Tanzania’s $44 Inbound Travel Insurance Rule: What the 2026 Regulations Require

Travelers preparing for a trip to Mainland Tanzania now have a new insurance framework to account for in their planning.

Government Notice No. 256, published on September 4, 2026, contains the Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations, 2026. The regulations were made under section 134A(5) of Tanzania’s Insurance Act and apply to covered foreigners entering Mainland Tanzania through land borders, seaports, or airports.

The framework sets a premium equal to US$44 in Tanzanian shillings, provides coverage for a maximum of 92 days from arrival, allows multiple entries during that period, and requires a new policy for stays extending beyond 92 days.

For travelers, the regulation adds a specific insurance document to the entry-planning process. The legal text also defines who falls inside the requirement, which providers may issue the policy, what minimum benefits must be included, and what happens when a covered traveler arrives without valid insurance.

How the rule developed

The statutory basis appeared in Tanzania’s Finance Act, 2025.

That Act amended the Insurance Act by adding section 134A, titled “Mandatory inbound travel insurance.” The provision established the US$44-equivalent premium and a maximum 92-day coverage period for foreigners entering Mainland Tanzania.

The 2026 regulations provide the operational structure around that statutory requirement.

They address eligibility, purchase timing, proof of insurance, policy duration, premium payment, participating insurers, minimum benefits, product approval, traveler information, implementation infrastructure, and data protection.

Who is covered

The regulations apply to a “foreigner” entering Mainland Tanzania through land, seaport, or airport.

The definition is narrower than simply “anyone who is not Tanzanian.”

Under regulation 3, a foreigner is a citizen other than a citizen of the United Republic of Tanzania, while residents of East African Community partner states and Southern African Development Community partner states are excluded from that definition.

For a traveler, residency can therefore affect whether the mainland insurance requirement applies.

The regulation is written specifically for Mainland Tanzania. Travelers whose itineraries also include Zanzibar should verify the rules that apply to each part of the trip rather than treating every Tanzanian entry requirement as one system.

The policy can be purchased before travel or at entry

Regulation 4 requires a covered foreigner entering Mainland Tanzania to possess a valid inbound travel insurance policy issued by an authorized inbound travel insurer.

The policy may be purchased before travel or at the point of entry.

After payment, the insurer must issue a certificate and policy either electronically or in hard copy.

The same regulation states that a covered foreigner entering Mainland Tanzania without a valid inbound travel insurance policy shall be denied entry.

A maximum of 92 days, with multiple entries

The policy is valid for a maximum of 92 days beginning on the traveler’s date of arrival in Mainland Tanzania.

The 92-day validity period includes multiple entries into Mainland Tanzania. A traveler who remains beyond that period must apply for a new policy.

This structure can affect travelers using Tanzania as part of a wider East African itinerary. Someone leaving the mainland and returning during the same valid 92-day period does not need a new policy solely because of that re-entry, provided the original policy remains valid.

The premium is tied to US$44

Regulation 6 sets the premium at an amount of Tanzanian shillings equivalent to US$44.

Payment must be made through the payment systems provided by the inbound travel insurer.

The premium is non-refundable except upon cancellation or under other specific circumstances provided in the policy.

Because the regulation expresses the charge as a Tanzanian-shilling equivalent of US$44, the local-currency amount can vary with the applicable exchange rate.

Who can issue the policy

The regulations define the inbound travel insurer as the National Insurance Corporation or another registered insurer operating in partnership with the National Insurance Corporation.

The National Insurance Corporation is responsible for developing the partnership arrangement through which other registered insurers may participate.

The insurer must also establish a way to verify premium payments and integrate its systems with relevant travel authorities for insurance verification.

For travelers, an existing private travel policy from another market should not automatically be assumed to satisfy this requirement. The regulation specifies the insurer structure used for the mandatory mainland policy.

What the policy must cover

Regulation 8 establishes four minimum benefit categories:

• Emergency medical treatment
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Emergency repatriation
• Loss of luggage

The regulation does not assign a universal monetary benefit limit to each category.

Instead, the limits of cover and specific benefits must be stated in the policy issued by the inbound travel insurer.

Travelers comparing this mandatory policy with separate travel insurance should therefore review the actual policy schedule, exclusions, benefit limits, and claims conditions before deciding what additional coverage they may want for their trip.

How claims and traveler information are supposed to work

The insurer is required to provide clear claims procedures, disclose policy terms, exclusions, and limits, provide assistance contact details, and maintain records of policies, claims received, and claims settled.

Regulation 10 also requires the insurer to provide information about the inbound insurance service, including designated service providers and emergency-assistance contact details.

That information is to be made available through official websites and social media accounts of the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority and the inbound travel insurer.

The regulations also direct the insurer to develop infrastructure for effective implementation, including automated underwriting and claims handling, customer-care and complaints systems, and service-provider mechanisms.

Personal data collected through administration of the policy must be handled in accordance with Tanzania’s Personal Data Protection Act.

What travelers should verify before departure

For a future Mainland Tanzania trip, the practical checklist now includes several insurance-specific questions:

• Does the requirement apply to my residency status?
• Where is the approved policy currently being sold?
• What Tanzanian-shilling amount is being charged at the time of purchase?
• What benefit limits and exclusions appear in the issued policy?
• How will I present proof of coverage at entry?
• Does my itinerary extend beyond 92 days?
• If I am also traveling to Zanzibar, what separate entry requirements apply there?

Travelers should use the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority, the National Insurance Corporation, and other official Tanzanian government channels for current purchase and implementation instructions.

The larger travel-planning consequence

The 2026 regulations turn inbound travel insurance into part of the formal entry framework for covered visitors to Mainland Tanzania.

The policy is standardized around a US$44-equivalent premium, a 92-day maximum term, multiple-entry validity, and four required categories of protection. It also creates a direct verification relationship between the insurer and travel authorities.

For people planning longer stays, regional travel, medical travel, remote work, retirement scouting, or repeat entries through Mainland Tanzania, the insurance requirement now belongs alongside visa rules, passport validity, transportation, accommodations, and other pre-departure checks.

The legal text gives travelers the core framework. The policy actually issued to the traveler will supply the financial limits, exclusions, claims procedures, and other contract-specific details needed to understand the protection being purchased.

References & Sources

• The Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations, 2026 — Government Notice No. 256, published September 4, 2026.
• The Finance Act, 2025 — United Republic of Tanzania, Ministry of Finance.

Planning a Tanzania trip? Save this guide and verify the current insurance purchase instructions through Tanzania’s official insurance and government channels before departure.