Covid-19 Travel Requirements

Traveling to and from Tanzania during Covid-19

The information on this page will be updated periodically as requirements and protocols change. Date of last update: 31/Dec/2021. The information below summarizes the content of Travel Advisory No. 9

All full time Access 2 Tanzania safari guides have been vaccinated against Covid-19

Leaving Home

Your international airline may have pre-boarding testing requirements. Please study the requirements of your airline and international airport(s) carefully. Most of our guests travel through Amsterdam and currently if you have a transfer in Amsterdam you do not need to show a negative PCR or NAAT test result or rapid test result on arrival in the Netherlands. A transfer is when you change planes and continue your journey within a few hours, and in any case within 1 day without leaving the airport where you transfer. Please make sure to check the entry requirements of your final destination.

Arriving into Tanzania

Tanzania requires filling out a Traveler’s Health Surveillance Form within 24 hours prior to arrival. Follow this link: https://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz/.  Once completed the traveler will receive a completion notification containing their Unique Health Code (UHC) which they will present upon arriving. If arriving directly onto Zanzibar, please use this link instead.

Additionally, all travelers are required to present a negative COVID-19 test certificate upon arrival. The test must be a Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test  or Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs), with the sample tested within 96 hours BEFORE arrival to Tanzania.

All travelers arriving from countries experiencing variants of concern/interest or who have traveled through those countries in the last 14 days (regardless of route taken) will be subjected to Rapid tests at their point of entry a their own cost.  The Rapid test cost is $10 per traveler  (or $25 per travel if arriving directly onto Zanzibar) and can be pre-paid online when you complete your online Traveler’s Health Surveillance Form (strongly recommended to pre-pay to avoid unnecessary queue upon arrival).

Traveling in Tanzania

While traveling in Tanzania, standard Covid-19 protocols (masking, social distancing, and sanitizing) will be adhered to by your guide and those working in the tourism industry, while in public settings, airports/airplanes, and the common areas of accommodations. All full time Access 2 Tanzania safari guides have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Much of your time on safari will be socially distanced from other travelers and outside. However, if you plan to travel in a more populous area (city or town), we recommend being masked when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Departing Tanzania

Prior to departing Tanzania, Covid-19 testing (PCR and/or Rapid Test) will be required for most travelers. Please study the requirements of your airline and international airport(s) carefully. Covid-19 testing costs (PCR Test $50+facility fees pp / PCR Test on Zanzibar $80 pp / Rapid Test $10 pp) are the responsibility of the traveler. As your tour operator, we will help coordinate proper test timing, location, and test payment.

PCR Test Procedures (General and dependent upon destination country requirements):

• PCR Tests should be administered no more than 3 days prior to your scheduled departure (dependent upon airline and destination rules)
• Your Final Summary Schedule will indicate the date when your test should administered.
• Scheduling – A2T will register you for your PCR test no less than 5 days prior to the test date on https://pimacovid.moh.go.tz/#/booking (for mainland / northern safari circuit locations) or  https://zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz/app/home (for Zanzibar)
• Testing sites will vary based on your specific travel itinerary
• Testing Fee Payment (Mainland) – Once your appointment has been made, our staff in Arusha will receive your testing payment Control Number (unique number for each traveler). We will make the payment on your behalf and you will reimburse this cost to your guide ($50 per person – cash). Since test requirements are subject to change, reimbursement on site will be the most accurate approach.
• Testing Fee Payment (Zanzibar) – Once your appointment has been made we will prepay for the test and then forward your test scheduling confirmation on Zanzibar. The location of the test will be based on where you are staying on the island. There are facilities on the east coast as well as in Stone Town. The cost of the test on Zanzibar is $80 per person.
• Facility Fee Payment – You will be responsible for the facility fee that will be paid on site. This fee will range from $10-20 per person depending on the testing facility.

• Testing Procedure (day of) –
  • Masks are required at the testing sites.
  • Have your passport available for check in as well as payment confirmation (provided by your guide).
  • Sample collection will take place in the morning. Test collection hours vary at each site.
  • Please expect the process to take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Results – Once the testing process is complete and the certificate is ready, a notification with your results and certificate will be sent from the National Public Health Laboratory – Tanzania (covid19certificate@afya.go.tz) to the email address used during registration (usually your safari consultant’s email unless otherwise specified). You may also check https://pimacovid.moh.go.tz/#/booking (for mainland / northern safari circuit locations) or  https://zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz/app/home (for Zanzibar) for updates using your passport number to pull up your results. Please note that once the sample leaves the testing site, the testing site will not receive information about results. Should you have any concerns please ask your guide to contact the Regional Laboratory Technologist at +255 713 819 450 (Warda) or +255 715 361 518 (Nangai).
  • For travelers departing JRO, a printed copy of your test result will be given to you in Arusha. We will also email you a PDF of the certificate.
  • For travelers departing DAR or ZNZ, we will email you a PDF of the certificate.

Note for travelers returning to the United States :

Before boarding a flight to the United States, you are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 1 day before travel.

Children under 2 years old do not need to test. There is also an option for people who have documented recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days. Learn more about these requirements.

This regulation goes into December 6, 2021. 

 

Rapid Test Procedures (updated August 23, 2021)

• If you are departing on an airline that requires or accepts a Rapid Test prior to boarding you need to arrive at your international airport of departure at least 4 hours prior to departure.
• All international airports (JRO, DAR and ZNZ) have Rapid Test capacity.
• Pre-registration is not required
• Payment of $10 can be made in cash by depositing into the on-site bank.
• Results are provided within 15 to 20 minutes of taking the test.
• UPDATE: A negative COVID-19 test is not required for transiting passengers in Amsterdam (AMS) who do not leave the airport and whose connection time is within 1 day. However, it is strongly encouraged to use the Delta Discover Map to verify the entry requirements of your final destination, as your final destination may require you to have a negative COVID-19 test.

Common PCR Testing Sites in the Northern Circuit

• Arusha Region
  • Arusha Lutheran Center Referral Hospital – daily
    • $25 USD (cash)
    • You can request to have someone come to you to administer the test (this should be pre-arranged)
  • Mt. Meru Regional Referral Hospital – 8 am – 3:30 pm daily
  • FAME Medical Health Center – 8:30 am – 11:30 am daily
    • $15 USD (cash or credit accepted)
• Mara Region
  • Seronera Airstrip (Musoma Regional Referral Hospital) – 7:00 – 10:00 am daily
    • 20,000 Tshillings (approx $8.60)
  • Kogatende Airstrip (Musoma Regional Referral Hospital) – 8:00 – 10:00 am daily
    • 20,000 Tshillings (approx $8.60)
• Zanzibar 
  • Global Hospital (Stone Town) – 7:30 am – 2:30 pm M-Sat, 8 am – 12 pm Sun
  • Testing sites on East Coast of Zanzibar  – 7:30 am – 2:30 pm M-Sat, 8 am – 12 pm Sun

For additional information you can also reference the US Embassy websites or the following PDF documents issued by Tanzania and Rwanda respectively.

United States Embassy – Tanzania

United States Embassy – Rwanda

Covid-19 Travel Advisory No. 9 – Tanzania – PDF

Covid-19 Regulations – Rwanda – PDF

Covid-19 Regulations – Kenya – Website