Updated Tanzania Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – Feb 2022

Updated Tanzania Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – Feb 2022

On December 25^th, 2021, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) through Ministries responsible for Health Mainland and Zanzibar decided to elevate and enhance the country’s COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/preventive measures, particularly those pertaining to international travel.

If you wish to go for Tanzania safaris to explore the National Parks of Tanzania such as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and other amazing Tanzania wildlife safari destinations, the Covid-19 travel measures and requirements are as follows:

Tanzania Safari COVID-19 SOPs & Requirements Arriving Travellers

1. Compliance With COVID-19 Prevention Measures At The Point Of Entry

At the point of entry into Tanzania, you must follow Coronavirus preventive and control procedures, which include hand sanitization/hand washing, maintaining physical distance, and the use of face masks.

2. Health Surveillance Form for Travelers

You are expected to complete an online Traveler’s Health Surveillance Form completely and truthfully. The form must be submitted no later than 24 hours before the scheduled arrival at URT. The completion of a Traveler’s Health Surveillance Form is a necessary requirement before boarding a flight to URT, and disobedience will result in a penalty for the airline company.

The Traveler’s Health Surveillance Form is available at:

• https://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz/ for Tanzania mainland
• https://healthtravelznz.mohz.go.tz for Zanzibar

3. A Negative COVID-19 RT-PCR Test Certificate

If you are going for a safari in Tanzania, you must have a negative COVID 19 test certificate with a QR code for verification upon arrival.

The only recognized test is Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing or Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) performed in a nationally accredited/approved laboratory using samples tested within 96 hours of arrival at URT.

Please keep in mind that a negative COVID-19 test certificate at arrival is required; non-compliant conveyances will be fined, and passengers without a negative COVID-19 test certificate upon arrival will be refused entry and deported at their own expense. Children under the age of 5, transit passengers, and aircraft staff are excluded from the RT PCR certificate.

4. Rapid Antigen Tests At Points Of Entry

If you are from a country with variants of concern/variants of interest, the highest number of COVID 19 cases based on WHO epidemiological updates, or if you have traveled through those countries in the last 14 days regardless of the routes taken, you will be subjected to Rapid Antigen Tests at Points of Entry at your own expense.

The Rapid Antigen Test costs USD 10 or TZS 23,000 and is non-refundable. Testing fees apply to travelers arriving in Tanzania by air or sea. Rapid Antigen Test will cost USD 25 or TZS 58,000 in Zanzibar.

Also, if you enter URT via Zanzibar and show documentation of being completely vaccinated for COVID 19 using a vaccine approved by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, you will be exempted from the Rapid Antigen Test.

The most recent list of countries for Rapid Antigen Tests and accepted COVID-19 vaccines (Zanzibar) is available at https://www.moh.go.tz and https://healthtravelznz.mohz.go.tz.

Foreign visitors and residents arriving via Zanzibar from COVID-19 high-risk countries who desire to visit Tanzania mainland within 14 days of arrival must provide a negative Rapid Antigen Test certificate received upon entrance, otherwise, they will be subjected to Rapid Antigen Test at Points of Entry.

If you visit Tanzania Mainland, it is recommended that you pay for COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test online to avoid unnecessary queues upon arrival using an automatically generated control number obtained after filling out the online Traveler’s Health Surveillance Form (afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz) and for Zanzibar through https://zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz.

Children under the age of five, transit travelers, and aircraft staff are excluded from the COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test.

4. Mandatory Quarantine

Quarantine is not necessary unless you test positive upon arrival.

All asymptomatic passengers who have a positive Rapid Antigen Test at the Points of Entry will be subjected to obligatory quarantine at their own expense at specified locations.

This will be under tight supervision until they test negative using RT PCR or are otherwise determined to be non-infectious by public health specialists.

The symptomatic positive Rapid Antigen passengers will be segregated for treatment at approved health institutions until they become asymptomatic, at which point they will be transported to designated quarantine locations until they test negative using RT PCR.

The list of quarantine locations can be found at www.moh.go.tz.

5. Proof of Recovery From COVID-19 If You Were Infected And Recovered

If you were infected with COVID-19 and recovered, you must provide confirmation of recovery from the illness received from Authorized Medical Personnel upon arriving in Tanzania.

Tanzania COVID-19 Requirements for Departing Passengers

All departing travelers are advised to seek information before departure from the travel agent regarding COVID-19 requirements of their country of destination or conveyance to be used.