IIf you're planning a safari in East Africa for 2027, there's a new item on your checklist. Kenya, mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar now each require foreign visitors to buy a Government Travel Insurance Policy as a condition of entry. Kenya and mainland Tanzania started their schemes in early October 2026. Zanzibar has had its own since October 2024.
The new rules raise plenty of questions. Who needs to buy? How much does it cost? Does one policy cover a combined Kenya and Tanzania safari? And does it replace your own travel insurance? (Short answer to that last one: no.)
We've gone through the official notices, FAQs and policy wordings so you don't have to. This guide explains what each mandatory travel insurance policy covers, where it falls short, and what we recommend before you travel.
Key Takeaways
- Kenya needs its own insurance policy. It costs about USD 52 per person.
- Tanzania and Zanzibar need one policy between them. It costs USD 44 per adult.
- So, a Kenya + Tanzania safari means two policies, about USD 96 per person.
- These policies are compulsory. You can't skip them, even if you already have insurance.
- They don't replace your own travel insurance. They don't cover cancellations, delays or lost bags in Kenya, and their medical limits are low.
- They pay bills after an emergency. They don't send a doctor or a plane to you.
A Few Words You'll See in This Guide
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| eTA | Kenya's online entry permit (Electronic Travel Authorisation). Most visitors apply for it before they fly. |
| eCitizen | Kenya's official government website, where you can buy the Kenyan policy. |
| EAC / SADC | Two groups of African countries (the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community). Some of their citizens don't have to buy. |
| NIC / ZIC | The government insurers that sell the mainland Tanzania policy (NIC) and the Zanzibar policy (ZIC). |
| Evacuation | Moving a sick or injured person to a hospital, by road or by air. |
| Repatriation | Flying a patient, or a person who has died, back to their home country. |
| In-patient | A patient who is admitted and stays in hospital, not just seen and sent home. |
| Pre-approval | The insurer must say "yes" before something happens, or it may not pay. |
The Three Schemes at a Glance
| Kenya | Mainland Tanzania | Zanzibar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Early October 2026 | Early October 2026 | October 2024 |
| Adult cost | USD 44 (about USD 52 with portal fees) | USD 44 | USD 44 |
| Children | Own policy from age 3; no child rate published | No child rate published | USD 22 (ages 3–17); free under 3 |
| Valid for | Up to 3 months | Up to 92 days | Up to 92 days |
| Medical limit | USD 20,000 | Not published | USD 50,000 |
| Evacuation | USD 25,000 | Not published | Actual cost |
| EAC and SADC travellers | EAC citizens exempt | EAC and SADC residents exempt | Not exempt; pay USD 22 |
Two things to remember:
- Each policy only works inside its own territory. The Kenyan policy doesn't cover you in Tanzania, and the reverse is also true.
- All three policies pay costs after the event. None of them sends an ambulance or aircraft to you. More on why that matters below.
Kenya: The New Inbound Travel Health Insurance
The rule, and how it links to your eTA
Kenya's scheme is based on Section 26(6) of the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, and Gazette Notice No. 11492. On 7 October 2026, the High Court in Marsabit dismissed a petition challenging it, so the rule is firmly in place.
The policy is tied to Kenya's Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA). The eTA portal won't accept your application without a valid Kenyan policy. You can also buy the policy before travel on the eCitizen insurance portal. If you already have an older eTA, or don't need one, buy it at insurance.ecitizen.go.ke/dashboard.
Who doesn't need to buy it
- Kenyan citizens and residents
- Citizens of East African Community (EAC) Partner States. The portal lists seven: Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Somalia is also an EAC member but isn't shown, so the rule for Somali passports is unclear.
- Holders of diplomatic, official and service passports
- People seeking asylum. Refugee or stateless status on its own does not exempt you.
- Crew with employer health cover, or crew who stay in the port of entry
- Transit passengers who don't enter Kenya
Children: the portal doesn't list under-threes as exempt, but it says every child over age three needs their own policy.
Watch out: An eTA exemption is not an insurance exemption. Travellers from South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and many other African countries don't need an eTA, but they must still buy the policy on the eCitizen insurance portal.
What it costs and how it works
- Price: up to USD 44 per person. eCitizen adds an access fee and a payment fee, so test purchases in October cost about USD 52. Budget USD 52 per person.
- Kenya + Tanzania safari: budget about USD 96 per person for the two mandatory policies.
- One policy per person. There are no family or group policies, and no child rate has been published.
- Valid for up to three months, with multiple entries. Some advisories say twelve months. That's not right: twelve months is the test for who must buy, not how long the cover lasts. Always go by the portal and your certificate.
- Limits aren't pro-rated. A four-night stay and a three-month stay get the same limits.
- No opt-out. You can't upload your own policy to get an exemption. The Kenya Tourism Federation confirmed this on 8 October.
Seven insurers sell the policy: AAR, Britam, CIC, First Assurance, Pioneer, Fidelity and Star Discover General. Benefits, limits and price are identical across all seven, and Minet Kenya handles claims for all of them.
