Tanzania has relaxed its COVID-19 measures, dropping off the requirement of a 72-hour negative RT PCR result and rapid antigen test for the fully vaccinated arrivals. Airlines flying to Tanzania are free to allow the travelers who are fully vaccinated to board their flights without necessarily carrying a negative PCR result certificate with them.
Announcing the new measures, Tanzania’s Minister of Health Ms. Ummy Mwalimu said, however, fully inoculated travelers from March 17, 2022, are required to have a valid vaccination certificate with QR code for verification upon arrival.
“The only accepted vaccines are those which have been approved by Tanzania and the World Health Organization (WHO),” reads the new travel advisory No. 10 of March 16, 2022, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Prof. Abel Makubi.
Unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated and those non eligible travelers arriving at any points of entry to Tanzania should however have a negative COVID-19 RT PCR or NAATs certificates with QR code obtained within 72 hours before departure.
“The reason why we demand QR code is to verify the authenticity of the certificates. However, travelers for those countries, which do not offer certificates with QR codes such as the ones issued by United States of America CDC are supposed to provide proof of vaccination” Prof. Makubi clarified.
This proof must tick the following boxes: It’s issued by an official source such as the CDC, it shows travelers name and date of birth as well as it shows the vaccine visitors received, and the date(s) for all the doses he or she received.
Unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated and those non eligible travelers arriving in Tanzania and have no negative COVID-19 RT-PCR certificates will be subjected to a rapid antigen test at their own cost and isolations.
Unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated and those non eligible travelers arriving at any points of entry to Tanzania should however have a negative COVID-19 RT PCR or NAATs certificates with QR code obtained within 72 hours before departure.
“The reason why we demand QR code is to verify the authenticity of the certificates. However, travelers for those countries, which do not offer certificates with QR codes such as the ones issued by United States of America CDC are supposed to provide proof of vaccination” Prof. Makubi clarified.
This proof must tick the following boxes: It’s issued by an official source such as the CDC, it shows travelers name and date of birth as well as it shows the vaccine visitors received, and the date(s) for all the doses he or she received.
Unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated and those non eligible travelers arriving in Tanzania and have no negative COVID-19 RT-PCR certificates will be subjected to a rapid antigen test at their own cost and isolations.
“In case of international, regional and inland vessels will be tested by rapid antigen test at their own cost of $10 while positive will be further confirmed by RT-PCR at a cost of $50 for Tanzania Mainland” Prof. Makubi said in the advisory.
In case of ground crossing, will be tested by rapid antigen test at their own cost of $10 and found positive will be handled according to bilateral and joint border agreements.
Children aged five and below, aircraft crew and in transit travelers will be exempted from both RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests requirements.
Truck drivers including crew should hold a valid negative COVID-19 RT-PCR or NAATs certificates obtained from an accredited national laboratory with not more than 14 days validity, a move that will facilitate movement of goods across the borders, hustle-free.
Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) CEO, Mr. Sirili Akko welcomed the travel advisory No. 10, saying it will go along way to unlock the country to tourists.
“This particular travel advisory is sitting well with stakeholders as it poises to open up the tourism destination to holidaymakers. We are so grateful to our Government under the President Samia Suluhu Hassan” Mr. Akko explained.
Despite being brutally assaulted by the pandemic, latest official statistics from the State house show the tourism industry recorded a nearly 126 percent growth in terms of the number of visitors in 2021 compared to 2020.
In her message to bid farewell to 2021 and welcome the New Year 2022, Tanzania’s President Samia said that 1.4 million tourists visited the natural resources rich nation in 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic; compared to 620,867 holidaymakers in 2020.
“This implies that in 2021, there was an increase of 779,133 tourists who visited Tanzania,” President Suluhu said in her address televised live by the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, adding: “Our expectations are that the tourism industry will continue to flourish in 2022 and beyond,”
Tourism offers Tanzania the long-term potential to create good jobs, generate foreign exchange earnings, provide revenue to support the conservation and maintenance of natural and cultural heritage, and expand the tax base to finance development expenditures and poverty-reduction efforts.
The latest World Bank Tanzania Economic Update, Transforming Tourism: Toward a Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Sector highlights tourism as central to the country’s economy, livelihoods and poverty reduction, particularly for women, who make up 72 percent of all workers in the tourism sub-sector.
