Vaccinations for Tanzania: requirements, recommendations and malaria

In short

No vaccination is required for entry into Tanzania if you travel directly from a country without a yellow fever risk, for example from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain or the US. Tanzania only requires proof of yellow fever vaccination if you enter from a country with a yellow fever risk or were in transit for more than 12 hours in such a country on the way.

Up-to-date routine vaccinations and vaccination against hepatitis A are recommended. Depending on the trip, further vaccinations may be considered. The most important health issue, however, is malaria: according to the German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel and Global Health (DTG), a high malaria risk applies in Tanzania, including the national parks and Zanzibar. The WHO (with its yellow fever country list) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also publish information for travellers to Tanzania.

This article summarises the information provided by the DTG, the German Federal Foreign Office, the WHO and the CDC. It is no substitute for a travel health consultation: which vaccinations and which malaria prevention are right for you is something you decide there, for example with your GP, at a travel clinic or with a travel medicine specialist. Last updated October 2026.

Yellow fever: when proof is mandatory

Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Tanzania requires proof of vaccination in two cases:

• You enter from a country that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as a yellow fever risk country.
• You were in transit in such a country for more than 12 hours on the way to Tanzania.

The 12-hour threshold is a rule specific to Tanzania, not a general international rule. Other countries set different thresholds. The authoritative source is the WHO list of countries, which is updated annually. Check before departure whether a country on your flight route is on it; this applies especially to stopovers in Africa.

The proof requirement applies to children aged one and over. The vaccine itself is only licensed from 9 months of age. In infants between 6 and 9 months there is a relative contraindication; under 6 months an absolute one.

Proof of vaccination is valid for life. Since WHO resolution WHA67.13, in force since 11 July 2016, it no longer expires, and this also applies retrospectively to everyone vaccinated before 2016. Since August 2022, Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) has additionally recommended a one-off booster in the event of renewed exposure; this is a German recommendation. For the recommendation that applies in your country, contact your national health authority or a travel clinic. This does not affect the lifelong validity of your existing proof for entry.

Recommended vaccinations

The DTG issues recommendations on which vaccinations are advisable for Tanzania. Only individual advice is authoritative: your state of health, route, duration of travel and pre-existing conditions all play a role.

The cholera vaccination is not recommended for tourists. The risk on a normal trip is very low. The vaccine is only intended for deployments in outbreak areas, for example for medical staff or disaster relief.

A travel health consultation will settle which points from the right-hand column apply to you. A safari with fixed accommodation has a different profile from a long independent tour.

Malaria: risk and protection

Malaria is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes and is the main health concern in Tanzania. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, there is a high malaria risk throughout the year across the entire country below 2,500 metres, including the national parks, Dar es Salaam and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia; the islands do not have their own, milder category. The CDC names all areas below 1,800 m as the transmission area. For climbing Kilimanjaro, the altitude therefore plays a role; you clarify this in a travel health consultation. The CDC and the UK service TravelHealthPro publish their own assessments of the malaria risk in Tanzania; travel health advice is the deciding factor.

For a continuous high-risk area, the DTG’s standard recommendation is chemoprophylaxis, i.e. the preventive use of an antimalarial during the trip. Which drug is suitable depends on your health and your trip and is something to discuss at a travel health consultation. Stand-by therapy, i.e. carrying a medication only for an emergency, is not envisaged for Tanzania under the guideline. This option is intended for areas with medium risk where malaria testing is at least 48 hours away.

The second element is protection against mosquito bites, as the DTG recommends:

• Long, loose-fitting, treated clothing. What you should pack is in the packing list for Tanzania.
• Repellents, i.e. mosquito-repelling agents, applied to exposed skin. The gold standard is the active ingredient DEET at 30 to 50 per cent; an alternative is icaridin from 20 per cent, also for children depending on age.
• Air-conditioned or mosquito-proof rooms and mosquito nets impregnated with permethrin.
• Protection during the day as well: malaria-carrying mosquitoes can be active during the day, and repellents additionally protect against dengue and chikungunya.

Timing: when to book a consultation

The 2-week deadline comes from Germany’s DTG and STIKO, which recommend completing the vaccination programme ideally 2 weeks before departure. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise seeing a doctor at least 1 month before the trip, and the British TravelHealthPro service advises arranging an appointment with a health professional ideally at least 4 to 6 weeks before travel. Protection usually does not build until 10 to 14 days after vaccination. So arrange the appointment in good time, as soon as your trip is confirmed.

Bring your vaccination record, your planned route and the duration of the trip to the consultation. You sort out the visa for Tanzania and the remaining entry formalities in parallel.

Current health situation

Three recent reports deserve some context. An outbreak of the Marburg virus was declared on 20 January 2025 in the Kagera region in north-west Tanzania, with a total of 10 cases, 2 of them confirmed and 8 probable. All 10 cases were fatal. The Ministry of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania officially declared the outbreak over on 13 March 2025. No new Marburg outbreak has been reported in 2026.

For mpox, formerly monkeypox, no vaccination is recommended for travel to Tanzania. The German Federal Foreign Office classifies the risk for guests as low.

Since May 2026, an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus has been spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Uganda has also reported cases. The WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May 2026, and Kenya confirmed an imported case on 6 October 2026. According to the German Federal Foreign Office (as of 23 October 2026), there are so far no confirmed cases in Tanzania; no vaccination is planned for travellers, and there is currently no approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus. Health checks including temperature screening are carried out at all points of entry, and since 17 October 2026 the Tanzanian Ministry of Health requires all travellers to fill in an online health form before departure or on arrival. The details of the form are set out in the guide on the visa for Tanzania. The travel and security advice of the German Federal Foreign Office gives the day-to-day status.

Regardless of vaccinations, compulsory entry insurance has applied to the Tanzanian mainland since 1 October 2026, and to Zanzibar since October 2024. This is an insurance requirement, not a health regulation. Details are in the article on compulsory insurance for Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Rules and the situation can change. Official bodies such as the foreign ministry and the health authorities of your country publish the latest status; the travel and security advice of the German Federal Foreign Office is one example. If you have questions about the day-to-day running of your trip, the team in Arusha can be reached during the safari; all medical questions remain a matter for a travel health clinic or doctor.

Frequently asked questions about vaccinations and malaria in Tanzania