Zanzibar Visa and Entry Requirements

Updated October 26, 2026 · Zanzibar Ibrahim Tours

Zanzibar uses Tanzania’s immigration system, so check Tanzania visa requirements for the passport you hold. A visa and mandatory inbound travel insurance are separate arrangements. Your first point of entry matters for insurance, especially when combining a mainland safari with Zanzibar; verify the official rules again before departure.

Choose the correct visa category

Use the Tanzania Immigration website to check whether your nationality requires a visa and which category applies. The ordinary visa is the usual tourism category for eligible travellers; US passport holders visiting for tourism are directed to the multiple-entry category. Exemptions and referral rules also exist, so do not copy another traveller’s application choices.

Prepare the documents requested by the official portal and keep the application reference. The immigration authority makes the admission decision at the border; an approved application does not remove the need to satisfy entry conditions.

Use the official application website

Start from Tanzania’s official eVisa portal. Check the address before uploading passport information or paying. Allow time to respond to requests for additional information. Do not rely on a promised turnaround from an unrelated commercial website.

Keep a readable copy of your approval and the accommodation and onward-travel details associated with your itinerary. Check every person’s application, including children, rather than assuming a family shares one visa.

Insurance depends on the first port of entry

The FCDO entry guidance checked for this article says visitors arriving first in Zanzibar should obtain the required inbound cover from Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, while mainland-first arrivals use National Insurance Corporation. It describes a first-port arrangement for purchases after 1 October, with separate treatment for earlier ZIC policies. Read the current guidance for your purchase and arrival dates.

Do not automatically buy two policies for a safari-and-beach itinerary, and do not assume your ordinary travel policy satisfies the inbound requirement. Confirm the current rule through the official providers linked from the government guidance.

Check passport and health documentation

Read the passport-validity and blank-page rules for your nationality and document type. Transit routing can affect health-document requirements. Consult the official entry guidance and a travel-health professional about your own route rather than treating a general blog as medical advice.

Keep essential documents accessible on arrival and save offline copies. Check whether any health forms or screening requirements have changed shortly before you fly.

Combining mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar

Tanzania Immigration explains that travellers visiting both the mainland and Zanzibar should select their first destination in the application and can visit both without obtaining a new visa for that internal move. Leaving Tanzania for another country can change the assessment, so review the rules for the complete itinerary.

Plan your next step

Sources

FAQs

Do I need a separate Zanzibar visa after a Tanzania safari?

Tanzania Immigration states that the same visa can cover mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Check separately if your itinerary leaves the country and returns.

Is inbound insurance the same as a visa?

No. Immigration permission and required inbound insurance are separate. Check both and retain the relevant confirmations.

Where should I apply for a Tanzania eVisa?

Use visa.immigration.go.tz, the official Tanzania Immigration portal, and check the guidelines for your passport and purpose of travel.