Do I need a visa for Zanzibar?
Zanzibar united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania, while keeping its own government. The result is rules common to the country and others specific to the archipelago.
The visa is common. The e-visa issued on visa.immigration.go.tz is valid for the whole territory: for a British, Irish, Canadian or most European traveller, it is the tourist e-visa, at $50.75, for 90 days and a single entry. Moving from the mainland to Zanzibar requires no new visa.
The average delay observed by the team is about 7 days, hence an application at least 14 days before the flight (see e-visa). The visa on arrival is still offered at Zanzibar airport. The passport must be valid 6 months after entry.
Mandatory Zanzibar insurance: who has to buy it?
Since 1 October 2024, a notice from the Zanzibari Ministry of Finance requires every non-resident foreigner entering Zanzibar, by sea or by air, to hold insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC), valid for the whole stay up to 92 days. It is bought on visitzanzibar.go.tz or on arrival. Without it, entry may be refused.
The fee is $44 per adult, $22 for ages 3–17 years, free under 3 years. The average delay observed by the team is under an hour.
Who buys it? The traveller whose first point of entry to Tanzania is Zanzibar. The NIC, citing the public notice of the Tanzanian Ministry of Finance, and the FCDO both state it: a traveller who entered through the mainland with NIC insurance reaches Zanzibar without buying another, and the reverse. The NIC certificate is kept to hand on arrival on the island.
The calculator adds up the cost of the formalities for a trip according to the first point of entry and the make-up of the group.
- tourism e-visa × 2
- $101.5
- NIC insurance: 2 × $44
- $88
- Afya Msafiri form × 2
- free
- Total to pay
- $189.5
Amounts paid online, transaction fees included. One e-visa per passport, children included. A single insurance per traveller: the one for the first point of entry.
Coverage and special cases are on the mandatory insurance page.
Getting to Zanzibar by plane or by ferry from Dar es Salaam
By air, entry is at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), near Stone Town. A traveller arriving from abroad presents their passport, visa or visa-on-arrival application, the ZIC certificate, the Afya Msafiri QR code and, depending on the route, the yellow fever certificate. A temperature check takes place at all points of entry, according to the FCDO.
On a domestic flight, the border has already been crossed on the mainland: the NIC certificate is enough, to be kept on the traveller.
By ferry, the crossing leaves from the port of Dar es Salaam. Operators ask for the passport when the ticket is bought. No official text consulted describes the formalities on landing in Stone Town: passport, visa, insurance certificate and QR code are best kept together during the crossing.
The FCDO points out that shipwrecks have killed hundreds of people between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. It advises not boarding an overloaded vessel, locating the lifejackets and being wary of touts around the ports.
Afya Msafiri and yellow fever in Zanzibar
The Afya Msafiri form applies in Zanzibar as elsewhere: Notice No. 18 of the Ministry of Health has required it since 17 October 2026 of all travellers, at all points of entry. It is completed on afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz, one per person, children included; the QR code obtained is checked on arrival. No text requires a second form for a domestic journey. Details on the health form page.
Yellow fever follows the Tanzanian rule: Certificate required from age 1 for travellers arriving from, or transiting over 12 hours in, a country at risk. A connection of more than twelve hours in Nairobi or Addis Ababa is enough (see yellow fever).
Malaria is present all year below 1,800 metres, Zanzibar included: preventive medication is something to discuss before departure.
Pemba: the same requirements as Unguja?
Yes. The archipelago has two main islands: Unguja, home to Stone Town and the international airport, and Pemba, further north and less visited. Pemba falls under the same regime: ZIC insurance when the archipelago is the first point of entry, same local rules.
It is reached by a domestic flight to Pemba airport (PMA) or by boat from Unguja, with no new visa. The FCDO notes that the population of Zanzibar and Pemba is overwhelmingly Muslim: the rules in the next chapter apply there in the same way.
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Start my assisted application
- The e-visa file prepared with you and checked before filing: photo, passport, dates.
- Insurance for the first point of entry and the Afya Msafiri form at the right time.
- Follow-up until the visa is issued, with real delays as a benchmark.
Plastic bags, dress code: what are the rules in Zanzibar?
Plastic bags have been banned in Zanzibar since 2006, thirteen years before the mainland. Carrier bags, including those from duty-free shops, are removed on arrival; zip pouches for cabin liquids are tolerated, according to the FCDO. The other rules are on the customs page.
Dress code: according to the FCDO, shorts and sleeveless tops outside tourist resorts, in Stone Town in particular, may offend local people, and the Zanzibari authorities can impose a fine of $700 or more for dress judged inappropriate in public, at least $1,000 for a guide or tour operator. Shoulders and knees covered in town avoid any difficulty.
Ramadan: avoid eating and drinking in public outside hotels and restaurants.
Driving: a Zanzibari licence is needed on top of the international permit; rental companies generally arrange it, according to the FCDO.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Zanzibar?
Yes, the same as for mainland Tanzania: the tourist e-visa at $50.75, on visa.immigration.go.tz. There is no separate Zanzibar visa.
Is Zanzibar insurance mandatory?
Yes, since 1 October 2024, for every non-resident foreigner entering through Zanzibar first. It costs $44 per adult, on visitzanzibar.go.tz.
Do I need Zanzibar insurance if I arrive via the mainland?
No. Only the insurance for the first point of entry counts: the NIC insurance bought on arrival on the mainland is then valid in Zanzibar.
Do I need a passport for the Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry?
Yes. Operators ask for it when the ticket is bought; it is kept on the traveller during the crossing, with the insurance certificate.
Are plastic bags banned in Zanzibar?
Yes, since 2006. Shop carrier bags are removed on arrival; zip pouches for cabin liquids are tolerated.
Is the Afya Msafiri form mandatory for Zanzibar?
Yes, at every point of entry to Tanzania since 17 October 2026. Each child has their own.