway. Print a copy as backup if travelling with children or elderly parents who may not carry phones.
6. Check the name matches your passport exactly. Minor differences (hyphenated names, initials) have caused minor friction at the jetway check. If there is a mismatch, contact ZIC at inbound@zic.co.tz or zichq@zic.co.tz before you travel.

If you arrive without insurance: After the QR check, go to the separate counter, apply and pay there, then continue to the visa and immigration counter.

What the ZIC policy covers, and where it stops

The ZIC inbound insurance is more than a pure entry fee. Coverage includes:

• Medical expenses incurred during your stay in Zanzibar
• Medical evacuation: if you need to be moved to a mainland facility or repatriated for treatment
• Duration: 92 days from your date of arrival

The policy covers both Unguja (the main island) and Pemba Island. It applies to all foreign non-residents; Tanzanian residents are exempt.

What the ZIC policy does not cover is equally important:

• It is not a comprehensive global travel insurance policy. Trip cancellation, pre-existing conditions, and claims made after you return home should not be assumed to be covered; check the policy document.
• It cannot be used as a substitute for your own travel insurance. You still need a separate policy alongside it.
• Policies described as “Zanzibar travel insurance” sold by third-party booking aggregators are not accepted. The ZIC policy must be purchased through the official portal (inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz or the direct sub-portal inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz) and must be issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation.

Think of the ZIC as a ring-fenced in-destination insurance, useful and real within its scope, but not a replacement for comprehensive cover. You need both documents.

Contacts: inbound@zic.co.tz · zichq@zic.co.tz · 24/7 helpline: +255 659 072 500 (toll-free within Tanzania: 080 000 8005)

If your name on the policy differs from your passport, contact ZIC before you travel.

Leaving Zanzibar: what to expect at ZNZ airport

Departure from Zanzibar International Airport is straightforward, but worth knowing:

Arrive early. Aim to be at the airport about 2 hours before an international departure. From Michamvi the drive takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, so leave roughly 3.5 hours before the flight and add 30 minutes as a buffer. For a local or mainland flight you can leave later.

Departure tax is included in your airline ticket for international departures. There is no separate airport tax you pay in cash at the counter. Domestic flights (ZNZ → DAR, ZNZ → JRO) are priced and taxed separately.

Currency: If you have leftover Tanzanian shillings, exchange them before you clear security.

Transit through DAR: If you are connecting via Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, you typically remain airside on the same booking. If your itinerary requires clearing immigration on the mainland, your existing Tanzania visa still covers re-entry, but confirm with your carrier whether you are cleared airside or must re-enter.

Official links (verify before you travel)

• Tanzania e-Visa: visa.immigration.go.tz
• ZIC Insurance: inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz
• UK FCO advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania
• Auswärtiges Amt (DE): auswaertiges-amt.de

Fees and rules change. The dates above tell you when this page was last checked against the official portals; always confirm before you travel.

Lesen Sie auf Deutsch: Einreise Sansibar für DACH-Reisende: Visum, ZIC, Malariaprophylaxe

Stone Town, where you’ll likely pass through on arrival, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Fort was built 1698–1701 under Omani rule, the House of Wonders dates to 1883, and the slave market closed in 1873. For full historical context before or after arrival, the Zanzibar history guide covers the Arab, Portuguese, Omani, British, and revolutionary eras, and the sites you can visit in Stone Town.

Alongside visa and health requirements, cultural preparation makes a difference to the Zanzibar experience. The island is approximately 99% Muslim, so Stone Town, markets, mosques, and villages have conservative dress expectations. The culture and etiquette guide covers the dress code (beach vs town distinction), Ramadan food and drink rules, photography consent, tipping norms, LGBTQ+ safety considerations, and the Swahili greetings that open doors.

For what to pack (ZIC insurance QR code, plastic bag ban, Stone Town dress code, malaria tablets, and snorkeling gear) see the Zanzibar packing list. For the full practical checklist (dress code, tides, SIM card, money, tipping, health, and transport) see the Zanzibar travel tips guide. When you arrive at Zanzibar Airport, our getting-to-Zanzibar guide covers flights and connections. From the airport, pre-arranged airport transfer options are smoother than haggling at arrivals. If you’re combining with the mainland, the mainland’s entry rules cover the visa and the NIC policy. You buy only one entry insurance per journey, chosen by where you first enter Tanzania. For general Zanzibar safety tips including petty theft, scams, and beach behaviour, see our safety guide. For a complete cost breakdown (flights, hotels, activities, what cash to carry) see the trip cost guide. For solo travellers, including women arriving alone, Zanzibar is an accessible solo destination: Stone Town has a strong hostel network, and joining tours for Prison Island, Jozani, and Kizimkazi dolphins are easy to arrange on arrival. The Zanzibar solo travel guide covers safety calibration, dress code zones, transport, and the full joining-tour circuit.