What the Kenyan policy covers
The total limit is USD 50,000 per person.
| Benefit | Limit (USD) |
|---|---|
| Medical expenses | 20,000 |
| Emergency medical transport and evacuation | 25,000 |
| Repatriation of mortal remains | 5,000 |
| Mental illness (part of medical expenses) | 1,000 |
| Prescribed medicines (part of medical expenses) | 300 |
Treatment is cashless at accredited providers in all 47 counties, with no excess and no co-payment. Each traveller has their own limits; families and groups don't share them.
Where the Kenyan policy falls short
The policy is a useful safety net, but it has real gaps that safari travellers should understand.
- It pays for an evacuation, but it doesn't send one.
Under the policy wording (General Conditions 8 and 9), evacuation is only covered if all three of these apply:
- The condition is life-threatening.
- The insurer approves the evacuation before it starts.
- The patient is admitted to hospital as an in-patient.
Here's how that can play out on safari:
- A fall from a horse. A guest breaks an arm or shoulder and needs an X-ray, maybe surgery. It's serious and painful but not life-threatening, so condition 1 isn't met. The insurer can refuse to pay for the evacuation, even if the guest is admitted.
- A suspected head injury. A guest falls from a vehicle or a height and needs a CT scan. The scan is clear and they return to camp after an out-patient visit. They were never admitted, so condition 3 isn't met. Again, the insurer can refuse.
In both cases, evacuating was the right medical call. But the policy only pays if the outcome turns out to be serious, and nobody knows that when the call is made. The treatment may be covered while the evacuation bill stays with the guest.
Indemnity vs response. An indemnity is insurance that pays a bill or refunds you after the event. A response service sends a medical crew while the emergency is still happening. The Kenyan policy is an indemnity only. It does not send a crew.
- The FAQ and the policy wording don't agree. The FAQ says treatment starts immediately, but the wording requires approval before any evacuation. The FAQ itself says the wording takes priority, so plan around the wording.
- The nearest facility is often not the right one. The policy moves patients to the nearest hospital, or one the insurer approves. Facilities near remote safari areas often lack X-ray, CT scanners or specialists. That can mean a second transfer. A clinician, not a policy rule, should decide where a patient goes.
- It only works in Kenya. It doesn't cover Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda or transit. It does cover medically necessary repatriation to your home country, within the evacuation limit.
- The exclusions are unclear. The FAQ lists about 20 exclusions, including pre-existing conditions and high-risk sports. The policy wording lists only eight, and those two aren't among them. The wording also says pre-existing conditions get emergency cover, while some certificates say they don't. You may only find out when you claim.
- It doesn't cover cancellation, delays, baggage or trip interruption.
Two practical risks:
- Hospitals outside the panel. If you're treated at a non-accredited hospital, the claims administrator must be told within 24 hours, or the costs won't be reimbursed.
- Several policies at once. A guest may hold three or four policies, each with its own notification rule. Missing one can cost you a claim.
Mainland Tanzania: Inbound Travel Insurance
If your safari includes the Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Tarangire, this is the policy you'll need. Combining Kenya and Tanzania? Then you'll need two mandatory policies, one for each country.
- Legal basis: the Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations, 2026 (Government Notice No. 256). The scheme started in early October 2026.
- Where it's checked: at airports, land borders and seaports. Officials can refuse entry to visitors without cover.
- Cost: USD 44 per visitor, valid for up to 92 days with multiple entries. No child rate has been published.
- Where to buy: online at inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz, or on arrival.
- What it covers: emergency treatment, evacuation, repatriation and loss of baggage. The National Insurance Corporation (NIC) has not yet published the benefit limits.
- Who's exempt: EAC and SADC residents, Tanzanian residents and diaspora, work or residence permit holders, diplomats and transit passengers.
Zanzibar: The Island's Own Policy
Heading to the beach after your safari? Zanzibar runs its own scheme, separate from the mainland.
- Who sells it: only the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC), at inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz.
- Where it applies: Unguja, Pemba and the nearby islands. It doesn't apply to Mafia Island.
- Cost: USD 44 per adult, USD 22 for ages 3–17, and free for under-threes.
- Valid for: up to 92 days. It can't be renewed; after 92 days you buy a new policy.
- Regional travellers: EAC and SADC travellers are not exempt. They pay USD 22.
What the Zanzibar policy covers:
| Feature | Calving Season & Zanzibar | Kila Kitu Safari |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Style | Group (Max 12) | Private / Active |
| Primary Goal | Wildlife + Relaxation | Wildlife + Culture |
| Beach Time | 5 Days in Zanzibar | None |
| Adventure | Game Drives | Walking, Cycling, Hunting |
| Top Highlight | Migration Calves | Hadzabe Tribe |
Safari and Beach: The First-Port-of-Entry Rule
This is the part that confuses most travellers, so here it is:
- Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar: you buy one policy. Where you enter first decides which one. Land in Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam first and you buy the mainland NIC policy. Fly straight into Zanzibar and you buy the ZIC policy.
- Kenya: always needs its own separate policy, whatever else you hold.
