What Health Rules Apply in Tanzania for South Africans in 2026?

Last checked July 2026 — always confirm with official sources before travelling.

South African citizens travelling to Tanzania should check their complete flight and land itinerary for yellow fever certificate requirements, book a travel-health consultation and ask about malaria prevention. A yellow fever certificate is generally an entry document for travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk, rather than a vaccination requirement for every visitor.

Tanzania's Embassy advises travellers to seek medical immunisation advice well in advance, ideally around six weeks before departure, because some vaccines require more than one dose or time to become effective. These are health-planning requirements, not legal advice; rules and clinical recommendations can change.

Quick answer: required and recommended vaccines for Tanzania

Health measure	What South African travellers should know
Yellow fever	Required by Tanzania when arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country. Transit through a risk country can also trigger the certificate rule; official guidance differs on whether the relevant transit threshold is more than 12 or more than 24 hours, so verify the itinerary with Tanzania's official authorities before departure.
Routine vaccinations	Review routine immunisations with a clinician. Tanzania's Embassy lists tetanus, diphtheria, polio and meningitis among vaccines commonly considered for travellers to Africa.
Hepatitis A and B	The Tanzania Embassy lists hepatitis A and hepatitis B among vaccines commonly recommended for travellers to Africa. Whether you need them depends on your health, activities and itinerary.
Typhoid	The Embassy lists typhoid as a commonly recommended African-travel vaccine, and CDC destination guidance recommends it for most travellers, particularly those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.
Rabies	The Embassy lists rabies among vaccines commonly recommended for travellers to Africa. Discuss it particularly if your activities involve animals, remote travel or potential difficulty accessing prompt medical care.
Malaria	Malaria prevention may involve prescription chemoprophylaxis and mosquito-bite avoidance. A clinician should select the medicine for your itinerary and medical history.
Measles	CDC guidance says international travellers should be fully vaccinated against measles before travel; travellers who are not fully vaccinated or have not had measles can be at risk when travelling internationally.

For a safari, beach stay or combined itinerary, the appropriate advice depends on where you will go, how long you will stay, planned activities, previous vaccinations, pregnancy status, age and medical conditions. You can also compare Tanzania safari and Zanzibar packages while checking the route and timing with a travel-health professional.

Yellow fever certificate rules for Tanzania

When is a yellow fever certificate required?

Tanzania requires proof of yellow fever vaccination when a traveller is arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. CDC country-entry guidance says the certificate requirement applies to travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever virus transmission and to travellers whose route includes a qualifying transit or layover in such a country.

South African citizenship alone is not the test. The relevant question is where you have travelled from and which countries you transited. If your journey reaches Tanzania directly from a location that is not on the applicable yellow-fever-risk list, the Tanzania entry rule described by the Embassy does not normally require a yellow fever certificate on that basis. Check the current route against official country lists before travelling, especially if you connect elsewhere in Africa.

How long can you transit before the certificate is needed?

The official sources supplied for this guide contain a discrepancy. Tanzania's Embassy in Washington says vaccination is required if a traveller stays for more than 24 hours in a country endemic for yellow fever. CDC Tanzania guidance states that the requirement includes more than 12-hour airport transits or layovers in countries with yellow fever transmission risk. The U.S. State Department also describes Tanzania's requirement as applying to travellers arriving from endemic countries, including 12-plus-hour transit situations.

Because the lower threshold is the more cautious planning standard, travellers with a transit of more than 12 hours through a risk country should arrange the certificate if medically suitable, then confirm the current interpretation with the Tanzanian mission, immigration authority or airline. Do not assume that remaining airside always removes the requirement: the CDC advises considering the full itinerary, including transfers that may require passing through immigration or staying overnight during a long layover.

What document proves vaccination?

Proof is recorded on the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, commonly called the yellow card or ICVP. CDC guidance states that, since 2016, a completed ICVP for yellow fever vaccination is valid for the life of the vaccinated person; it is not generally a 10-year document.

