Plan Your Trip
Zanzibar Travel Insurance: What Your Own Policy Should Cover
Quick answer
Which travel insurance should you take for Zanzibar?
Take your own policy that pays for medical treatment and for emergency evacuation to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi, and add cancellation cover and an honest check of its exclusions for diving, boats and scooters. It sits on top of the compulsory entry insurance, which it does not replace. Buy it the week you book, save the insurer’s 24-hour number offline and call 112 for an ambulance on the island.
The entry insurance is a separate matter; the entry requirements page has its prices and where to buy it. This page is about the policy you choose yourself.
| Your own policy | Medical, emergency evacuation, cancellation, baggage |
| Entry insurance | One policy, for the place you land first; it does not replace yours |
| Serious cases | Flown to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi |
| Nearest hospital to the hotel | MedExpress in Paje, private, open 24 hours |
| Emergency number | 112 |
| Check the exclusions | Diving, boat trips, scooters, safari activities |
| Pre-existing conditions | Declare them before you buy |
| When to buy | The week you book the trip |
| Last verified | 15 November 2026 |
The cover
What should a Zanzibar travel insurance policy cover?
Medical treatment and emergency evacuation come first, because the island’s facilities are small. The UK government’s health advice for Tanzania (read 15 November 2026) tells travellers to have “appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation” and says that “medical facilities are limited, especially outside Dar es Salaam”. Serious cases are flown to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi, which is why evacuation is the line to check before any other.
The rest of the policy protects the money you put into the trip. The table lists what to look for and why it matters on this particular journey.
| Cover | Why it matters here | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Medical treatment | Medical facilities are limited and the nearest hospital is private | That Tanzania, including Zanzibar, is a covered destination |
| Emergency evacuation | Serious cases go by air to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi | That it names air ambulance or medical evacuation, with no low cap |
| Cancellation and curtailment | Flights and a hotel stay are paid in advance | Which reasons count, and when cover starts |
| Baggage and valuables | Bag snatching is the most common problem for guests | The limit per item, and whether phones and cameras are included |
| Personal liability | Boats, bikes and hired equipment | That the policy lists it |
| Activities | Water sports, boats, safari excursions | The exclusions list, named activity by named activity |
Wording differs from insurer to insurer; this table says what to look for, not which product to buy.
Two policies
How does your own policy relate to the compulsory entry insurance?
They are two different things. The entry insurance is a basic inbound policy that immigration checks. The UK Foreign Office puts the rule this way (read 15 November 2026): “You only need to buy insurance for your first port of entry, either mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar.” In other words, you buy one entry policy, for the place where you land first.
Your own policy is the one you choose for the whole trip and the journey home. Neither replaces the other, and you do not buy the entry insurance twice for one journey. Prices, the exact rule, how to buy and what to show at the desk are on the entry requirements page, so they are not repeated here.
If you land on the mainland first for a safari, the entry insurance changes but your own policy does not: it has to cover the whole route, the safari included. The guide to Zanzibar after a safari shows how the two halves fit together.
The small print
Which exclusions matter for diving, boats, scooters and health?
Most insurance problems on holiday come from one exclusion nobody read. Four are worth reading on this island.
Diving and water sports
Many policies exclude scuba diving, or allow it only with a certification, to a depth limit or with a professional guide. Snorkelling is often covered where diving is not, but not always, so look for both words. The snorkelling and diving guide explains the difference between the two, and the same check applies to kayaks, kitesurfing and boat trips.
Scooters and motorbikes
Many travel policies exclude riding a scooter, and some require a motorcycle licence. Our safety guide calls the roads the most dangerous part of a Zanzibar holiday. If you plan to hire one, ask the insurer first; otherwise take a booked driver.
Pre-existing conditions and pregnancy
Insurers usually cover a known condition only if you declare it and they accept it, sometimes at a higher price. The UK government calls insurance particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant. Declare everything, in writing, when you buy.
Safari activities
If a safari is part of the trip, check whether walking safaris, balloon flights or a Kilimanjaro-area trek are excluded. A short trip with one excluded activity is easier to fix before you leave than after.
On the island
What happens if you need a doctor on Zanzibar?
Tell the butler team first; they know who to call. For guests of Matlai the nearest hospital is MedExpress in Paje, a private hospital with expatriate and local doctors, open 24 hours, with its own ambulance; its doctors also come to the hotel. There is a pharmacy in Michamvi Pingwe. In an emergency call 112, Tanzania’s number for police, fire and ambulance.
