Reality Brief: Zanzibar

Current alerts

• Rain and El Niño

  Strong El Niño episode until February 2027: floods, flash floods and landslides possible; never cross a flooded area.

  Published on September 21, 2026 · France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, latest news and alerts

Alerts checked on October 2, 2026 against the sources cited.

Essentials before you arrive

• A visa is required: apply online on the official site, or on arrival at Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro airports and the ports of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kigoma. Tourist visa 50 USD or 50 euros, business 250; in cash, only dollars issued after 2006 are accepted and no change is given. Check the length granted after immigration.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, entry and residenceGuide: Entry and residence

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with one blank page according to the UK; Canada counts 6 months after your departure date.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Tanzania travel advice: entry requirementsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: TanzaniaGuide: Entry and residence

• Zanzibar requires a local insurance (ZIC, 44 USD, 90 days), even if you are already insured; buy it online before arrival. France advises not to activate it if something goes wrong and to contact your own insurer first: it has many exclusions and few reputable facilities accept it.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, entry and residenceGuide: Entry and residence

• Emergency services: 112. French consular emergency number: 0677 307 094.

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Tanzania travel advice: getting helpGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: TanzaniaFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, latest news and alertsGuide: Health

• Crime is rising sharply (theft, assaults, burglaries, carjackings), especially after dark in big cities and near beaches, hotels and bars. Do not walk at night in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Arusha and avoid isolated beaches.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• The currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS); dollars are also used. Cards are only accepted in some hotels, supermarkets and restaurants in big cities; ATMs are rare, capped (often 400,000 TZS per withdrawal) and sometimes empty at weekends. Do not change money on the street.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, useful informationGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: TanzaniaGuide: Money and banking

• Road deaths are among the highest in the world: do not drive at night outside towns and fly for long distances. Extra caution on the Arusha-Nairobi road. An international permit with your national licence is required for stays under 3 months.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, safetyFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, useful informationGuide: Safety and emergencies

Living in Zanzibar

• Zanzibar requires a local insurance (ZIC, 44 USD, 90 days), even if you are already insured; buy it online before arrival. France advises not to activate it if something goes wrong and to contact your own insurer first: it has many exclusions and few reputable facilities accept it.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, entry and residenceGuide: Entry and residence

• In Zanzibar, assaults are concentrated in Stone Town, Nungwi, Paje and Jambiani; in Paje and Jambiani, night-time room burglaries and sexual assaults have been reported. Lock doors and windows and prefer secure hotels to isolated villas.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• Only use official taxis (white plate in Zanzibar, coloured stripe and number on the mainland): tourists have been held captive in fake taxis. Ride-hailing apps do not work in Zanzibar.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• Zanzibar is overwhelmingly Muslim: outside hotels, dress modestly, and during Ramadan do not eat or drink alcohol in public in the daytime.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, useful informationGuide: Daily life and local laws

Field experience

• Tip

  Pharmacies, clinics and hospitals

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): pharmacies (69), clinics (24), hospitals (46). Locate those near your home in the first days and check opening hours and on-call services locally.

• Tip

  Where to shop for food

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): markets (7), supermarkets (18). Compare a few basic prices between market and supermarket before settling into habits.

• Tip

  Banks, cash machines and exchange

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): banks (29), cash machines (9), currency exchange (6), money transfer (11). Withdraw and change money at these official places, preferably during the day, never in the street.

• Tip

  A shop for your SIM card

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): phone and internet (48). Go with your passport: SIM registration is often mandatory.

• Tip

  A furnished flat for the first weeks

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): furnished apartments (10). A furnished flat gives you time to visit several neighbourhoods before signing a lease.

• Tip

  Consulates in the city

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): consulates (3). Note the address of your country's consulate or the nearest embassy.

• Emergency number

  Emergency services: 112.

  112

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Tanzania travel advice: getting helpFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, latest news and alerts· Oct 2, 2026

• Medexpress

  Health, open 24 hours.

  +255 776 399 999+255 776 766 666

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Tanzania, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026