Carry the original certificate with your passport and keep a secure digital copy separately. The certificate must correspond to the traveller's identity and vaccination record. If a clinician advises against vaccination, Tanzania's Embassy says a traveller may travel with a doctor's letter and show it to the border immigration officer to request a waiver; arrange this before departure and confirm that the document will be accepted.

Recommended vaccinations and when to arrange them

Start with a travel-health appointment around six weeks before departure. Tanzania's Embassy gives this planning window because some vaccines require multiple doses or time to become effective. A late appointment is still worthwhile: a clinician can review existing records, identify urgent priorities and explain which vaccines or medicines are suitable for your circumstances.

Vaccines to review

• Routine protection: ask the clinician to review tetanus, diphtheria and polio status. The Embassy also lists meningitis among vaccines commonly considered for African travel.
• Hepatitis A and hepatitis B: discuss both because the Embassy lists them among commonly recommended vaccines for travellers to Africa. The decision depends on your health and travel plans.
• Typhoid: consider the vaccine particularly for rural travel, smaller cities, visiting friends or relatives and situations where food and water exposure may be harder to control. CDC guidance recommends typhoid for most travellers and highlights those travel patterns.
• Rabies: ask about pre-exposure vaccination if your safari, trekking or other activities could involve animals or if you will be far from medical care. The Embassy lists rabies among commonly recommended African-travel vaccines.
• Measles: confirm that you are fully vaccinated before international travel. CDC guidance warns that unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated travellers can be at risk when travelling internationally.

Yellow fever vaccination is a separate decision from the entry certificate. CDC guidance says yellow fever vaccination is generally not recommended for travel to Tanzania because Tanzania is not on the WHO list of countries with yellow fever transmission risk, while entry rules may still require proof if your route comes from a risk country. A travel-medicine clinician should weigh exposure risk, entry rules and personal risk factors before recommending the vaccine.

Malaria in Tanzania: prevention, medicines and bite avoidance

Malaria prevention should be planned around your exact Tanzanian itinerary rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all vaccine question. CDC Tanzania guidance provides malaria-prevention information, a Tanzania risk map and a list of recommended chemoprophylaxis options including atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine.

Ask a clinician to choose the medicine based on your destinations, travel dates, duration, pregnancy status, other medicines and medical history. Tafenoquine requires particular caution: CDC guidance says people must be tested for glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency with a quantitative laboratory test before it is prescribed because it can cause potentially life-threatening haemolysis in people with G6PD deficiency.

Medication is only one part of prevention. Reduce mosquito exposure by using repellent as directed, wearing clothing that covers skin when practical, using accommodation screens or air conditioning where available and following your clinician's advice about bed nets. Pack enough prescribed medicine for the itinerary and keep it in labelled original packaging. If you develop a fever during or after travel, tell the healthcare provider that you have been in a malaria-risk area; do not self-diagnose.

Safari timing is a separate planning decision. If you are researching the best time to visit the Serengeti, use the travel calendar alongside medical advice, because the final health plan should follow the places and activities on your confirmed itinerary.

Health documents and travel insurance

Take your passport, ICVP yellow fever certificate if your route requires one, vaccination records, prescriptions and a written list of allergies and medical conditions. Keep copies in secure cloud storage and with a trusted contact. The Tanzania Embassy specifically advises consulting a doctor because vaccine choices depend on individual factors and precise travel plans.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation advises citizens travelling abroad to make timeous enquiries about health risks, consult a doctor if they have a history of health challenges and obtain updates from the Department of Health or relevant international health authorities.

Check travel insurance before paying for your safari. Confirm whether the policy covers medical treatment, evacuation, pre-existing conditions, trekking or climbing and changes caused by illness. Ask the insurer how to contact its assistance team from Tanzania and retain the policy number with your travel documents. The supplied official guidance does not establish a single Tanzania insurance requirement, so confirm any requirement attached to your booking, visa or provider directly. For related entry planning, see the Tanzania visa guidance for South African citizens.

Medication rules and what to pack

Pack regular medicines in their original labelled containers, with enough for the full trip and a reserve where clinically appropriate. Carry prescriptions or a doctor's letter describing the medicine and dose, particularly for controlled or injectable medicines. Before departure, ask the Tanzanian diplomatic mission or an official Tanzanian authority about any import restrictions for a specific medicine; do not rely on a generic packing list.

