Tanzania travel insurance mandate begins as Kilimanjaro fire spreads

Visitors landing in Tanzania this month are meeting two surprises at once. The Tanzania travel insurance mandate took effect on October 1, making a state-backed insurance policy a condition of entry for most foreign travelers. Within days, wildfires on Mount Kilimanjaro forced park authorities to close popular climbing routes with no reopening date in sight. Together, the two developments are reshaping trip planning for one of Africa's busiest safari seasons.

The new insurance policy is part of entering the country

Under the Tanzania travel insurance mandate, foreign visitors arriving in mainland Tanzania must hold a policy from the National Insurance Corporation, the state insurer. The policy costs the Tanzanian shilling equivalent of $44 per person and covers up to 92 days of travel, with multiple entries allowed inside that window. The requirement applies to arrivals by air, land, and sea, and travelers who arrive without proof of cover can be turned away at the border. Residents of East African Community and Southern African Development Community member states are exempt, as are transit passengers and holders of diplomatic passports.

The Tanzania travel insurance mandate rests on Section 134A of the Insurance Act, added through the Finance Act 2025, with the operating details set out in Government Notice No. 256 of 2026, published on September 4. Tanzania's Ministry of Finance confirmed the October 1 start date in late September. The policy covers medical emergencies, emergency evacuation, repatriation, and lost luggage, according to reporting on the regulations. Travelers can buy the cover before departure or at the point of entry, but officials encourage buying ahead to avoid delays at immigration. Travel Daily News reports that the certificate may be requested on arrival.

Where a traveler lands decides which insurer issues the policy. Mainland arrivals buy through NIC, while anyone flying directly into Zanzibar buys through the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation instead. For trips that pair a mainland safari with a few days on Zanzibar's beaches, one policy is enough: the certificate issued at the first port of entry is accepted when moving between the two, according to travel trade outlets. The cover is valid only within Tanzania during the insured period, so anyone staying longer needs a fresh policy. Keep the certificate or QR code somewhere accessible offline, because officers may ask to see it on arrival. Travel Tomorrow notes that either policy works for travel between the mainland and Zanzibar.

Wildfires shut routes up Africa's highest peak

On September 28, the Tanzania National Parks Authority, TANAPA, temporarily suspended the Lemosho and Londorosi climbing routes after a fire broke out in the Sangarini area and began spreading toward the Shira plateau. Assistant Conservation Commissioner Catherine Mbena said in a statement that the closures were a precaution while firefighting teams, backed by the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force and forestry services, worked to contain the blaze. TANAPA initially directed affected climbers to the Machame, Marangu, or Rongai routes. By October 6, UK government travel advice confirmed that three routes, Rongai, Lemosho, and Londorosi, were shut, with climbers moving to alternatives. The Arusha News reports that park personnel are working alongside residents and tourism stakeholders to tackle the fire. TANAPA has not announced a reopening date.

The fire is the second on the mountain in about a month. An earlier blaze started on September 3 in the Kikererwa area near the Kenya border and destroyed more than 1,800 hectares of vegetation before firefighters brought it under control. Major fires have also struck Kilimanjaro in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023, and regional coverage has quoted conservationists warning that the repeated burns are straining the mountain's ecosystem. The UK advisory gives no reopening date, so anyone with a Kilimanjaro booking this season should confirm which route is open with their operator before flying.

What this means for your trip

The timing is awkward. October opens one of Tanzania's busiest safari seasons, and the classic itinerary strings together the Serengeti, a Kilimanjaro climb, and a Zanzibar beach week. The Tanzania travel insurance mandate adds a modest fixed cost to every adult's trip, while regional visitors from neighboring EAC and SADC states skip the charge entirely. For climbers, flexibility matters more than loyalty to a favorite route: check which gate is open before paying park fees in full, and ask what happens to the booking if a route closes mid-climb. The mountain is still open for business on its remaining routes, but this season belongs to travelers who plan for the detour.