Tanzania - Health AND Travel Advice

Health Advice

Recommended Immunisations

Hepatitis A
Polio
Tetanus
Typhoid Fever
Meningococcal meningitis (especially for long stays)

Yellow Fever All travellers from Non-Endemic Yellow Fever zone(s) OR who have passed through an Endemic Yellow Fever zone(s) but did not leave that country's airport, will not be required to show a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate on their arrival to Tanzania and/or Zanzibar.

All travellers who have passed through an Endemic Yellow Fever zone(s) en-route to Tanzania and have left the airport of that endemic country OR travel from a Endemic Yellow Fever zone(s), will be required to show yellow fever certificates on their arrival in Tanzania. Otherwise they will be require a vaccination at the entry point of arrival in Tanzania (vaccination fee is US$50).

All people travelling from Tanzania mainland to Zanzibar will not be required to show their yellow fever vaccination certificate, as Zanzibar is inside the United Republic of Tanzania.

Malaria Malaria is endemic all year round throughout Tanzania and is chloroquine resistant, hence adequate prophylaxis is vitally important.

Passport & Visa

Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months at the time of travel and have preferably 2 blank pages.

Visas are required for most EU member states. Visas for UK citizens can be obtained from the Tanzanian High Commission in London: 3 Stratford Place, London W1C 1AF. Phone: 0207 - 491 3026 (visa section 0207 569 1489/86) or visit the Tanzania High Commission website for more information.

Visas can also be obtained on arrival at Dar-es-Salaam airport, Zanzibar airport, Kilimanjaro airport and Namanga entry point for US$50, except for nationals from the Republic of Ireland and USA who pay US$100 (at the time this information went to press - December 2011).

If you want to obtain a visa on arrival at one of the above entry points, you will now need to complete the new Visa Application form, as well as the standard arrival documents. To minimise queuing at the airport, you can print and complete the forms in advance.

Please note that not all passport holders can obtain visas on arrival. Certain nationals need to apply for visas in advance. Please check Tanzania's Ministry of Home Affairs, if you require a so called Referred Visa.

General Tips

Tap water in Tanzania is not recommended for the use of drinking water. Always use bottled mineral water or filtered water, which is widely available, for drinking and brushing teeth.

The local currency is the Tanzanian Shilling (generally abbreviated to TSh), divided into 100 cents, however mainly notes are in circulation. The exchange rate is approximately US$1=TSh1,240, £1=TSh1,850 and €1=Tsh1,550. It is recommended to carry cash, in preferably US$, which can be changed easily into Tanzanian Shillings.

Credit Cards are not widely accepted in Tanzania. Only a few ATMs are available for cash withdrawals, in for example Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam. VISA and MasterCard are normally accepted in the better hotels, lodges, restaurants and shops in Tanzania, however be aware that they may charge very high commission rates (up to 10%). Note that reliance, especially away from major centres, should not be placed on credit card, as transactions are not available at all places.

Internet and email facilities are now widely available in most towns and cities in Tanzania.

Tanzania uses 230V electricity but encounters frequent power cuts. Plugs and sockets vary, but are usually the British three-square-pin or the European two-round-pin types. The Tanzania time zone is GMT+3, meaning that during the summer time period in Europe, Tanzania is 2 hours ahead of the UK and 1 hour ahead of most other Western European countries.

For more general health & travel advice, packing tips and travel insurance, please check our Travel Planning section.