A practical health kit can include prescribed malaria prevention, insect repellent, sunscreen, hand sanitiser, oral rehydration supplies, basic wound-care items and any personal medical equipment. These items do not replace medical advice. A clinician can tell you which products are safe with your existing medication and whether you need additional supplies for remote safari camps or a Kilimanjaro itinerary.

Health facilities and emergencies in Tanzania

Medical access can vary significantly by location and by the distance between a safari camp, island accommodation and a larger town. Before departure, ask your operator where the nearest suitable medical facility is for each part of the itinerary, how an urgent transfer would be arranged and which insurer or assistance provider should be called.

Carry emergency contact details, your blood group only if medically verified, allergies, chronic-condition information and a list of medicines. If you have a serious health condition, are pregnant, are immunocompromised or are planning strenuous trekking, obtain individual medical advice before booking activities. DIRCO advises travellers with health challenges to consult their doctor and to obtain current health-risk information before travel.

For a safari itinerary, share relevant medical information privately with your operator so the team can plan transport and support without unnecessarily delaying an emergency. Compare safari packages on SafariFind only after checking that the proposed route, activities and accommodation match the health plan recommended by your clinician.

Planning checklist for South African travellers

• Review the complete route, including every airport transit and overnight stop.
• Check whether the route passes through a yellow-fever-risk country.
• Book a travel-health consultation around six weeks before departure where possible.
• Review routine vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, rabies, meningitis and measles with a clinician.
• Ask about malaria risk and prescription prevention for each destination.
• Obtain an ICVP if the route requires yellow fever proof, and carry it with your passport.
• Arrange insurance and confirm emergency assistance, evacuation and activity cover.
• Recheck official Tanzanian and South African guidance immediately before leaving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do South African citizens need a yellow fever certificate for Tanzania?

Not solely because they are South African citizens; Tanzania's rule is based on the traveller's departure route and transit history. A certificate is required when arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country, and qualifying transit through a risk country can also trigger the rule.

Does a transit through a yellow-fever-risk country count for Tanzania?

Yes, a qualifying transit can count. CDC guidance refers to more than 12-hour airport transits or layovers, while Tanzania's Embassy page says more than 24 hours, so travellers should confirm the current rule and use the more cautious 12-hour planning threshold.

How long is a Tanzania yellow fever certificate valid?

A properly completed International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis for yellow fever vaccination is valid for the life of the vaccinated person under current International Health Regulation guidance described by CDC.

How early should I get vaccinations for Tanzania?

Arrange a travel-health consultation around six weeks before departure where possible. Tanzania's Embassy says some vaccines require more than one dose or time to become effective.

Which vaccines are recommended for a Tanzania safari?

The Tanzania Embassy lists tetanus, diphtheria, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies and meningitis among vaccines commonly considered for travel to Africa. The correct selection depends on your health, itinerary and activities.

Do I need malaria tablets for Tanzania?

You may need prescription malaria chemoprophylaxis, depending on your destinations and medical circumstances. CDC guidance lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as recommended options, but a clinician must choose the appropriate medicine.

Is malaria a risk in Serengeti and Zanzibar?

Ask a clinician to assess malaria risk for every part of your itinerary, including safari areas and islands. CDC provides Tanzania malaria-prevention guidance and a country risk map, but the supplied research does not establish one uniform risk classification for every location.

Can I get a medical waiver instead of the yellow fever vaccine?

Tanzania's Embassy says a traveller who should not receive the vaccine for a medical reason may travel with a doctor's letter and show it to an immigration officer to request a waiver. Confirm the required wording and acceptance before departure.

Should I get the measles vaccine before travelling to Tanzania?

CDC recommends that international travellers be fully vaccinated against measles before travel. Travellers who are not fully vaccinated or have not had measles can be at risk during international travel.

What health documents should South Africans carry to Tanzania?

Carry your passport, vaccination records, prescriptions, medical information and the original yellow fever ICVP if your route requires it. Also keep your travel-insurance assistance details and secure copies of important documents.