Tanzania COVID Testing & Info

LAST UPDATED: August 1, 2022

UPDATE MAY 2023: Tanzania no longer requires COVID-19 testing, nor proof of vaccination status, to enter or exit the country. However, upon arrival in Tanzania, all airline passengers are still checked via thermal and physical appearance screening. RT-PCR (USD$50) and Rapid Antigen tests (USD$10) are still available at multiple testing centers if needed.

2021 was a big year for the country of Tanzania, with the ongoing struggle with COVID-19 combined with the death of the former president Dr. John Magufuli in March. Since the former head of state’s death, his Vice President, Samia Suluhu, has gone on to become the country’s first female president.

Along with the change in leadership came a change in how the country deals with the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic. The former president was known throughout Africa and the world as being a bit of a COVID-denier, and because of that Tanzania was quite lax in enforcing many of the tactics that other countries had been using to stop the spread of the disease (quarantines, mandatory testing, etc.). This has all changed very rapidly since the new president became head of the country, and now the government is taking a much harder stance on preventing any outbreaks in the country, as detailed below:

Pre-arrival COVID Testing

UPDATE May 2022: all airlines flying into Tanzania have dropped their requirement for a COVID-19 test for passengers that are vaccinated (physical proof of vaccination will be required to be shown at immigration).

• The only accepted vaccines are those which have been approved by the United Republic of Tanzania and the World Health Organization (including Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson).
• “Fully Vaccinated” means one dose of a single-dose vaccine or both doses of a two-dose vaccine. At this time, booster vaccinations are not taken into account.
• Guests not fully vaccinated, the unvaccinated, and those who do not have an eligible vaccination will be required to present a negative COVID-19 RT- PCR or NAATs certificate with QR code obtained within 72 hours before departure. Guests may be tested on arrival to the Tanzanian mainland using a Rapid Antigen Test at their own expense ($10 USD or TZS 23,000, payable online or at the airport). If found positive they will then be tested with RT- PCR for confirmation and if confirmed infected will be sent to self-isolate at their own expense.

For the most up-to-date information, please consult your airline directly, as well as government websites, as they each have different policies regarding required tests that are always changing. We do our best to make sure this information is up-to-date, but with the pace of change, we cannot guarantee it is 100% accurate at the time you’re reading it.

Pre-arrival Online Health Form

As of May 2022, the pre-arrival online health attestation form no longer needs to be filled out.

COVID Testing On Arrival

Although no longer mandatory in many cases (see above), if you need or wish to get a Rapid COVID-19 Antigen test upon arrival at the airport, you may do so at your own expense. The cost for this test is $10/person ($25/person if flying directly into Zanzibar) and may be paid via cash or credit/debit card (remember to contact your card issuer before heading to Tanzania to let them know you will be traveling abroad). Once tested via a nasal swab, your results will be given to you within an average of ten minutes or so, after which you will be allowed to collect your baggage and proceed through customs.

This slows down your arrival and immigration process by about twenty minutes or so, so plan to spend a bit of extra time when entering the country. (As there are no bathrooms available until you clear customs, we highly recommend using the restroom on the plane before landing.)

Pre-departure COVID Testing

As of December 2021, all guests returning back to the U.S. or Europe are required to undergo a rapid COVID-19 test within 24 hours of boarding their first flight. There are testing facilities set up in Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Kilimanjaro International Airports to facilitate this, at the cost of USD$10/person, payable in cash. Reservations are not needed, and the testing center is open long enough to serve passengers up to two hours ahead of the last scheduled flight of the evening.

If you prefer or require an RT-PCR test for your next destination, there are various clinics throughout the country (Serengeti National Park, Arusha, Karatu, etc.) that provide test results back within 24-48 hours. The cost for this test is $50/person, plus a $20 processing fee, and is payable via cash or credit/debit card. Just be sure to let us know that you would like to schedule an RT-PCR test and we will make sure that your itinerary allows for the required amount of time in order to take the test and have the results delivered before your flight.

For the most up-to-date information on exactly what COVID-19 test you need for your flight, please consult your airline directly, as they each have different policies regarding required tests.

COVID-19 Testing in Zanzibar

As of late, some of our guests have asked whether or not they need a separate COVID test in order to go to Zanzibar (as about half of our guests do after a safari trip or Kilimanjaro trekking adventure). If you have already flown into Tanzania and have tested negative for Coronavirus, you do not need an additional test to fly to/enter Zanzibar.

If your final port of call within Tanzania is Zanzibar, and you need to take a COVID-19 test in order to board your international flight back home, you can get one at the Lumumba COVID-19 Testing centers (multiple locations), which are located near both Stone Town and Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). If flying into Zanzibar as your first port of call in Tanzania, you will take a rapid COVID-19 test at the airport (USD$25).

Turnaround time is currently listed at up to 72 hours, so be sure to do the math and take it as soon as possible before your flight to satisfy the 72-hour window that all international providers are requiring (e.g. if your flight leaves Thursday at noon, be sure to get the test in the early afternoon [after 12:00 pm] on Monday).

Appointments may be scheduled online here.

Additional COVID-19 Safety Precautions

In addition to the testing procedures detailed above:

• All of our guides are tested within 48 hours of receiving guests at the airport
• All vehicles are completely disinfected before guest arrival
• Hand sanitizing/washing will be required at points during the trip
• Masks will be worn by driver guides upon request

All of our partner lodges and activity partners are also trained in the detection of COVID-19 symptoms and how to prevent the spread of the disease. All lodges are disinfected before guests arrive, and common spaces are cleaned regularly.

Because of the scarcity of high-quality facemasks and portable hand sanitizer in Tanzania, guests are encouraged to bring enough supplies of each for the duration of their time in the country.

For more about our Safe & Clean Commitment, please see this post.