Before you fly
Tanzania entry checklist: what to sort before you fly
Everything to sort before you fly to Tanzania, in the order you need to do it: documents, health, money, insurance, baggage rules and the things to leave at home.
- 6 months
- Passport validity we advise from arrival
- 6 to 8 weeks
- See a doctor or travel clinic before you go
- 15 kg / 33 lb
- Typical soft-bag limit on light aircraft
- 6,000 m
- Insurance must cover this height if you climb
The order to do things in
- 01
When you book
Check your passport is valid for at least six months from arrival, with blank pages. Look up the visa route for your nationality on the official site.
- 02
Six to eight weeks before
See a doctor or travel clinic. They will advise on routine vaccines and on malaria prevention suited to your health and your route.
- 03
Once your flights are booked
Send us your flight details, and tell us if they change. If you land late, arrive early or have a long layover, we plan around it.
- 04
In the final weeks
Arrange travel insurance if you have not, tell your bank you will be travelling, and print your visa, itinerary and flight details.
- 05
In the final week
Pack your soft bag, keep medicine and valuables in your hand luggage, and put copies of your documents on your phone and with someone at home.
- 06
On the day
Carry your passport, visa and printed copies together in your hand luggage, never in checked bags.
Documents, health and money
Documents
- Passport valid for at least six months from arrival, with blank pages
- Your visa or approval, printed and on your phone
- Printed itinerary and flight details
- Copies of your passport, visa and insurance on your phone and with someone at home
Health
- An appointment with a doctor or travel clinic six to eight weeks before you go
- Prescription medicine in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription
- A yellow fever certificate if the current rules require it for your route
- A small first aid kit with blister treatment and rehydration salts
Insurance
- Comprehensive travel insurance covering medical care, evacuation, delays and cancellation
- Cover for the activities on your itinerary, such as a balloon flight
- For Kilimanjaro: cover that explicitly includes trekking to 6,000 m
- The policy number and emergency line in your hand luggage and on your phone
Money
- A bank card, and a note to your bank that you are travelling
- A small amount of cash in small notes for tips and small purchases
- Cash planned before you enter the parks, because there are no ATMs in the bush
- Cards work at larger lodges and in towns, though connection problems are common
Rules to know before you pack
A few rules catch visitors out. Confirm the current position with official sources, because rules are applied as they see fit.
Do bring
- A soft duffel bag with no wheels or frame, kept to about 15 kg / 33 lb if you fly on light aircraft
- Reusable cloth pouches or packing cubes
- A Type D and Type G adaptor, as Tanzania uses 230 V
- A power bank, because charging in vehicles is not guaranteed
Leave at home
- Plastic carrier bags, which Tanzania restricted in 2019
- Drones, which need permits and are generally not allowed in the national parks
- Camouflage clothing, which is restricted in several African countries
- Hard suitcases and expensive jewellery
If you are climbing Kilimanjaro
Insurance that covers the height
Your policy should explicitly cover trekking to 6,000 m, emergency evacuation and medical care. Read it carefully for altitude exclusions.
See your doctor early
Especially if you have a heart, lung or blood pressure condition, are pregnant or take regular medication.
Your gear is personal
Personal trekking gear and clothing are not included in the climb price. Our Kilimanjaro packing list covers every item.
Questions answered
What travellers ask us
A passport valid for at least six months from arrival with blank pages, and the visa or approval that your nationality requires. Carry printed copies of your visa, itinerary and flight details.
It may be required depending on where you have travelled from. Check the current rules with official health sources and your doctor or travel clinic.
We expect every guest to hold comprehensive travel insurance covering medical care, evacuation and cancellation. For a Kilimanjaro climb, personal travel and medical insurance is compulsory and must explicitly cover trekking to 6,000 m.
Drones need permits and are generally not allowed in the national parks, so leave them at home unless you have confirmed permission with the authorities.
Tanzania restricted plastic carrier bags in 2019, and visitors are advised not to bring them. Reports differ on zip bags for toiletries, so use reusable pouches and check the latest guidance before you travel.
A small amount in small notes for tips and small purchases, since cards are accepted at larger lodges and in towns but there are no ATMs in the bush.
Six to eight weeks before you go, so there is time for any vaccines and advice on malaria prevention.
Keep planning
Where to go next
Tanzania visa guide
How the visa works, the official site to use and a passport check.
Read moreFlights to Tanzania
Which airport to fly into, who flies there and how to plan your routing.
Read moreArrival and transfers
What happens when you land, and how long the transfer takes.
Read moreKilimanjaro packing list
What to bring for the mountain, layer by layer.
Read more
Free guides
Take the planning with you
A free PDF to read at your own pace: where to go, when, and what each park is best for. Tell us where to send it.
Free PDFFree guide
The Tanzania Safari Planning Guide
Where to go, when, and what each park is best for: a clear primer before you choose a safari.
- The best months for every park, park by park, on one page
- A profile of each destination: the landscape, the wildlife to expect and the size of the park
- The ways to travel, from classic game drives to walking, beach and combination trips
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