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Rules for overlanding in Tanzania

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 27 September 2026.

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Which driving licence do I need in Tanzania?

• All vehicles — An International Driving Permit on the 1968 Vienna Convention model is required. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

• What insurance do I need to drive in Tanzania? — Third-party liability cover is compulsory, and an Italian policy is not valid here: short-term cover has to be bought locally. Check what applies to the policy you hold.
• What do I need to bring my own vehicle into Tanzania? — A vehicle can be imported temporarily for a maximum of 12 months and a Carnet de Passages en Douane is required. A defence ministry circular also requires prior authorisation from the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority to bring in vehicles, aircraft or drones temporarily.
• Left-hand traffic — Traffic drives on the left and overtakes on the right.
• What is the drink-driving limit in Tanzania? — The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08% and police can ask drivers to take a breath test.
• Are helmets and seatbelts compulsory in Tanzania? — Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists. Seatbelts are compulsory in the front seats.
• Roads — There are no motorways. Roads are almost all two-lane, often very busy partly because of heavy lorries, not regularly maintained and often badly lit; the often risky driving style and poor vehicle maintenance, heavy vehicles included, have often caused serious crashes, some fatal. After a crash help can be very slow, partly because of the long distances, and adequate medical facilities are not always nearby, being concentrated in the main cities.
• Speed in the parks — The limit inside the parks is 50 km/h, and the ministry suggests making sure your driver always keeps to it. Road crashes involving tourists on safari, some fatal, are frequent: plan your stages carefully with the agency and the driver, avoiding having to cover excessive distances in a short time, which would lead to breaking the speed limit (including when trying to beat the park closing time). The ministry also suggests asking for guides who carry a radio.
• Driver rather than self-drive — The ministry generally advises against driving yourself and suggests a local driver instead. If you do rent, check carefully that the insurance cover is adequate.
• Ferries — Avoid ferries that are clearly poorly maintained or overloaded, and arrange to continue your journey by other means of transport if you come across one.

What catches travellers out

• Passport and visa — A passport with at least six months of remaining validity is required. A visa is needed for tourism and for business: you can get it on arrival at Tanzania's three international airports (Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro), paying in cash (US dollars) or by credit card, or apply online on the official government site at least 10 days before departure. Other non-government sites are not authorised. Working is strictly forbidden on a tourist visa alone, even as a volunteer: arrests and fines are frequent for people caught by the police with a visa that does not allow work or commercial activity.
• Compulsory insurance for the mainland — From 1 October 2026 foreign nationals entering mainland Tanzania must take out inbound travel insurance, issued by the National Insurance Corporation (NIC): 44 USD per visitor, valid for up to 92 days and covering medical emergencies, and compulsory even if you already hold other travel cover. The Tanzanian authorities recommend buying it before departure to ease entry. Whoever enters through the mainland buys the NIC policy and whoever enters through Zanzibar buys the Zanzibar policy; if you visit both, check whether the policy for your first point of entry gives enough cover for both. Buy policies only through the official channels. The ministry also recommends private health insurance with adequate limits that covers medical repatriation and air evacuation, and checking with your insurer that activating the compulsory policy will not harm future claims on your private one.
• Compulsory insurance for Zanzibar — Since 1 October 2024 anyone travelling to the Zanzibar archipelago must buy the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) travel policy, 44 USD per person for 92 days, even if they already hold other cover. It can be bought on arrival, though buying it online in advance avoids long queues, and it applies to the archipelago only. The ministry reports frequent cases where this policy does not cover certain medical costs, and cases of hospitals refusing to take on patients holding only the compulsory insurance, so it still recommends private health insurance. If you use ZIC cover, contact the ZIC operations centre before treatment (except in a proven emergency), where possible pay medical bills by traceable means (cards) rather than cash, and keep all medical records, receipts and invoices for any claim.
• Drugs — Trafficking any drug, soft ones included, is punished harshly; the police use informants, hotel checks are frequent and luggage is frequently inspected at the airport. Beach vendors sometimes try to sell drugs, which can end with you arrested on the spot.
• Plastic bags — Producing, using or importing plastic bags has been banned since 1 June 2019, with fines and possible arrest. Only plastic packaging for medical products and toiletry bags are exempt.
• Same-sex relationships — Same-sex relations are a criminal offence, punishable by 30 years to life, and even the attempt is punished. The ministry advises the utmost discretion.

Vehicle, drones and permits

• Can I bring and fly a drone in Tanzania? — A drone brought in by a foreign visitor needs a Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority import permit before arrival, or it will be confiscated at the entry point; you also have to register the drone and yourself as the pilot, and apply for an operations permit, all at least three weeks before you plan to fly. Fees already paid are not refunded if you fail to complete the process in time. (Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) — Drones)
• Off-road driving in national parks — Off-roading inside Tanzania's national parks is not allowed unless you have been explicitly given permission, and drone use is likewise restricted and requires special permission. Always keep to posted speed limits and gate times. (Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) — Plan a Trip)

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 27 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Tanzania before you travel. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

The points in "Vehicle, drones and permits" come from official sources of the country itself, cited next to each one.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 27 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.