Healthcare in Tanzania for Expats 2026: Clinics, Insurance, Evacuation
Guides · Tanzania
—The hospitals. The Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam says it is the country’s only hospital with Joint Commission International accreditation; Muhimbili is the 1,500-bed national referral hospital.
—The law. The Universal Health Insurance Act 2023 makes cover compulsory on the mainland; foreigners aged 18 and over staying beyond 30 days need NHIF or approved private cover.
—The new visitor rule. Regulations gazetted on 4 September 2026 require a US$44 inbound travel policy for most foreign arrivals on the mainland; Zanzibar has run its own since 2024.
—The evacuation. Complex trauma, cardiac and cancer cases are often flown to Nairobi or South Africa, which only a policy with evacuation cover pays for.
—The health risks. Malaria is present below 1,800 metres, including Zanzibar; a yellow fever certificate is required when arriving from a risk country.
—The catch. Private hospitals usually want payment or an insurer guarantee before treatment, and quality falls away sharply outside the main cities.
Good private care exists in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Stone Town, but serious cases still leave the country. For foreigners, the insurance policy matters as much as the choice of hospital.
Healthcare in Tanzania works on two tracks for foreigners. A small group of private hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar handles routine and much specialist care. Serious cases are often flown to Nairobi or South Africa.
What has changed is the insurance law around that care. A compulsory health insurance regime is being phased in, and a separate mandatory travel policy for visitors was gazetted in September 2026. This guide sets out the position as of September 2026.
Local prices are converted at 2,642 Tanzanian shillings to the US dollar, the Bank of Tanzania mean rate on 22 September 2026. Hospital tariffs change often and vary by insurer contract, so figures here are indicative.
Private and public hospitals in the main cities
The Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam is the reference point for most expatriates. It is a 170-bed teaching and tertiary hospital run by Aga Khan Health Services, part of the Aga Khan Development Network.
In 2025 it received accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI), a United States hospital quality body, for the fourth time. The group says it is the only JCI-accredited hospital in Tanzania, and it runs a cancer centre and cardiology services on the same campus.
Aga Khan also runs medical and health centres in other cities, including Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma and Morogoro. These are outpatient clinics that refer complex cases to Dar es Salaam, not full hospitals.
Other private hospitals in Dar es Salaam used by foreigners include Regency Medical Centre, Kairuki Hospital, TMJ Hospital and Shree Hindu Mandal Hospital. Standards differ by department, so many residents pick a hospital for a specific doctor rather than a brand.
Muhimbili National Hospital is the public anchor. It is a 1,500-bed national referral and teaching hospital in the Upanga district of Dar es Salaam, with a second campus at Mloganzila on the city’s western edge.
Two specialist public institutes sit on the Muhimbili grounds. They are the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) for heart care and the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) for trauma surgery. Private hospitals in the city often refer complex heart and orthopaedic cases to them.
Public hospitals are cheaper and handle very high volumes, which means long queues and crowded wards. Foreigners tend to use them for specific specialists or procedures, often through a private ward, rather than for first contact.
Arusha, Moshi and Zanzibar
In the north, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre is a private faith-based hospital that takes referrals from across the region. Mount Meru Regional Referral Hospital is the main public option in the city.
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, about 80 kilometres east of Arusha, is a zonal referral hospital. It handles many mountain and road accident cases from the Kilimanjaro region.
On Zanzibar, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Stone Town is the islands’ main public referral hospital, run by the Zanzibar Ministry of Health. Private clinics serve most visitors, and serious cases are commonly transferred to Dar es Salaam or abroad.
Zanzibar is semi-autonomous and runs its own health ministry. Rules announced on the mainland do not always apply on the islands, and the reverse is also true.
The Universal Health Insurance Act and the national fund
The Universal Health Insurance Act 2023 makes health cover compulsory for everyone living in mainland Tanzania. It became law in 2023, and implementation formally began on 26 January 2026.
Zanzibar is outside the Act and runs its own health financing arrangements. Foreigners living on the islands should check the Zanzibar rules separately with their employer or insurer.
Summaries by the consultancy WTW and the insurers’ association iPMI Global say foreigners aged 18 and over who stay more than 30 days must hold health insurance. Cover can come from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the state insurer, or an approved private provider.
Employers carry the main obligation. The Act requires formal-sector employers to ensure their staff are insured and to fund that cover, and private employers may use a private policy instead of the NHIF.
Private health insurers are supervised by the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA). In practice, an expatriate on a company international policy usually meets the rule, but employers should confirm that the policy is recognised under the Act.
For households, the government has announced a basic package priced at 150,000 shillings (about US$57) a year for a principal member, a spouse and up to four dependants. As of September 2026 enrolment is still being expanded region by region.
That package is designed for citizens using contracted public and mission facilities. It is not a substitute for private or international cover if you expect to use private hospitals or need evacuation.
