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Entering by boat: Tanzania (incl. Zanzibar)

What to do to enter Tanzania (incl. Zanzibar) by sea: the procedures, the papers to present and the ports where you can clear in.

Check with the authorities before you leave (last checked on 28 October 2026).

The steps

  1. Tell the marina or yacht club your arrival time.
  2. Anchor and wait for Port Health aboard (Tanga) or go to the port.
  3. Customs with papers (originals and copies), crew list, inventory and last clearance.
  4. Immigration (visa on arrival or in advance), then a Transire for onward cruising.

Papers to have on board

  • Passports for the whole crew
  • Visas, if your nationality requires them
  • Crew list
  • Boat papers (registration certificate)
  • Outward clearance from the previous country
  • Ship’s stores declaration
  • Insurance certificate

Good to know

  • Clearance is slow (at least 4-5 h); officials are not used to yachts.
  • Ask Customs for a 'Transire' to cruise the coast and between the mainland and Zanzibar.
  • Zanzibar: mandatory inbound travel insurance (US$44, up to 92 days), bought online before arrival.
  • Somali piracy: threat raised in April 2026; report to UKMTO.

Ports of entry

The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.

Zanzibar (Unguja)

Prepare your arrival with Hullteam

In the app, free: the map of every port of entry and its offices with their contacts, the crew list and the entry forms filled in for you, ready to print or send to an agent.

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Sources

This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.