Stay Safe
in Tanzania
Tanzania is welcoming and, by regional standards, safe for visitors who take normal precautions. This is honest advice from people who live here — not generic embassy warnings.
Sort This
Before You Fly
Five things to handle while you’re still at home — none of them urgent once you’re actually here, all of them harder to fix from Tanzania.
Apply for your eVisa
Most nationalities need one. Apply online at immigration.go.tz at least one to two weeks before you fly — visa on arrival exists, but the queue is longer and slower.
Check your yellow fever certificate
Required if you’re arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission — check current requirements when you book, as rules change. Sort any vaccination well ahead of departure and carry the certificate in your travel documents; immigration will ask for it.
Book a travel clinic appointment
At least four weeks out. Malaria risk exists across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar year round — discuss prophylaxis options (doxycycline, Malarone, mefloquine) against your itinerary and health history. This is not a last-minute chemist visit.
Get travel insurance with evacuation cover
Not optional if you’re trekking Kilimanjaro or heading on remote safari — helicopter evacuation from the mountain costs upwards of $10,000 without cover. Confirm the policy explicitly includes evacuation, not just medical treatment.
Unlock your phone
If it’s carrier-locked, unlock it before you leave home. Vodacom and Airtel desks are in the arrivals hall at Julius Nyerere Airport — you’ll want a local SIM working within minutes of landing.
Health Checklist
Eight Steps.
In Order.
These cover arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Kilimanjaro International Airport and Abeid Amani Karume Airport in Zanzibar follow a similar process.
On the Plane / Before Landing
Sort Your eVisa Before You Queue
Sort Your eVisa Before You Queue
Apply online at immigration.go.tz before you fly — most nationalities need one, and processing takes one to three business days. Visa on arrival exists, but the queue is far longer.
Fill in the arrival card on the plane, not at the airport — it’s faster and one less queue.
Immigration Hall
Which Queue, How Long
Which Queue, How Long
Follow signs for eVisa / Pre-approved Visa. Have your passport, approval letter, and yellow fever certificate (if required) ready. Morning arrivals from Europe can mean 30–60 minute queues.
No yellow fever certificate when one’s required means a vaccination on the spot — sort it before you travel.
Baggage & Customs
Collect, Clear, Exit
Collect, Clear, Exit
Baggage claim is clearly signed. Customs is a walk-through — take the green channel if you have nothing to declare. Cash over $10,000 USD equivalent must be declared.
Keep your baggage receipt until you’re through customs — it may be checked against your luggage tag.
Arrivals Hall — Do This First
Buy a SIM Before You Leave the Airport
Buy a SIM Before You Leave the Airport
Vodacom and Airtel both have desks in the arrivals hall — buy a local SIM before you exit, registration just needs your passport. Unlock your phone beforehand if it’s carrier-locked.
Vodacom has the widest coverage in rural areas and national parks — the better choice for safari or Kilimanjaro trips.
Currency
ATM or Exchange — Know the Difference
ATM or Exchange — Know the Difference
ATMs generally beat airport exchange desks on rate. Carry both USD cash and Tanzanian shillings — USD for lodges and safaris, shillings for everyday spending.
Bring clean US bills from 2009 onward — older or marked notes are often refused.
Exiting the Airport
Ignore Everyone Outside. Use Bolt.
Ignore Everyone Outside. Use Bolt.
Taxi drivers will approach you outside arrivals — some overcharge badly. Open Bolt and request a ride from the terminal instead. Pre-arranged transfer? Look for your name on a sign.
JNIA to Msasani or Oyster Bay takes 20–45 minutes depending on traffic.
Arriving at Your Accommodation
Confirm, Settle, Eat Something Real
Confirm, Settle, Eat Something Real
Check in, confirm your room, and ask reception which area is safe to walk this evening. Eat your first meal somewhere local they recommend — not the hotel restaurant.
That Evening
Low Key First Night. High Energy Tomorrow.
Low Key First Night. High Energy Tomorrow.
Skip exploring on arrival night — settle in, eat well, sleep early, and start fresh in the morning. In Msasani, the strip is safe and walkable for a quiet drink if the timing works.
Tanzania is GMT+3 with no daylight saving — set your alarm accordingly, and skip the alcohol on night one.
What to Know.
Once You’re Here.
Not a list of scary warnings. A list of things experienced travellers handle in the first day or two so they never have to think about them again.
Cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town, mosques, and mainland villages — Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim. This isn’t about gender, it’s about the location: every traveller dresses more conservatively away from resort beaches. Swimwear is fine on the beach itself and at pool areas — not in town, markets, or villages. Safari lodges and Kilimanjaro gateway towns are more relaxed but still not beachwear. Locals notice and appreciate the effort, and you’ll get a warmer reception everywhere for it.
Keep phones, cameras, and cash out of sight in markets, on beaches, and in slow traffic. Agree transport prices before you get in the car — not after you arrive. In Dar, use Bolt so the price is set before the ride starts.
Use Bolt for city transport in Dar es Salaam — the fare is metered and the driver is tracked. Avoid unmarked taxis at night. For Zanzibar, arrange a driver through your accommodation. For inter-city travel, use reputable coach companies only.
Malaria prophylaxis is recommended across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar — see a travel clinic before departure. Drink bottled or filtered water only. Get travel insurance that includes evacuation cover, especially for Kilimanjaro trekkers.
Vodacom and Airtel Tanzania SIM cards are sold at Julius Nyerere Airport on arrival. Data is cheap — around $2–5 for a week’s usage. M-Pesa works for most payments once your SIM is active. International cards are accepted at larger hotels and supermarkets.
Call or WhatsApp your property 24–48 hours before arrival to confirm. Double-booked rooms happen — especially at guesthouses and apartments booked through aggregator sites. You don’t want to discover it after a long flight and a 2-hour drive from the airport.
Some restaurants swap in a smaller portion or a different dish once a takeaway order leaves your sight. Ask them to serve it to the table, check it, then have it boxed up in front of you before you leave. No confrontation needed — just a habit.
Area-Specific
Safety Notes
Each city has its own rhythm. Read the full destination guide for neighbourhood-level detail, trusted transport, and where to stay.
Msasani, Oyster Bay and Mikocheni are the safest visitor areas. Traffic is the daily hazard — not crime. AFCON 2027 host city.
Read the City Guide →Stone Town alleys are safe but disorienting after dark. Know your zone before you book a hotel — the island is bigger than it looks.
Read the Island Guide →Gateway to the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro. Always use a licensed safari operator — unlicensed touts at the bus station are the main risk here.
Read the Safari Guide →Save These
Before You Land
Screenshot this page. Save the numbers before you need them.
Swahili Phrases
That Actually Help
Not the tourist phrases you already know. Locals respond warmly when a visitor tries — even one phrase changes the dynamic from tourist to guest. Screenshot the ones you need before you leave WiFi.
Markets, Shops & Haggling
Taxis, Boda Bodas & Getting Around
Greetings & Respect
Restaurants & Food
Emergency — Screenshot This Section