The new inbound travel insurance rule
The Insurance (Inbound Travel Insurance) Regulations 2026 were gazetted on 4 September 2026 as Government Notice 256. They require foreigners entering mainland Tanzania to hold a local inbound travel policy costing US$44, valid for 92 days with multiple entries.
The policy must cover emergency medical treatment, emergency evacuation, repatriation and lost luggage. Citizens and residents of East African Community and Southern African Development Community member states are excluded. An enforcement date had not been announced as of late September 2026.
Zanzibar has required its own US$44 visitor policy, sold through the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, since October 2024, and that scheme excludes island residents. Long-stay residents of the mainland should confirm with the immigration service whether a residence permit exempts them before travelling.
International insurance and medical evacuation
For a foreigner living in Tanzania, the most important document is an international health policy with medical evacuation cover. The US State Department notes that ambulance services are unreliable and that most providers expect payment before treatment.
For private healthcare in Tanzania, a good policy lists direct-billing arrangements with the Aga Khan Hospital and other private hospitals. Without one, you may pay a deposit on admission and reclaim the cost later, which can tie up several thousand dollars.
Evacuation usually means an air ambulance to Nairobi, where the Aga Khan University Hospital and other private hospitals take many East African referrals. Johannesburg is the other common destination for complex surgery, burns and neurological care.
AMREF Flying Doctors, a Nairobi-based air ambulance charity, sells Maisha memberships that cover evacuation flights within East Africa. Its short-term tourist plans covering Tanzania and Zanzibar start at US$50, with up to US$200,000 for post-evacuation hospital care.
Such memberships pay mainly for transport and do not replace a full health policy. Residents usually combine an annual evacuation membership with an international insurer that covers treatment and, if needed, repatriation home.
When comparing policies, check the evacuation destination, whether a family member can travel with you, and whether pre-existing conditions are excluded. Confirm also whether the insurer or you must arrange the flight.
Malaria, yellow fever and vaccinations
Malaria risk is high across Tanzania below 1,800 metres, including Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, according to TravelHealthPro, the UK travel health service. Recommended preventive drugs are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, chosen with a doctor.
Long-term residents should agree a plan with a doctor, because continuous tablets for years raise separate questions of cost and side effects. Any fever in a malaria area needs a blood test the same day, which private clinics and laboratories do quickly.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over one year old arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. The rule also covers airport transits of more than 12 hours in such a country.
That matters for residents who travel regionally, because Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia are on the World Health Organization’s list of risk countries. A single dose gives lifelong protection, so keep the original yellow certificate with your passport.
Hepatitis A and tetanus are advised for all travellers, and typhoid for most. Rabies, hepatitis B, cholera and meningitis vaccines are recommended for some, depending on work, travel and length of stay.
Pharmacies and medicines
Medicines are regulated by the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), which registers products and controls imports. Registered pharmacies in the cities stock most common drugs, though specific brands and some specialist medicines can be hard to find.
Outside the cities, many people buy medicines at Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs), licensed shops that sell a limited list of essential drugs. Falsified or substandard medicines remain a risk, so buy from hospital pharmacies or established chains where possible.
Bring several months of any regular prescription, in original packaging with a doctor’s letter. Controlled medicines, such as strong painkillers or some psychiatric drugs, may need a TMDA import permit, so check before shipping supplies.
What this means for your plans
Healthcare in Tanzania is workable for expatriates who plan around its limits. Base yourself within reach of Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Stone Town if you have a chronic condition, and register with a private clinic early.
Budget for an international policy with evacuation cover as a fixed cost of living in the country. Check that it satisfies the Universal Health Insurance Act and, once enforcement begins, the new visitor insurance rules for family members who come and go.
Keep a short file ready: insurer emergency number, policy certificate, yellow fever card, blood group and a list of medicines. The emergency number is 112, but in practice a private hospital’s own ambulance or your insurer’s assistance line is often faster.
The rules governing healthcare in Tanzania are still settling. The national scheme is rolling out region by region and the visitor regulations await an enforcement date, so confirm details with your employer, insurer and the NHIF.
More: Africa coverage from The Rio Times.
Sources: WTW on the Universal Health Insurance Act 2023, SPARC policy brief on the Universal Health Insurance Act, iPMI Global country guide to Tanzania, TanzaniaInvest on the universal health insurance launch, National Health Insurance Fund, Visasupdate on the Inbound Travel Insurance Regulations 2026, Business Daily on mandatory visitor cover, Aga Khan Health Services Tanzania, Muhimbili National Hospital, AMREF Flying Doctors Maisha plans, TravelHealthPro country page for Tanzania, UK Foreign Office health advice for Tanzania, US State Department country information for Tanzania, Aga Khan Development Network health services in Tanzania, World Health Organization yellow fever fact sheet, Bank of Tanzania exchange rates
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