Tanzania: country facts, travel advice and health

01Free

The 30-second card

CapitalDodomaSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

LanguageEnglish, SwahiliSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

CurrencyTanzanian Shilling · TZSSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

TimeUTC+3Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

PlugsG, 230 VSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

DrivingOn the leftSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Emergency · tap to call

112Police · Ambulance · Fire 111All emergencies

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United Kingdom passport

Online visa or authorisationSource: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United States passport

Online visa or authorisationSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

SIM and eSIM

With an unlocked GSM phone, a local SIM card costs about 500 Tanzanian shillings.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Apps locals use

Little: ride-hailing app that operates in Tanzania.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Cash is used for most payments; cards are accepted only in some places.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Tanzania

Tanzanian Shilling · TZS

Bring large, recent US dollar bills: small notes get a noticeably worse exchange rate.

Leave dollar notes printed before 2003 at home, because they are widely turned away.

Use Ecobank, GT Bank, KCB, I&M or DTB machines to avoid ATM fees on a foreign card.

Keep small notes handy, since small shops expect you to pay the exact amount.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Tanzanian Shilling in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Wed, 9 Dec 2026 · Independence Day Siku ya Uhuru

Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day Krismasi

Sat, 26 Dec 2026 · St. Stephen's Day Siku ya kufungua Zawadi

Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day Mwaka mpya

Tue, 12 Jan 2027 · Zanzibar Revolution Day Sikukuu ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar

Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday Ijumaa Kuu

Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday Jumatatu ya Pasaka

Wed, 7 Apr 2027 · Karume Day Siku ya Karume

Mon, 26 Apr 2027 · Union Day Sikukuu ya Muungano

Sat, 1 May 2027 · International Workers' Day Sikukuu ya Wafanyakazi

Wed, 7 Jul 2027 · Saba Saba Day Saba Saba

Sun, 8 Aug 2027 · Nane Nane Day Nane Nane

Thu, 14 Oct 2027 · Nyerere Day Siku ya Nyerere

Source: Nager.Date · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Tanzania say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

No travel warning

Calm ●

Caution

Serious

Don’t go

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 20 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Exercise increased caution

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Level 2 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 15 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

Advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 20 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Safari tours sold by touts

Book only reputable, licensed operators, such as those on the operators' association list.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strangers offering lifts or taxis

Say no, and book a taxi through your hotel or travel operator, checking the driver's ID.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Aggressive ticket touts at ports

Buy ferry tickets in the terminal or online in advance, not from people approaching you.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

On-the-spot traffic fines

Do not pay cash at the roadside; a real fine comes with a government control number.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

ATM card cloning

Withdraw money only from ATMs inside bank branches.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Yellow fever certificate if arriving from a risk country. Malaria in some regions. Altitude risk on mountains.

Vaccinations

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is needed at entry if you arrive from a country with yellow fever transmission risk.

Malaria

In some regions

Altitude

Climbing Kilimanjaro or other Tanzanian mountains carries a risk of altitude sickness.

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: GOV.UK
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

€4.99once · all countries

Pay once. No subscription. All countries, yours forever.

Must-see · 1Serengeti National Park

Big cats, elephants and the great wildebeest migration.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

Swahili time counts the hours from sunrise: the day begins at 6 in the morning, which is hour 0.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: Mungu ibariki Afrika. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

7 World Heritage sites in Tanzania, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $90.1 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $1,319Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	gold, refined petroleum, dried legumes, refined copper, coal (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	70.5 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	18.8 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	70.8 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Christian 63.1%, Muslim 34.1%, folk religion 1.1%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified 1.6% (2020 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2020 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	947,300 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlandsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, southSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+255Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).