Tanzania mandates travel insurance for foreign visitors

Tanzania has introduced mandatory travel insurance for foreign visitors entering the mainland, extending compulsory inbound cover to travellers arriving by air, land, or sea.

Under the Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations 2026, eligible visitors must hold a valid policy before entering the country. Travellers can purchase cover before departure or at the point of entry, and those arriving without insurance may be refused entry.

The policy costs around US$44 and is valid for up to 92 days, including multiple entries during that period. Visitors staying longer will need to obtain a new policy.

Cover includes emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation, and repatriation, as well as lost luggage. Policies will be provided by Tanzania’s National Insurance Corporation (NIC) or registered insurers working in partnership with NIC.

Nationals of East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states are exempt from the requirement.

The move extends Tanzania’s use of compulsory visitor insurance following the introduction of a separate mandatory scheme for foreign travellers to Zanzibar in October 2024.

The expansion of destination-mandated cover raises questions about how compulsory local policies interact with travellers' existing insurance, particularly where both provide emergency medical, evacuation, and repatriation benefits.

Neighbouring Kenya introduced its own mandatory inbound travel health insurance framework in July, although implementation was subsequently suspended by the country’s High Court pending a legal challenge.