We all know how the COVID-19 has changed the world. In terms of Tanzania, Tourism is a hard-hit industry. At Trip Quest, we continue to take every possible measure to help and support our clients and staff.
The Government of Tanzania is committed to stopping the spread of the virus. Most of them in the world have been vaccinated, but new strains are emerging.
Here we provide you with the essential/current rules and regulations for entering and exiting the country.
ENTERING:
Effective from 24th December 2021.
All travellers will be required to present a Negative COVID-19 Test Certificate upon arrival. The test should be based on Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) done at a nationally accredited/approved testing using samples collected within 96 hours before arrival to Tanzania. This rule applies to all three ways (Air, Road, and Water).
All travellers must also fill in an online Traveler's Surveillance Form - available at https://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz/ within 24 hours before arrival to Tanzania. Filling of Traveler's Health Surveillance Form is a mandatory requirement before boarding to the United Republic of Tanzania, and there shall be a penalty to conveyances for noncompliance.
All travellers who are arriving from countries experiencing variants of concern/variants of interest and the highest number of COVID-19 cases. Or those who have travelled through those countries in the last 14 days, regardless of the route taken, shall be subjected to rapid tests at Points of Entry at their own cost. The cost for COVID-19 rapid test shall be USD 10 Per Person, which is non-refundable and testing fees applies to travellers arriving in Tanzania Mainland by Air or Marine Vessels. For Zanzibar, the cost for a rapid test shall be USD 25 Per Person. The updated list of countries for the Rapid Antigen Test is available at https://www.moh.go.tz/en/announcements.
All Travelers arriving at Mainland Tanzania are advised to pay for COVID-19 rapid test online to avoid unnecessary queues upon arrival through an automatically generated control number obtained after filling online Traveler's Health Surveillance Form and Zanzibar through https://zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz.
The children aged 5 years and below, Travelers in transit, are exempted from both RT-PCR certificate and COVID 19 Rapid Antigen Test.
We recommend everyone to keep checking this link for the latest travel advisory from Tanzania - https://www.moh.go.tz/en/announcements.
EXITING:
Most of the airlines and countries you are travelling back to require RT-PCR; hence, we recommend you check with the respective authorities before your travel. However, it is possible to get an RT-PCR Test and Certificate in various parts such as Arusha, Karatu, Serengeti, Dar Es Salaam, and Zanzibar.
A prior booking has to be done through filing up the online form. And the test centres in Arusha and Karatu are open from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm on all days. And the test centres in Serengeti are open on all days except for Sunday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
The results will take a minimum of 48 hours and a maximum of 72 hours to get the results. The certificate will be emailed to the ID provided while filling out the form. Also, you will have to provide a working contact number while giving the sample so that the hospital can contact you when you need to collect your results (Online/Offline).
The online portal will be open 10 days before. Here is the official link provided by the Tanzanian government to apply for the RT-PCR test - https://pimacovid.moh.go.tz/#/booking.
NOTE: PLEASE USE INDIVIDUAL EMAIL-ID WHEN YOU ARE SUBMITTING THE FORM. DO NOT USE THE SAME EMAIL FOR TWO TESTS.
Upon opening the link, please enter your PASSPORT NUMBER (It is not case sensitive, so please enter accordingly).
TESTING IN ARUSHA:
1) Under region, select - Arusha
2) Under facilities, select - Mt Meru Regional Referral Hospital
3) Choose the booking date -
4) Please choose traveller type as - Traveller
5) Select your nationality -
6) Please fill in your personal details -
7) Upon submission you will get a confirmation and the control number will be emailed to you.
TESTING IN SERENGETI:
1) Under region, select - Mara
2) Under facilities, select - Musoma Regional Referral Hospital
Rest all procedures will be the same as mentioned above.
TESTING IN KARATU:
1) Under region, select - Arusha
2) Under facilities, select - Fame Medical Health Centre
Rest all procedures will be the same as mentioned above.
COSTING:
The current cost for the RT-PCR is USD 50 Per Person (TSh 115,200).
There will be 2 ways to pay the amount:
1) You can pay this amount to us, and we will make the deposit in Bank and share the receipt with you. The testing centre will accept this receipt.
2) You will have to carry some TSH to pay as most centres do not accept USD or cards. Hence you will have to get some converted at the Airport or Arusha.
Apart from the above charge, there will be some handling charges of around USD 15-17 (TSh 40,000) Per Person, and you have to pay this directly at the centre.
If you want us to handle all the charges to avoid unnecessary delays, you can pay these charges to our manager before departure.
CERTIFICATE:
The hospital will usually send the certificate to the email you provide while submitting the form. Alternatively, you can click on this link - https://pimacovid.moh.go.tz/#/booking.
Select the CERTIFICATE/CHETI button. Enter your passport details in the space below and click on the search button. Then the system will display your certificate, and you can download it.
NOTE: This system is governed by the Government of Tanzania from Dar Es Salaam, and we have no control over it. If your certificate does not arrive on time, we suggest you wait while we try and arrange an alternative.
RAPID ANTIGEN TEST:
The Rapid Antigen Test in Tanzania can be done in any international Airport (Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar). We recommend presenting at least 4 hours before your scheduled boarding time to complete this test as there might be a long queue. The tests cost USD 25 per person.
SCHEDULING:
If you can share us with your travel plan such as departing country, time and airport then our consultant will suggest the best date for getting the test done. Doing this will avoid the unnecessary waiting time for the testing.
If you need additional information, you can always contact our team at tanzania@thetripquest.com or WhatsApp us at +255 785 262 148 or +1 (716) 226-6635. You can also use this link to start the chat - https://wa.me/17162266635