Zanzibar Entry Requirements 2026: Visa, ZIC Insurance & What Happens at the Airport

Tim manages Boutique Hotel Matlai on Zanzibar’s east coast and has met guests at ZNZ airport more times than he can count. The rules below reflect what he sees on the ground in 2026 — not what the PDF from two years ago says.

Quick reference · Visa: USD 50 on arrival (or online in advance) · ZIC Insurance: USD 44 adult · USD 22 child (3–17) · Free under 3 · Max stay: 90 days · Passport validity: 6 months beyond arrival · Last verified: June 2026 · 3+ independent sources

The one thing most guides miss: buy the ZIC insurance before you fly

“Buy the ZIC insurance before you travel — not at the airport. Some airlines have the system integrated and check at the check-in counter at your departure airport. Without proof, they may refuse to let you board. If you somehow make it to Zanzibar without it, there are desks at the airport where you can purchase it on the spot — but that’s a risk I wouldn’t take. The possibility is there; the certainty is not.”

— Tim, Hotel Matlai (June 2026)

This is the detail that isn’t in the brochure. The visa you can sort on arrival with minimal fuss. The ZIC insurance is the one that can stop your trip before it starts.

Buy it at 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.

1. Passport

Valid for at least 6 months beyond your date of entry, with one blank stamp page. Airlines enforce this at the departure gate — 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): Apply a few days before travel at visa.immigration.go.tz. Bring the approval printout or have it on your phone. The e-visa queue at ZNZ is typically faster than on-arrival.

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. Allow at least a few business days for processing.

I see this catch guests out more often than any other visa issue. American guests who have done a quick Google search, seen “USD 50 visa on arrival,” and packed accordingly arrive to find the on-arrival desk redirecting them to the online-only multiple-entry counter. The counter has a card reader, but it is worth knowing — and applying — before you travel.

3. Mandatory ZIC insurance — USD 44

Since 1 October 2024, every non-resident visitor must hold inbound insurance issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, regardless of any policy you already carry.

Coverage lasts for the duration of your stay, up to 92 days. You receive a QR code by email — keep it on your phone or print it. It is checked at multiple points (see step-by-step below).

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

The mandatory ZIC insurance levy is paid at the airport on arrival if you have not purchased it in advance — the Zanzibar airport guide explains the full arrivals process step by step, including exactly where the ZIC desk is and what the receipt is used for.

Emergency contact: [email protected] · 24/7 helpline: +331701957025

4. What actually 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 ZIC 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. 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 the desk (pen provided). Then queue for your visa stamp. If you have an e-visa, you go to the e-visa counter — noticeably shorter at most times.

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

Step 4 — Luggage collection Standard carousel. ZNZ is small — your bags usually arrive quickly.

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

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.

But the ZIC insurance is still required. This catches people out every week. Whether you arrive from London or from a tented camp in the Serengeti, the insurance check at the jetway is the same. Buy it before you leave the mainland.

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 genuinely have no onward booking, consider holding at least a fully-refundable return fare as a placeholder.

I have not personally seen guests refused entry for this reason — but I have seen the question asked at the desk, and having the confirmation ready prevents a delay that nobody wants after a long overnight flight.

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. This applies to most travellers arriving via certain African hub airports; European and North American direct routes almost never trigger it. 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. This is not optional background information — 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. Antimalarial prescriptions are not available on the island.

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 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 — 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 [email protected] before you travel.

If you somehow arrive without insurance: Desks in the jetway and in the arrivals hall sell it on the spot — card or cash in USD. The risk is the airline check at your departure airport, not ZNZ itself.

What the ZIC policy actually covers — and where it stops

The ZIC inbound insurance is more substantive than a pure entry fee. The confirmed 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
• COVID-19 disruptions — cancellation and medical expenses related to COVID-19 illness during your trip
• 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. Lost luggage, trip cancellation for non-COVID reasons, delays, theft, and claims made after you return home are not within scope.
• It cannot be used as a substitute for your own travel insurance. Every government travel advisory that mentions ZIC states explicitly that 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 — visitzanzibar.go.tz or the direct sub-portal inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz — and must be issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. One airline (Turkish Airlines) has confirmed it will refuse boarding if you present a third-party policy rather than the official ZIC document.

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.

Emergency contact: [email protected] · 24/7 helpline: +331701957025

The helpline is real and staffed. I have had guests call it on a Sunday morning from the jetway after a name mismatch flagged on their QR code. It answered, and the issue was resolved in the queue. That is not a recommendation to leave name corrections until then — contact ZIC before you travel if your name on the policy differs from your passport — but the helpline works.

Leaving Zanzibar — what to expect at ZNZ airport

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

Arrive early. ZNZ is a small airport, but international check-in queues — particularly on morning European-bound flights — can stretch 30–45 minutes. Aim to be at the airport 2.5 to 3 hours before departure.

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, typically booked via your safari operator or Precision Air.

Security is in two stages at ZNZ: a standard scanner before check-in, then again at the departure gate. Remove laptops and liquids the same as any international airport.

Currency: The airport has one exchange desk and one ATM before the security point. If you have leftover Tanzanian shillings, exchange them before you clear security — options are limited airside. US dollars are widely accepted for any last-minute purchases in the departure lounge.

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. Safari combinations usually route Zanzibar → DAR → Europe as a single itinerary, with no immigration re-check required at DAR.

Official links (verify before you travel)

• Tanzania e-Visa: visa.immigration.go.tz
• ZIC Insurance: 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 with 2,000 years of layered history. The Old Fort was built 1698–1701 by the Omani Sultanate on the ruins of a Portuguese fort; the House of Wonders was completed in 1883; the former slave market that processed an estimated 40,000–50,000 enslaved Africans per year at its peak is now preserved as a memorial inside the Anglican Cathedral. For full historical context before or after arrival, the Zanzibar history guide covers the Arab, Portuguese, Omani, British, and revolutionary eras — and every site you can visit in Stone Town.

Alongside visa and health requirements, cultural preparation makes a real difference to the Zanzibar experience. The island is approximately 99% Muslim — 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 Zanzibar taxis and transfers are safer and barely more expensive than haggling at arrivals. If you’re combining with the mainland, Tanzania entry requirements are separate from Zanzibar’s ZIC insurance — you need both. 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 Zanzibar budget guide. For solo travelers — including women arriving alone — Zanzibar is one of East Africa’s most accessible solo destinations: Stone Town has a strong hostel network, dalla-dalla public buses are safe and cheap, 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.