Qurexa Logo
Qurexa

Trust. Care. Deliver.

Back to Blog & Insights
Travel

Your own policy is not enough: Tanzania now sells you insurance at the border

Qurexa Editorial Team12 October 20267 min read 0 0
Your own policy is not enough: Tanzania now sells you insurance at the border

What happened

The Foreign Office has updated its Tanzania travel advice to cover a government insurance requirement that now applies to the mainland as well as Zanzibar. The update was published on 9 October 2026 and covers two things: mandatory travel insurance and wildfires. The advice remains current as of today. The insurance rule is the one that will catch people out. All visitors to mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, apart from residents, must have mandatory Tanzanian Government-provided inbound travel insurance. The important word there is 'provided'. This is not a requirement to have travel insurance. It is a requirement to buy a specific government-provided policy, and holding your own personal travel insurance policy does not exempt you. Which insurer you buy from depends on where you land first. If Zanzibar is your first port of entry, you buy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. If mainland Tanzania is your first port of entry, you buy from the National Insurance Corporation. You only need to buy it for your first port of entry, and the cover runs for your whole stay, up to 92 days. You can buy it online in advance or at the port of entry on arrival. There is one transitional exemption. Travellers who bought Zanzibar Insurance Corporation cover before 1 October can use it when mainland Tanzania is their first port of entry, so they do not need to buy again from the National Insurance Corporation. The FCDO warns plainly that you may be refused entry without it.

Why this matters

Tanzania is a significant destination for British travellers. Zanzibar's beaches, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro all draw UK visitors, and many trips combine the mainland and the island. Zanzibar introduced its version of this requirement some time ago, and regular visitors will know about it. What has changed is that the mainland now has its own scheme too, which means the rule you remember may no longer be the rule that applies to your route. The routing detail is where mistakes will happen. Whether you need the Zanzibar policy or the mainland policy depends on which one you arrive in first, not where you spend most of your holiday. A traveller flying into Dar es Salaam before hopping to Zanzibar needs the mainland policy; one flying straight into Zanzibar needs the island's. And the consequence is not a fine or an inconvenience. The FCDO says you may be refused entry. That is the sharpest kind of travel rule, and it sits at the end of a long flight. There is a broader pattern worth noticing. Several East African countries have introduced compulsory state-provided travel insurance as an entry condition in recent years. If you travel in the region, assume the rules have changed since your last trip and check each country separately.

What the evidence actually says

A few limits on what we can tell you, stated honestly. The FCDO page does not state a price. We are not going to guess at one, and nor should any other site. Check the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation or National Insurance Corporation websites for current costs. The cover itself is also not described in detail on the FCDO page. That matters, because a mandatory state policy is not the same thing as comprehensive travel insurance. State-provided schemes of this type are typically narrow, often covering emergency medical treatment and repatriation rather than cancellation, baggage, or pre-existing conditions. So the sensible assumption is that this is an additional requirement, not a replacement for your own insurance. You will probably need both: the government policy to get in, and your own policy to actually be covered properly. The FCDO wording supports this reading, since it says the requirement applies even if you hold a personal policy. On wildfires, the same 9 October update added information under the safety and security pages. The detail sits on those pages rather than the main warnings page, so check them directly. One separate point from the same advice, unrelated to insurance: the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 20km of the Cabo Delgado border with Mozambique, because of attacks by Islamic extremist groups. That is a long-standing warning rather than new, but it is worth knowing if your route goes south.

Qurexa perspective

A practical note from our side of healthcare, because this is one of the most common travel problems we see and it has nothing to do with insurance paperwork. If you take regular medicines, a long-haul trip needs planning several weeks ahead, not a few days. You will usually need enough supply for the whole trip plus a buffer for delays, and your GP may not be able to issue a long holiday supply at short notice. NHS repeat prescriptions are normally issued for a set period, and asking for extra takes a conversation. Starting that conversation in good time is the whole trick. It is also worth checking whether any of your medicines are controlled drugs or restricted in Tanzania, because some medicines that are routine in the UK are regulated elsewhere. Your pharmacist can tell you, and carrying a copy of your prescription or a letter from your GP is standard advice. We can make sure your repeat prescription arrives before you fly rather than after. We cannot speed up a GP decision, which is exactly why the timing matters.

Practical advice

Work through this list before you book flights, not after. First, check the current entry requirements at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania, and sign up for email alerts on that page so you hear about changes. Second, work out your first port of entry. That decides which insurer you buy from: Zanzibar Insurance Corporation for Zanzibar, National Insurance Corporation for the mainland. Third, buy the government policy. Doing it online in advance is less stressful than queueing after a flight, though both are allowed. Fourth, keep your own travel insurance as well, and check it covers the activities you plan. Safari, diving and climbing Kilimanjaro are often excluded or need an add-on, and altitude cover for Kilimanjaro is a specific thing to ask about. Fifth, check your vaccinations and malaria prevention well in advance. The NHS Fit for Travel and TravelHealthPro sites give country-specific advice, and some vaccines need several weeks to take effect. Yellow fever certificate requirements can apply depending on your route. Sixth, sort your medicines early, with enough for the trip plus a buffer, and a copy of your prescription. Seventh, check your passport has at least six months' validity and enough blank pages, and confirm your visa or eVisa requirements separately from the insurance rule. They are different processes.

What to know

From the FCDO's 9 October 2026 update: all visitors to mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, except residents, must buy mandatory Tanzanian Government-provided inbound travel insurance. Holding your own personal policy does not exempt you, and you may be refused entry without the government cover. Buy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation if Zanzibar is your first port of entry, or the National Insurance Corporation if mainland Tanzania is. You buy it only for your first port of entry, it covers your whole stay up to 92 days, and you can buy online in advance or on arrival. Travellers who bought ZIC cover before 1 October can use it when entering via the mainland. The FCDO page does not give a price or full cover details. Treat this as an extra requirement rather than a substitute for proper travel insurance. The same update added wildfire information to the safety and security pages. Separately, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20km of the Cabo Delgado border with Mozambique. Plan medicines, vaccinations and activity-specific insurance cover well in advance. Sources: FCDO, "Tanzania travel advice: Entry requirements", GOV.UK, updated 9 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements ; FCDO, "Tanzania travel advice: Warnings and insurance", GOV.UK, updated 9 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/warnings-and-insurance ; NaTHNaC, TravelHealthPro country information, https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. Always check the current FCDO travel advice and take travel health advice before you travel.

#Tanzania#Zanzibar#travel advice#travel insurance#FCDO#entry requirements

Related articles