---
title: Tanzania Now Requires Foreign Visitors to Buy a $44 Government Travel Insurance Policy
description: Since October 1, every foreign visitor to mainland Tanzania must buy the NIC policy, even with cover from home. What it covers and what it leaves out.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-10-16T11:32:07.354Z
updated: 2026-10-16T11:32:07.361Z
canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/tanzania-mandatory-travel-insurance
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-safari-jeeps-drive-on-a-red-dirt-road-through-the-ngorongoro-28708299.jpg
categories: Smart Travel
content_type: News
region: Tanzania
publication: Rich Travel Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

Since October 1, 2026, foreign visitors entering mainland Tanzania, whether through an airport, a land border or a seaport, have had to hold a travel insurance policy issued through the country's National Insurance Corporation (NIC). A policy bought at home does not replace it. The policy costs $44 per visitor and covers medical emergencies for up to 92 days. Residents of East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries are exempt.

The Ministry of Finance brought in the rule through regulations published on September 4. "International travellers should obtain the required cover before travelling to Tanzania to avoid delays during entry procedures," the ministry said in a statement signed on September 25 by Dr Natu Mwamba, the Permanent Secretary and Paymaster General, Tanzania's The Citizen reported.

## Visitors Without the Policy Can Be Refused Entry

Travelers can buy the policy before they leave home or at the point of entry when they land, and the insurer issues a certificate and policy on paper or electronically, according to a summary of the regulations by law firm Clyde & Co. Under regulation 4(4), a foreigner without one "shall be denied entry into Mainland Tanzania."

The premium is payable in Tanzanian shillings, at the equivalent of $44, or about 116,000 shillings, and it is non-refundable except on cancellation or in circumstances set out in the policy. One policy lasts a maximum of 92 days from arrival and allows multiple entries in that window, so a traveler who crosses into a neighboring country and comes back within it does not pay again. Anyone staying longer than 92 days needs a new policy.

## One Policy Covers a Trip to Both the Mainland and Zanzibar

Zanzibar has run its own mandatory scheme for foreign visitors since October 2024, according to the International Travel & Health Insurance Journal (ITIJ), and sells its policy through the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC). Visitors who arrive through Zanzibar buy from ZIC, visitors who arrive on the mainland buy from NIC, and a trip that takes in both needs only one policy, according to [the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam](https://www.norway.no/en/tanzania/norway-tanzania/news-events/mandatory-travel-insurance/).

## Cover Limits Are Set in Each Policy, Not in the Regulations

Under the regulations, every policy must cover emergency medical treatment, emergency medical evacuation, emergency repatriation and lost luggage, but the limits of that cover are written into the policy itself rather than the regulations. Squaremouth, a US marketplace that compares travel insurance plans, says publicly available information on the mainland policy's cover is limited, and it uses Zanzibar's published policy as a guide. That policy includes $50,000 of emergency medical cover and lists no trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay or missed connection benefits.

For safaris and other trips far from major medical facilities, Squaremouth recommends at least $100,000 of emergency medical cover and $250,000 of medical evacuation cover. Its Q3 2026 Travel Insurance Trends Report puts the average insured trip to Tanzania at more than $24,000. "Tanzania's required coverage provides basic coverage," said Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth, who says a more comprehensive policy better protects that kind of spending. Squaremouth says a comprehensive policy can reimburse up to 100% of prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if a traveler has to cancel, and that Cancel For Any Reason and Interruption For Any Reason upgrades pay back 50% to 75% of trip costs.

Many travel credit cards offer little or no emergency medical cover abroad, [as we reported in August](https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/travel-credit-card-coverage-gaps-abroad).

Mainland Tanzania's inbound travel insurance policies are sold through [NIC's online portal](https://inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz/).

## FAQ

**Q: Who handles a medical emergency under the mandatory policy?**
The insurer that sold you the policy. Visitors covered by the scheme receive services from the insurance provider through which they obtained their policy if an emergency occurs anywhere in Tanzania, subject to the policy's terms, according to the Ministry of Finance statement reported by The Citizen.

**Q: Where can I see the mandatory policy's cover limits?**
The insurer must disclose the policy's terms, exclusions and limits to the person insured, give contact details for assistance and set out a procedure for claims, according to Clyde & Co's summary of the regulations.

**Q: Does the policy have to come from NIC itself?**
Mainland policies come from NIC. The regulations allow other insurers to provide them in partnership with NIC under arrangements NIC is to set up, according to Clyde & Co's summary, and insurance bought at home does not count.