Then call your insurer. The UK government’s advice is to contact the insurance company quickly if you are referred to a medical facility, and some policies ask to be told before a hospital stay or an evacuation, so check yours. Ask your insurer before you travel whether it pays the hospital directly or you pay and claim back, and keep every receipt either way.
For anything serious, the route is by air to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi, arranged and paid through your insurer. The safety page has the medical side in more detail.
Claims
What paperwork and documents should you carry?
Most claims are paid or refused on paper. Keep these where you can reach them with no signal, because mobile data was cut for days in Tanzania after the 2025 election and our safety page advises writing key numbers down.
- The policy number and the insurer’s 24-hour emergency number, saved on your phone and written on paper.
- A copy of the policy wording, so you can show what it covers.
- The entry-insurance certificate or its QR code, which is checked at immigration, as the entry page explains.
- A copy of your passport photo page, kept apart from the passport.
- Your medicines in their original packaging, with a list of what you take.
- Original receipts, medical reports and invoices for anything you may claim, and a photo of each.
- For theft, a police report: most insurers ask for one, so check yours.
After the trip, send the claim with all of it at once and keep copies. If a claim is refused, ask for the reason in writing and for the clause it relies on.
Choosing
When should you buy, and how do you choose?
Buy it the week you book. Check when the cancellation cover starts: many policies cover only events that arise after the policy begins, so waiting can leave the first weeks without cover. A single-trip policy is enough for one holiday; an annual policy only pays if you travel often.
We do not recommend insurers or comparison sites, and no one at the hotel earns anything from your choice. Compare the wordings against the table above: Tanzania as a covered destination, evacuation without a low cap, the activities you will do, declared conditions. The cheapest policy that passes those checks is the right one.
Where these facts come from
Official sources
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Tanzania health: Read 15 November 2026: have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation; medical facilities are limited, especially outside Dar es Salaam; contact your insurer quickly if referred to a medical facility; insurance is particularly important with a health condition or in pregnancy.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Tanzania entry requirements: Read 15 November 2026: you only need to buy insurance for your first port of entry, either mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar, and the entry insurance applies even if you already have a personal policy.
- Auswärtiges Amt (German Foreign Office): Tanzania travel and safety advice: Read 15 November 2026 (the page is dated 15.11.2026): advises travel health insurance with medical evacuation cover for the whole stay, and says hospital bills abroad may have to be paid or advanced.
- European Commission: European Health Insurance Card: Read 15 November 2026: the card is valid in the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; Tanzania is not on that list.
Checked on 15 November 2026. We link to the bodies that set the rules, not to summaries of them. Rules change: check the page itself before you travel.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The questions guests ask us about insurance before they fly.
Do I need travel insurance for Zanzibar if I already have the entry insurance?
Yes, take your own as well. The entry policy is the one immigration checks, and the UK Foreign Office says it applies even if you already have a personal policy. The UK Foreign Office and the German Foreign Office (both read 15 November 2026) also advise your own travel insurance, with medical evacuation. Cancellation and your belongings are also your own policy’s job.
What should Zanzibar travel insurance cover?
At minimum, medical treatment and emergency evacuation. Add cancellation or curtailment of the trip, baggage and valuables, and personal liability. Then read the exclusions for the activities you plan: diving, boats, scooters and safari activities are the usual ones.
Does travel insurance cover scuba diving in Zanzibar?
Only if the policy says so. Many policies exclude diving, or allow it only with a certification, to a depth limit or with a professional. Snorkelling is often treated differently from diving, so check both words in the policy wording and ask the insurer in writing if it is unclear.
Are pre-existing medical conditions covered?
Often only if you declare them and the insurer accepts them, sometimes for an extra premium. The UK government calls insurance particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant. Declare everything when you buy, and check in your policy what happens to a claim if a condition was not declared.
Does my home health insurance cover me in Zanzibar?
Usually not. National and employer health plans often stop at the border. The European Commission’s page on the European Health Insurance Card (read 15 November 2026) lists the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK; Tanzania is not on that list. Ask your health insurer in writing whether it pays abroad and whether it pays for evacuation; if not, you need a travel policy.
What happens if I fall ill at the hotel?
Tell the butler team. The nearest hospital is MedExpress in Paje, private and open 24 hours with its own ambulance, and its doctors also come to the hotel. Call your insurer’s 24-hour number as soon as you are referred for treatment, and keep every receipt and report.
When should I buy travel insurance?
The week you book. Check in your policy when cancellation cover starts: many cover only reasons that arise after you buy, so a late purchase can leave the first weeks uncovered.
Your stay at Matlai
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Why guests book Matlai
- A team of butlers on call, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
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