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.

A travel health consultation, for example with your GP, at a travel clinic or with a travel medicine specialist, will help you decide which vaccinations and which malaria prevention are right for you. 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, the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) has additionally recommended a one-off booster in the event of renewed exposure. 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. The DTG classifies the country uniformly, as of June 2026: a high risk applies in Tanzania, including all national parks and the city of Dar es Salaam. Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia are also in the high-risk zone; the islands do not have their own, milder category. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (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 DTG and STIKO recommend completing the vaccination programme ideally 2 weeks before departure. The WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publish their own guidance as well. 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

Two recent reports deserve some context. An outbreak of the Marburg virus, with a total of 10 cases, was confirmed on 14 January 2025 in the Kagera region in north-west Tanzania. The WHO officially declared the outbreak over on 13 March 2025. No new 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.

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