Quick examples:
| Your trip | Mandatory policies needed |
|---|---|
| Serengeti safari, then Zanzibar beach | 1 (mainland Tanzania, bought on entry) |
| Zanzibar first, then a safari from Zanzibar | 1 (Zanzibar) |
| Masai Mara, then Serengeti | 2 (Kenya + mainland Tanzania) |
| Masai Mara, Serengeti, then Zanzibar | 2 (Kenya + mainland Tanzania) |
All three schemes pay costs, and each applies only in its own territory. Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar haven't yet published how they arrange an evacuation in practice.
What's Still Unclear
These schemes are new, and a few details haven't been settled yet. We'll update this guide as answers come in.
- Long stays. Kenya and Zanzibar say to buy a new policy when the old one expires, but not how to do this while you're already in the country.
- Pre-existing conditions. In Kenya, the FAQ, the policy wording and the certificates say different things.
- High-risk sports. Kenya's FAQ excludes them but doesn't define them. Ballooning, horse riding, diving, climbing and white-water rafting may be excluded.
- Choosing an insurer. Kenya's FAQ says you choose one of the seven insurers; operators report that the portal assigns one. Either way, the cover is the same.
- Mainland Tanzania limits. NIC hasn't published them yet.
- Several policies, one claim. No administrator has explained how insurers share a single loss.
Three Layers of Protection: Why You're Not Paying Twice
Many travellers ask whether they're now paying for the same cover three or four times. They're not. Each layer does a different job.
| Layer | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mandatory government policies | A condition of entry; you can't change or refuse them. They pay for treatment in their own country only, after pre-authorisation. |
| Your own travel insurance | Pays the bigger bills and covers what the government policies don't: other countries, cancellation, baggage, delays and higher medical limits. A serious admission at a Nairobi private hospital can cost more than USD 20,000. |
| An emergency response service | Gets help to you during your trip: medical advice by phone or video, a doctor sent to camp, and a ground or air crew dispatched without waiting for insurer approval. Its clinicians choose the right hospital. |
One thing is easy to forget. No insurance policy has its own ambulances, aircraft or crews. Insurance pays the bill afterwards; a response service is what actually reaches the patient. On a remote safari, both matter.
Emergency Help on Safari
If something goes wrong in the bush, the first priority is getting care, not working out which policy applies. That's where a dedicated medical evacuation and response service comes in. Services such as rescue.co assess the situation, send a crew and move the patient, and they notify your insurers while the response is under way.
A response service helps with notifications, but it doesn't pay hospital bills and isn't part of your insurance contract. That's why your own travel insurance still matters.
Your Pre-Travel Checklist
Tick these off before you fly:
- Buy only through official channels. For Kenya, that's the eTA process or the eCitizen insurance portal; for Tanzania, NIC; for Zanzibar, ZIC. Hospitals can't verify confirmations from anywhere else.
- Buy before you travel. Cover starts on arrival.
- Download your certificates and keep offline copies on your phone.
- Send us a copy of each certificate along with your passport copy, so we have it on file.
- Keep your own travel insurance. The government policies don't replace it.
- Declare pre-existing conditions. They may not be covered.
- Buy a policy for every traveller, including children from age three.
- Tell us about planned activities such as ballooning or horse riding, so we can flag possible exclusions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is travel insurance mandatory for Kenya and Tanzania?
Yes. Since early October 2026, most foreign visitors must buy a government policy to enter Kenya, and another to enter mainland Tanzania. Zanzibar has required its own policy since October 2024.
How much does it cost?
Kenya costs up to USD 44, or about USD 52 once portal fees are added. Mainland Tanzania is USD 44. Zanzibar is USD 44 per adult and USD 22 for children aged 3–17. For a Kenya and Tanzania safari, budget about USD 96 per person.
Does my own travel insurance count?
No. You can't use your own policy to opt out of any of the three schemes. But you should still keep it, because it covers cancellation, delays, baggage, other countries and much higher medical bills.
Do I need separate policies for the Serengeti and Zanzibar?
No. One policy covers mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar; where you enter first decides which one you buy. Kenya always needs its own policy.
Do children need a policy?
In Kenya, every child over three needs their own policy, though no child rate has been published. Zanzibar charges USD 22 for ages 3–17 and nothing for under-threes. Mainland Tanzania hasn't published a child rate.
Will the policy pay for a helicopter evacuation from camp?
Only in limited cases. In Kenya, evacuation is covered only if the condition is life-threatening, the insurer approves it first, and you're admitted as an in-patient. Even then, the policy pays afterwards; it doesn't send the aircraft. That's why we recommend a separate emergency response service.
Are ballooning and horse riding covered?
Possibly not. Kenya's FAQ excludes high-risk sports without defining them. Check with your own insurer before booking adventure activities.
Travel Prepared with Shadows of Africa
The new rules add a small step to your planning, but they shouldn't change your safari plans. Buy your mandatory policies through the official portals, keep your own travel insurance, and make sure someone can reach you quickly if you need help in the bush.
Our team checks the latest entry requirements for every itinerary we plan, so you'll know exactly what you need for your route.
→ PLAN YOUR 2027 SAFARI WITH CONFIDENCE
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