Zanzibar visa, mandatory insurance and safety

Do you need a visa for Zanzibar?

Yes, most visitors do. Zanzibar has its own government but uses Tanzania's immigration rules, so citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia need a Tanzanian visa. The simplest option is the official e-visa, applied for online on the Tanzania Immigration Services portal before you travel.

The ordinary single-entry tourist visa is widely reported at US$50 and is valid for up to 90 days; US passport holders are issued a multiple-entry visa at US$100. Apply at least two weeks ahead: processing usually takes a few working days but can be slower in high season, and the fee is not refundable. Many third-party websites look official and add their own service fee, so check that you are on the government portal.

A single-entry visa can also be obtained on arrival at the main airports and ports, according to UK government advice, but you may be asked for proof of onward travel, queues can be long, and multiple-entry visas are not available on arrival. If you will cross to the mainland for a safari and come back, a single-entry visa covers it: Zanzibar and the mainland are the same country.

The mandatory Zanzibar travel insurance

Since 1 October 2024 every non-resident visitor to Zanzibar must hold the inbound travel insurance of the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC), even if you already have your own policy: private insurance does not replace it. The cover is valid for the length of your stay, up to 92 days, and costs about US$44 per adult. Reported prices for children vary, so check the current rate on the official portal when you apply.

Buy it on the official site, inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz, linked from visitzanzibar.go.tz. You fill in your details and travel dates, pay online and receive a certificate with a QR code to show on arrival. It can also be bought at the port of entry, but doing it in advance saves time in the arrival hall. The portal itself warns that it is the only official website for this insurance.

Arriving via the mainland? Since 1 October 2026 mainland Tanzania requires an equivalent policy from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC). You only need one policy, the one for your first point of entry: ZIC if you land in Zanzibar, NIC if you enter through Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro and then continue to the island.

The state cover is built around emergencies on the islands (medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation). It is not a full travel policy: trip cancellation, for example, is not part of it. Germany's Foreign Office and most travel doctors still recommend your own international travel health insurance for the whole trip.

Passport and vaccination rules

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive and have at least one blank page. Entry can be refused with a passport that has been reported lost or stolen, even if you later found it.

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required only if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission, which includes several neighbouring countries such as Kenya. Travellers flying direct from Europe or North America do not need one, but a stopover or a previous trip on the same journey can change that: check your exact route on TravelHealthPro or with your airline before you fly.

At the time of writing, travellers also pass a quick temperature screening for mpox at Tanzanian points of entry. It takes seconds and needs no paperwork.

Health: malaria, water and sun

Zanzibar has far fewer malaria cases than the mainland, but UK travel-health advice (NaTHNaC) still classes all of Tanzania, Zanzibar included, as a high-risk area, and the risk is higher still on a mainland safari. Whether you need antimalarial tablets depends on your itinerary and health, so ask a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go. Whatever they advise, use insect repellent from dusk, sleep under a net or with air conditioning and wear long sleeves in the evening.

Drink bottled or filtered water and be careful with ice and salads outside hotels and well-known restaurants. The equatorial sun is strong even on cloudy days. On the east coast you often walk across the lagoon at low tide, among coral and sea urchins: reef shoes are worth packing.

Is Zanzibar safe?

Zanzibar is generally a safe and welcoming place to travel, and the main risks are the ordinary ones of any busy holiday destination: petty theft, overpriced deals and road traffic. The UK government advises against travel only to areas of mainland Tanzania near the border with Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, far from the islands.

In Stone Town, keep valuables out of sight, use a taxi rather than walking through quiet alleys late at night, and leave passports in the hotel safe. On the beaches you will be approached by sellers offering boat trips and souvenirs, known locally as papasi: a polite "no thank you" is enough, and it is safer to book boat trips and excursions with an operator that has reviews, a licence and life jackets for everyone on board.

Drive only if you are confident: roads are narrow, lit poorly at night and shared with scooters, cyclists and dala-dala minibuses, and you need a local driving permit on top of your licence. Most visitors use transfers and taxis instead; our ferry and airport transfers guide explains the options.

Local customs, dress and Ramadan

Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim, and dress codes are taken seriously outside the beaches and hotels. In Stone Town and in villages, cover shoulders and knees; swimwear belongs on the beach and at the pool. Ask before photographing people, especially women and children.

During Ramadan many restaurants outside hotels close in daylight and visitors are asked not to eat, drink or smoke in public during fasting hours, and to dress more conservatively. Hotels and resorts keep serving their guests. Dates change every year; in 2027 Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February. See the best time to visit Zanzibar for the seasons and festivals.

Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and same-sex relationships are illegal in Tanzania, so discretion is advised.

Money, plastic bags and drones

The currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS), but hotels, tours, ferries and many restaurants still quote and accept US dollars, although since 2025 Bank of Tanzania rules require prices to be shown and charged in shillings, ferry tickets included. Bring clean, recent banknotes: older US notes, especially those printed before 2009, are often refused. ATMs are found in Stone Town, at the airport and in the main resort areas, and cards are accepted in larger hotels, often with a surcharge. Our prices and budget guide covers what things cost.

Zanzibar bans plastic bags, and the ban can be applied to bags in your luggage. Pack toiletries in a fabric or reusable pouch and leave carrier bags at home.

Flying a drone requires import and operating permits from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, applied for well in advance; drones arriving without them can be held at the airport. Without a permit, leave it at home.